Hi all,
I'll be going to Europe next week and I need to get some Euros. Where in Edmonton can I find the best exchange rate? Or maybe is it better to change the money in an airport in Europe? Will be flying to Copenhagen with a stop in Iceland.
Thanks in advance

I need some insight on this topic as well..

Best is to check with different banks for their rates. We found that TD gives good rates. Also we did use our bank card in Europe at their banks, rates were good.

Iceland and Denmark don't use Euros - Iceland has the Icelandic krona and Denmark uses the Danish kroner.
I ordered mine from the ICE service in Marlin travel at west Ed (any Edmonton location would work) and they waived the service fee because I ordered it in advance.

TD! Don't exchange at airports they rates aren't good

WEM TD has some of the more obscure currencies if you are going to countries where that may apply.

Sorry if I was confusing, I'll be flying to Copenhagen through iceland air (will have a stop in Iceland), then I'm heading to Barcelona, Paris, Prague and some other cities of the EU.

Hey Manny! I'm currently in Europe and purchased euros through my bank (give a few days to allow the order to come through if you want a large amount). I recommend getting 100 euro bills as the largest denomination because most places do not take 200 euros and no one takes 500 except the bank and maybe the train station. 50 euro bills are handy.
For Iceland, I exchanged for krona when i arrived in Reyjkavik and exchanged what I had left over at the bank to euros before i flew into Copenhagen. At prague, you'll need their currency and the best place is to exchange in the city centre (minimum they will take is 100 euros) as there is no charge for commissions. Same with Hungary and Switzerland. You can use your debit if you'd like, just remember there are fees and also some ATMs can be finicky and will not take a Canadian card for some reason.
Denmark also has their own currency.
I do not recommend exchanging at the airport.
I like carrying small amounts of cash with me and leaving my cards in the safe behind in case of theft. So far so good.

Some airport/train station currency exchanges have a 10% differential between buying and selling, and charge a fee. I'd avoid those. Banks here are all pretty common and probably the best rates you'll get, TD is the best I think

Also, watch your Credit Cards when taking out money. I just come back and my BMO MasterCard charged 2.5% conversion AND there was an additional 2.5% charge from either the Canadian or German bank. I'd bring enough cash and use Credit card where available for purchase.
Also, Prague is not on the Euro and they don't accept it anywhere.

Following I leave Sept

calforex in west Edmonton mall

TL;DR bring a bunch of euros and exchange them for whatever currency you need when you're in those countries. Keep your debit card and credit card as back up.
Also, I've found that tipping and no tipping varied between each country but I feel like I'm almost a pro now.
I'm not sure how you're traveling between cities but look into blablacar if you wanna travel cheap.

AMA carries a variety of currency. I mostly prefer using my credit card for almost all purchases.

Btw how long are you going for? Make sure you're not in the schengen region for more than 90 days!

I'll be there for less than 3 weeks, so it won't be a problem. Blablacar seems like a great idea, I'll definitely use it in the future.

Thanks everyone for all your help and tips. I'll compare some rates and go with the best option.

I go to the bank but some of the exchange places- like in WEM can have deals on. I would phone around. Also, the current exchange rate quoted by the banks is not what you'd get. You have to check the purchasing rate.

Following I leave sept 11th

Try city centre ..... Exchange the money -

We got ours from the bank, took a week to get it. Southgate mall also has an exchange place. We mostly used our cc in Spain and Italy. We were able to take cash out of banks with our debit card as long as there was a P symbol on machines.

Spend as little as possible in Iceland. Everything is a ripoff. EVERYTHING.
Go to AMA kingsway. They have an atm machine that lets you withdraw euros from your debit, they have a really competitive exchange rate and their fee is $1.50 or something like that. IT's definitely the best way to go.

We got Euros from our bank which was great. Had to order ahead of time though. Iceland we took out money of the bank machines at the airport. Worked perfectly.

Find a friend who works at a bank get them to change it for you. They often get to buy and sell at the true rate. Unlike bank customers who have to buy at a higher cost then the sell price.

Get a Scotiabank account and then just use your debit card at any atm in Europe. There are Scotiabank all over every city in Europe. Make sure you exchange your Icelandic kronar before you leave Iceland, their money is worth nothing and no bank or exchange in Europe will take Icelandic coins and frequently do not accept small bills either.
We found the atms in Europe for any bank had better conversion rates than the banks offered us here at home.

Also if you don't finish your drinks in Iceland be sure to ask for it in a to go cup! Everything in Iceland is crazy expensive, avoid the blue lagoon in favor of the local pools or the natural (free) hotsprings that are all over the place

West Edmonton mall upstairs near the casino.. At the escalators..

In Iceland if you are just on a layover we just put food or whatever on our mastercard. We did not use cash, so we did not get any. Also In London and Rome and other cities we went to a bank machine at one of their banks used my bank card and took out the currency of the country we were in. Yes there is a fee but for us worth it.

Looking for the best way to find a cheap flight in January from Copenhagen to Phoenix. What sites should I be checking?

If you are an AMA member you can get some foreign currency and One of the times we did get money the rate was better than the bank

Elaine try Googleflights, momondo, skyscanner and kayak. I like to use momondo and skyscanner the most, but you should check all those websites to compare prices.

By the way, don't forget that pretty much all of Spain, France and Italy are on holiday this month so don't expect places other than the tourist area to be open.

All of August they are in holidays?

Yes! Paris is only tourists in august, it's so hot everyone that lives there goes to the countryside. Good call Winnie! I forgot about that

Thankfully I'm going September and October

Yup, these countries believe in a better work life balance than Canada haha.

They are also in a significant financial crisis Winnie lol

As are we.

Well nowhere near some of the EU countries.

Maria Shipina lee los tips

Ann Davies
Never exchange at the airport.

Ann is right