There's a great article in the Seattle Times Today - thought I would highhlight a few of they key tips when you head to Canada and need to exchange money.
Credit/debit-card purchases
Using a credit or debit card for most purchases makes the most sense. This is because Visa and MasterCard process the charges at the most favorable daily exchange rate, the interbank rate that's at or very close to the rate listed in newspapers.
The catch: You'll want to make sure you're not only getting the best exchange rate, but also avoiding high foreign-transaction fees.
Keep in mind a new wrinkle: As of June 1, most banks began applying these fees to purchases to any transaction made in U.S. dollars if it was made or processed outside the U.S.
Examples would be something bought online through a store in Canada, or an Olympics hotel/ticket package paid for in U.S. dollars, but processed through a Canadian vendor.
Foreign-transaction fees are twofold: Visa and MasterCard levy a standard 1 percent fee on the purchase amount after it's converted to U.S. dollars. Some banks then tack on extra fees for a total of 2-3 percent.
This means that if you spent Cdn. $200 on a hotel room and the charge came in at $184when converted to U.S. dollars, you'd pay a conversion fee of $1.84 at 1 percent and $5.52 at 3 percent. Best advice: Use a card that carries a maximum conversion fee of 1 percent or less.
Virginia-based Capital One (www.capitalone.com) offers the best deal for travelers. It waives all foreign transaction fees, including the 1 percent Visa and MasterCard charge.
Next best are smaller local and regional banks and credit unions which pass on only the 1 percent fee. Most national banks now charge 3 percent, but that could go higher in the future as banks look for new ways to raise credit-card revenue.
Tip: Avoid offers by merchants to convert your credit-card purchases to U.S. dollars. Called "dynamic currency conversion," this is sold as a convenience to consumers, but it's also a profit-making opportunity for retailers who tack a surcharge onto the base exchange rate as a fee. The main offenders: rental-car companies and shops that cater to tourists.
ATM withdrawals
Withdrawing money from a cash machine in Canada can be the easiest and least costly way to get Canadian dollars, but there are a few caveats:
• As with credit cards, watch the fees. Aim for an ATM/debit card with a maximum fee of 1 percent of the amount after conversion to U.S. dollars. Again, smaller banks and credit unions are your best bets.
• Avoid additional withdrawal fees. Bank of America, for instance, charges $5 per foreign ATM withdrawal plus a 1 percent fee on the amount, but waives all charges if you use an ATM at a Global Alliance affiliate bank — Scotiabank (www.scotiabank.ca) in Canada.
• Some Canadian banks might also charge ATM fees. Minimize these by asking your bank or credit union to raise the amount you can withdraw each time.
• Avoid non-bank cash machines such as those found in some grocery stores or gas stations. Withdrawal fees are high.
• Don't use a credit card to withdraw cash. You'll pay cash-advance fees and paying interest right away.
Tip:
Tell your bank or credit union that you'll be traveling and using your ATM and credit cards in Canada. Otherwise, they may suspect fraud and put a temporary hold on your accounts until they hear from you. Take along your bank's phone number in case of a problem.
Changing money in Canada
Exchanging U.S. dollars or travelers checks for Canadian currency in Canada is a more costly way to go, but easy to do at banks, or private "change" businesses in tourist areas and at the airport, train station, etc.
The trade-off for convenience is a worse exchange rate than you get by using a credit card or ATM and/or a service fee that reduces the amount you receive.
Hotels will sometimes exchange small amounts of cash for guests at fair rates and no commission. The Westin Hotel Resort and Spa in Whistler lets guests change up to $100a day in either cash or travelers checks at a favorable rate with no extra service charge.
Buying Canadian dollars here
There's little reason to buy Canadian dollars here before you go. AAA and banks offer this as a convenience for customers, but poor exchange rates — 3 to 5 cents below the base rate — and other fees make this an expensive way to go.
Paying in U.S. dollars in Canada
It's often possible to pay with U.S. dollars in Canada. Exchange rates vary. Some merchants offer a rate close to the daily bank rate; others offer only "par," a straight one-for-one exchange.
All shops, restaurants, ski lifts, etc., run by Whistler-Blackcomb accept U.S. dollars at a rate that's within a few cents of the official bank rate.
Tip: While many businesses will take U.S. dollars, you'll get your change in Canadian currency.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Cleanliness is a top priority for our homes
I came across an article this morning written by a housekeeper who worked in Yellowstone National Park in one of the upscale resorts in the park. http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-25303242
Honestly, reading it disgusted me that what I've assumed staying in some hotels is true - no crumbs on the floor don't necessarily mean it's a clean room. While I'm not saying that all hotel rooms are dirty, there is a lot of pressure on the cleaning crew of these establishments to clean as many rooms as possible in the shortest amount of time so they can get rooms ready before the next stampede of guests arrive at check-in time.
