Preferred Form

You can easily get by with a credit/debit card in all but the smallest towns. Keep an extra card and a couple of travellers cheques if you're the precautious type.

Changing Your Money

It's best to change money at companies such as Thomas Cook, which specialises in international transactions. If you can't find a money exchange office or booth, try a bank. American Express and Thomas Cook are the best travellers cheques to have, and you should make sure they are either in US or Canadian dollar denominations. Credit cards are widely accepted, especially Visa, MasterCard and American Express. ABMs (ATMs) are common throughout Canada, with the Interac system the quickest and most convenient way to replenish cash.

Tipping

It's considered normal to tip 10-15% of a restaurant bill. Tips are also usually given to waiters, cab drivers, hairdressers, hotel attendants and, by savvy drinkers, bar staff.

Money Tips

You will find ATMs in many grocery stores, malls, airports and so on, and most are linked to the international networks, the most common being Cirrus, Plus, Star and Maestro. You can also grab cash from an ATM if you use a major credit card although this method tends to be more expensive because, in addition to a service fee, you'll be charged interest immediately.

Be aware that shops and businesses rarely accept personal cheques, but credit cards are widely accepted (except perhaps in remote, rural communities where cash is king). Still, you'll find it hard or impossible to rent a car, book a room or order tickets over the phone without having a piece of plastic.

Currency Notes

Paper currency comes in denominations of five (blue), 10 (purple), 20 (green) and 50 (red). The brown CAD100.00 bill and larger bills are less common and can be difficult to change.

Currency Coins

Canadian coins come in denominations of one (penny), five (nickel), 10 (dime) and 25 (quarter) cent pieces. There are also the gold CAD1.00 (loonie) and CAD2.00 (toonie) pieces. The gold-coloured loonie features the loon, a common Canadian water bird, while the two-toned toonie is jauntily decorated with a polar bear.