Where is the best place in the Lower Mainland to get Euros? Is it still worth a trip downtown to the main Currency Exchange?

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vbce has offices around the lower mainland, including Richmond and Metrotown.

Kari Second vbce, they have good rates

vbce for sure!

Sylvia and mention you get the “Preferred Rate” and they give you a better rate

ICE Currency @ YVR. Pre order online and pay at the airport.

Carol wow! Didn’t know we could do that! Thank you

Carol do they have "low" rates?

Nola if you pre-order online more than 24 hours in advance, they beat my bank every time

Nola , the rates are great. No fee when ordered 24 hours in advance. So convenient too.

Yes, I always go to the vbce on Granville and Broadway or the one in Richmond on #3 Rd. Otherwise you need to order in advance from your bank and it may not be the best rate.

I use J&M coin and jewelry on Kingsway. They have low transaction fees. Good time to buy Euros!

Caterina whoa. I just looked at the news..that's not good for the EU.

Jillian Yewell what did the news say? I just know the euro is at par with the US dollar
.

Caterina Europe is already dealing with high prices from the Ukraine/ Russian conflict. There is already food rationing. There is already crippling inflation and the single European currency just fell on par with the US dollar for the 1st time in 20 yrs. Over half of European imports are paid in dollars, including oil and gas- the price (of which makes Vancouver's $2/liter laughably low. France has gas prices hovering around $5/ litre). Any business reliant on importing goods and exporting very little will feel that hard.

Jillian Yewell I quickly checked XE.com based on what you mentioned. You’re right.

Sherman Strongest currency in the world is the Russian Ruble. The EU is paying its gas prices in rubles to avoid being cut off.

Jillian, we're planning a trip to Italy in Oct/Nov, so was considering picking up some Euros now

Sherman Hopefully the world events are stabilized. I don't think people take the disappearance of the grain markets of Russia and Ukraine very seriously. Draghi has been warning of food rationing for months. Good luck. I got in and out of France as fast as I could and now I'm wondering if I should flip my Euro into US.

Jillian, you make a very solid point. Thanks. You're probably not wrong with that move.

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I ALWAYS go to vbce when I'm traveling.

Wise.com, then get the prepaid international credit card
It allows you to spend money in the actual currency of multiple countries without the additional fees. Their exchange rate is also better than most banks.

Steven, brilliant move! Already wise to Wise to pay my international assistants, and totally missed the fact they have this card. Thanks!

Hi Sherman, just check the fees before you commit - as there are credit cards that don’t have these fees.
5. How Much Does the Wise Card Cost? (Fees and Limits)
Here’s a quick look at how much a Wise card costs along with associated fees and limits:
Card issuing fee $7 USD / £5 GBP/ €6 EUR/ $10 SGD/ $10 NZD and free in AUD (the first time)
Currency conversion fees Approx. 0.35–2.22%
Fees for spending currencies you hold No fees
ATM withdrawal fees Varies by country
For UK/Europe: 200GBP/EUR per month for free (with 2 free withdrawals, 1.75% fee thereafter)
For Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore: 350 AUD/NZD/SGD per month for free (with 2 free withdrawals, 1.75% fee thereafter)
For US: $100 USD per month for free (with 2 free withdrawals, 2% fee thereafter)
For Japan: 30,000 JPY per month for free (with 2 free withdrawals, 1.75% fee thereafter)
The card also has daily, weekly, and monthly spending limits that vary by country – check them out here.
Currency conversion fees:
While it is hard to say up front exactly how much you will have to pay in conversion fees, you can use the convenient Fee Checker to check out all fees before spending or withdrawing.
Also and most importantly:
The Wise card is not for you if you’re looking for an international credit card. You must have money in your Wise multi-currency account (either the currency you want to spend or another currency) to pay for goods and services online or in-store.
Because Wise is not a bank, you don’t earn interest on the money you hold in your card or multi-currency account.
Because Wise is not a bank, you are not protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FDIC in the US, FSCS in the UK, FCS in Australia) or similar in your country which acts like a kind of insurance for amounts you hold.
Here is the link to view in it’s entirety:
https://transumo.com/wise-card-review/#Wise-Card-Cost

Gee Chap this post is on YVR deals so it's safe to assume they are in Canada.
In which case, there is no card issuing fee.
ATM fees are free up to $350 cad/month and 2 free withdrawals. The atm itself may charge a fee. After that it is $1.50 cdn per withdrawl and 1.75%.
There are no spending limits. As long as there is cash in the account, you can spend the money.
That link is very biased. For the average Canadian travelling unless you get crazy good rates and tons of points on other credit cards, wise will be better in the long run.

Thanks Steven, It’s always good to be as transparent as possible - many people on this site are not from Canada - and regardless it’s always nice to be aware of “possible” fees and charges and of course look at the whole picture - nobody likes surprises!!