At VacationHouse Destinations, all of our homes have top-notch cleaning teams dedicated to making sure that when you arrive, there is no question in your mind if the rooms have been vacuumed or dishes cleaned. On average, our cleaning teams take 5 hours to clean a home - sometimes longer - depending on the size of the house. Cutting cleaning corners is simply not acceptable to the cleaning team, our guests and us. Cleanliness is a top priority for our homes and I'm happy to say that we haven't received a single complaint about the cleanliness of any of the homes - which is a testament to the hard work of the cleaning teams.
Do you have any experiences good/bad that you'd like to share? Just leave us a comment!
Honestly, reading it disgusted me that what I've assumed staying in some hotels is true - no crumbs on the floor don't necessarily mean it's a clean room. While I'm not saying that all hotel rooms are dirty, there is a lot of pressure on the cleaning crew of these establishments to clean as many rooms as possible in the shortest amount of time so they can get rooms ready before the next stampede of guests arrive at check-in time.
At VacationHouse Destinations, all of our homes have top-notch cleaning teams dedicated to making sure that when you arrive, there is no question in your mind if the rooms have been vacuumed or dishes cleaned. On average, our cleaning teams take 5 hours to clean a home - sometimes longer - depending on the size of the house. Cutting cleaning corners is simply not acceptable to the cleaning team, our guests and us. Cleanliness is a top priority for our homes and I'm happy to say that we haven't received a single complaint about the cleanliness of any of the homes - which is a testament to the hard work of the cleaning teams.
Do you have any experiences good/bad that you'd like to share? Just leave us a comment!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Important note: Gondola tower collapses at Whister!
Gondola tower collapses at Whistler, B.C., resort
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600ap_canada_whistler_gondola_tower.html
WHISTLER, British Columbia -- More than 50 people were evacuated from about 30 ski gondolas after a tower supporting the cables partially collapsed Tuesday at Canada's Whistler resort.
Police said there were no serious injuries at the resort, which is to host the alpine events of the 2010 winter Olympic games. But health officials said five people had been taken to a hospital after the mid-afternoon accident.
While a crane was brought in to support the leaning tower, fire crews worked quickly to evacuate three cars that were most in danger.
One of the gondola cars hit a bus shelter, while two more were left dangling before the broken tower. In all, it took more than three hours for fire crews and the mountain's ski patrol to evacuate 53 people, Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort said. The gondola section involved is about 30 feet above the ground.
Doug Forseth, resort senior vice president, cited structural failure on a tower on Blackcomb Mountain's Excalibur gondola. An investigation into the cause of the accident will begin Wednesday, he said. "We have representatives of Dopelmayr, the lift manufacturer, coming tomorrow," Forseth said. "We will start to look at this failure in daylight and start to look at the possibilities of what might have caused this."
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Steve Wright said the passengers who were rescued were in good spirits and were met by emergency health services. Wright said frigid temperatures were not a concern because the people were wearing protective ski clothing and were in a sheltered environment.
Amber Turnau, a spokeswoman for Whistler Blackcomb, said the tower that collapsed is on the lower half of the lift. She said Tower 4, the one that went down, is not far from the gondola's start. Graeme Bell said his gondola car hit the ground."It was pretty freaky. We heard the noise of the tower collapsing and then the cabin started shaking and down it went," Bell told CTV television. "It hit the ground. It busted one of the windows and we jumped out."
Bell said those around him were complaining of sore backs and one man had a bloody head.
All of the Olympic Games events will take place on Whistler mountain, not Blackcomb where the accident occurred. It's not the first ski lift accident at the resort.
A Dec. 23, 1995, accident on the Quicksilver ski lift killed two men and injured nine other people.
The high-speed lift was ferrying skiers to the top of a run when one chair slipped on a cable and slammed into another, setting off a cascade that sent four chairs crashing into the bush and rocks below.
www.vacationhousedestinations.com
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600ap_canada_whistler_gondola_tower.html
WHISTLER, British Columbia -- More than 50 people were evacuated from about 30 ski gondolas after a tower supporting the cables partially collapsed Tuesday at Canada's Whistler resort.
Police said there were no serious injuries at the resort, which is to host the alpine events of the 2010 winter Olympic games. But health officials said five people had been taken to a hospital after the mid-afternoon accident.
While a crane was brought in to support the leaning tower, fire crews worked quickly to evacuate three cars that were most in danger.
One of the gondola cars hit a bus shelter, while two more were left dangling before the broken tower. In all, it took more than three hours for fire crews and the mountain's ski patrol to evacuate 53 people, Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort said. The gondola section involved is about 30 feet above the ground.
Doug Forseth, resort senior vice president, cited structural failure on a tower on Blackcomb Mountain's Excalibur gondola. An investigation into the cause of the accident will begin Wednesday, he said. "We have representatives of Dopelmayr, the lift manufacturer, coming tomorrow," Forseth said. "We will start to look at this failure in daylight and start to look at the possibilities of what might have caused this."
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Steve Wright said the passengers who were rescued were in good spirits and were met by emergency health services. Wright said frigid temperatures were not a concern because the people were wearing protective ski clothing and were in a sheltered environment.
