I am travelling in December to Switzerland and I was wondering where I can change my money to their local currency? Should I do it in Canada or upon arrival?
I recommend using Wise or Revolut to exchange money in seconds! They usually give you a great rate and you don’t need to worry about carrying cash with you
if you get the physical card you can also withdraw money from the ATMs!
You can stop at a currency exchange counter in the airport upon arrival. Bring your own cash from home and they’ll exchange it for whatever the current rate is (plus a small fee they just take out of the funds). This tends to be the quickest and easiest option for me. Most banks (in the US at least) will be able to purchase international cash for you as well but can take a few days to arrive and there is also usually a minimum order amount plus a small fee.
100% with you on Revolut - it’s saved me so many times!
Amongst all my travels I do a few things:
- Most places in most countries accept card for payments, so I ensure I have notified my bank (or via a banking app), that I’ll be abroad and I approve for the card to work internationally - either withdrawing money or paying at point of sale with card
- I use Revolut as a backup in case the card is blocked
- Upon arrival, I exchange cash at the airport. It’s not always the best rate - but I often find it’s in the first few hours of arriving that I really need cash (either paying for a quick snack from a store, giving a tip, paying for public transport etc) - so the slightly worse exchange rate is worth it to save the inconvenience and stress of not being able to pay for something I need. Having cash is also a worthwhile precaution if you’re going to be in rural locations - as you can get caught out there if you’re expecting to be able to pay with card