We use prepaid credit cards from CIBC, for Euro, UK and US $. Then just keep topping up as needed through bank app. We order Euro cash online from CIBC as well, and it gets delivered (if you have time for that - about a week). We’ve been in Denmark for a week and didn’t get any Krone cash, but it hasn’t been needed, as everywhere takes credit cards. Previously we’ve used vbce in Richmond too.

Steven yes I have a CIBC conversion card. You can load it up choosing from 10 currencies. No need for bank machine. Sit in your hotel room and transfer money from your chequing acct to card. Using it in store or restaurant same as your debit card. A couple of times a year they offer a “sale” by lowering their exchange rates. Had this for 3 years now.

I'm here now, you dont need to exchange before coming. Just hit a bank machine when you land, decline the conversion option and your bank will convert it. Make sure it's a legit bank machine, just like at home and not one of those little ones like in the gas stations at home. In Italy use BNL bank machines, they only charge only a 3€ fee and if you decline the conversion option you bank will give you today's rate. Dont use Euromat machines, those are the small ones littered everywhere.

Call your bank and confirm they have euros on hand. Some bank accounts mean no fee exchange at the bank.

Vancouver Bullion and Currency. They have the best rates!

There’s a place Inside Tinseltown that almost same rates as vcbe sometimes cheaper it’s across from 711 inside the mall

Just use the bank machine when you arrive.

Susan you'll pay far higher rates doing that than doing an exchange here before you leave.

Luke I just got back from France… best exchange rate was vbce…..not the bank machines!!!

Luke no you won't, I'm here right now, my 3rd trip in 5 years, at home you pay a higher fee as the currency exchange will hit you for their take and you will also have to carry around lots of $$$. Example, if you exchanged a week ago you would have paid more as the Euro just dropped to parity with the US $. Just hit the bank machine for a few hundred bucks at a time and use your credit card for larger purchases.

You absolutely will. Just check the buy euro rate for the VCBE and any major bank, it's a huge difference. That doesnt even include atm fees. The fact the price of the euro dropped doesn't matter, we're getting money for travel, not engaging in currency speculation. You can't anticipate that happening regularly. Obviously you have to limit the amount of money you carry, eventually you'll have to hit an atm. But you can save a lot of money exchanging as much local cash you're comfortable carrying before leaving.

Actually it is impossible to say what is better because you do not know if the rate today, C$1.305 is a low or if it's going lower.
If you get 5,000 at $1.31 and a low exchange fee but when you get to Europe the exchange is $1.25 you would have done better to use an ATM or exchange cash there.
Unless you are exchanging tens of thousands it doesn't make a big difference. If you ARE exchanging tens of thousands, use WISE.

In Sept 2021 exchange was close to $1.50. When we got there it was low $1.4x.

Charlie’s Currency Exchange - on Granville st. Call ahead to ensure availability

I just go to Kingmark on Broadway. Decent rates compared to vbce. Check both websites for yourself. I usually don't bring a lot of cash to Europe (Spain) for fear of losing it and worrying where to hid it. Most places take credit card. Yeah the EURO/CAD is so good right now and something close will be given on cc's.

vbce has the best rates

Express Currency on Russell in WR tends to have good prices, esp if you factor the cost to go downtown.

Following. Thx

IN April -
Charlies 1.384 Vanex 1.395
Daniels 1.405
TD Bank 1.41
ICE (YVR) 1.42
Note Euro is lower now so about 1.30.
Exchanging $1000 CDN at
Charlies is 25 cheaper than TD, $35 cheaper than ICE (YVR)
Airport exchange shops are most expensive.
All of these are cheaper than using credit card and not sure but probably debit card too.

If on the Northshore use Moneyway. As good as or better than vbce. Don’t be fooled by the no or low service fee advertising. There are service fees and there are exchange rates. The exchange rate can vary by a lot. Best indicator is the difference between their buy and sell rate. The greater that spread, the more they are charging you to exchange. vbce and Moneyway are usually within a couple of percent each way.

Salome this might help

Use your bank. I use RBC … good rates and no extra charges. I take limited amounts of cash and withdraw more from ATMs once I am there and use credit cards for many purchases so I have a good record of expenditures.

The “best rate” is using a no forex MasterCard like HSBC World Elite MC. You get near market rate, no markup and don’t have to worry about carrying large amounts of cash. 100 eur = $133 through VCBE or $131 through the CC.

You won't need many, if any, Euros. Many places don't even accept cash. Just tapped my credit card in Paris and Amsterdam.

For those who say you do not need cash in Europe - just returned from Spain and Italy and if you are going to small towns and/or local restaurants (not tourist ones) you need either cash or a Visa card. In 2 months we went through $2000 Euros. I ordered my Euros online from ICE at YVR and then used a bank's bank machine in Spain.

My husband says Charlie's currency downtown is better than vbce, maybe check them out?

Joanna Journet

Will I need lots of Euros for the Greek Islands?

Its a good time to buy Euros now. The CAD is strong vs the Euro. Does anyone know where to I can get Czech Koruna? Can't seem to find it in any of the currency exchanges. If anyone is holding any czech koruna, I would be happy to buy it off you. Need a small amount for a few days in Prague.