Amber Turnau, a spokeswoman for Whistler Blackcomb, said the tower that collapsed is on the lower half of the lift. She said Tower 4, the one that went down, is not far from the gondola's start. Graeme Bell said his gondola car hit the ground."It was pretty freaky. We heard the noise of the tower collapsing and then the cabin started shaking and down it went," Bell told CTV television. "It hit the ground. It busted one of the windows and we jumped out."
Bell said those around him were complaining of sore backs and one man had a bloody head.
All of the Olympic Games events will take place on Whistler mountain, not Blackcomb where the accident occurred. It's not the first ski lift accident at the resort.
A Dec. 23, 1995, accident on the Quicksilver ski lift killed two men and injured nine other people.
The high-speed lift was ferrying skiers to the top of a run when one chair slipped on a cable and slammed into another, setting off a cascade that sent four chairs crashing into the bush and rocks below.
www.vacationhousedestinations.com
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
We're excited to welcome our new Park City, Utah home!
We're excited to announce our latest property in the portfolio, Park City Utah http://www.vacationhousedestinations.com/dtlMbrPropPUB.cfm?propID=2020. It's a stunning townhouse in the center of it all -and only 36 miles from the Salt Lake City International Airport- there's so much to do and see you'll have to experience it for yourself!
A few of the many adventures you can have include:
Park City adventures:
Amazing shopping, luxury spas and world-class skiing/snowboarding - it's a wonderful family destination.
Dining and Nightlife:
If you're looking for an evening out, you'll find nothing but a diverse dining scene -with more than 100 restaurants and more chefs per capita, than Paris!! Come hungry!!
Leisure:
Besides world-class skiing/snowboarding, you can enjoy snowshoeing, hot-air ballooning, tubing and snowmobiling. Of course, there's always the option of relaxing in your custom designed townhouse and relaxing in the hot tub, cooking a great meal or just grabbing a book to unwind by the fireplace.
Events:
The Sundance Film Festival - of course one of the greatest gathering of celebrities, movie icons and directors - the townhouse is still available, but it won't be for long. There's also tons of music acts, theater productions, galleries and lively performances. There's plenty to fill your visual senses, if the natural landscape wasn't inviting enough.
We welcome you to come visit Park City, Utah soon!!
www.vacationhousedestinations.com
A few of the many adventures you can have include:
Park City adventures:
Amazing shopping, luxury spas and world-class skiing/snowboarding - it's a wonderful family destination.
Dining and Nightlife:
If you're looking for an evening out, you'll find nothing but a diverse dining scene -with more than 100 restaurants and more chefs per capita, than Paris!! Come hungry!!
Leisure:
Besides world-class skiing/snowboarding, you can enjoy snowshoeing, hot-air ballooning, tubing and snowmobiling. Of course, there's always the option of relaxing in your custom designed townhouse and relaxing in the hot tub, cooking a great meal or just grabbing a book to unwind by the fireplace.
Events:
The Sundance Film Festival - of course one of the greatest gathering of celebrities, movie icons and directors - the townhouse is still available, but it won't be for long. There's also tons of music acts, theater productions, galleries and lively performances. There's plenty to fill your visual senses, if the natural landscape wasn't inviting enough.
We welcome you to come visit Park City, Utah soon!!
www.vacationhousedestinations.com
Friday, November 7, 2008
Top Tricks of the Trade to Save on Your Next Flight
With the tightening economy, airfare feels more painful than ever, you can avoid paying more than absolutely necessary with these seven tips...
1. Buying really far in advance usually doesn't matter
The lowest prices get released in the period 2-8 weeks beforehand. Buying earlier than eight weeks in advance won't usually won't get you any deals, and you might even miss out.
2. Buying really far in advance DOES matter for peak travel dates
Spring Break flights leaving on Friday, Sunday returns during summer months, and, of course, anything around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
3. Snatch up price drops
Fare cuts are usually bye bye in 2 days.
4. Spurn high fares
Hiked prices are often cut when airlines have to make up for all the lost business from prices being too high.
5. Day of flight is important
The cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
6. Day of ticket purchase matters
Price drops usually get rolled out earlier in the week
7. Leave earlier, stay longer
You can save during holiday rush times if you depart a day earlier and come back a day later than most people would
Get back to www.vacationhousedestinations.com
Thanks to Wired for the article here:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/16-07/pb_airfares
1. Buying really far in advance usually doesn't matter
The lowest prices get released in the period 2-8 weeks beforehand. Buying earlier than eight weeks in advance won't usually won't get you any deals, and you might even miss out.
2. Buying really far in advance DOES matter for peak travel dates
Spring Break flights leaving on Friday, Sunday returns during summer months, and, of course, anything around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
3. Snatch up price drops
Fare cuts are usually bye bye in 2 days.
4. Spurn high fares
Hiked prices are often cut when airlines have to make up for all the lost business from prices being too high.
5. Day of flight is important
The cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
6. Day of ticket purchase matters
Price drops usually get rolled out earlier in the week
7. Leave earlier, stay longer
You can save during holiday rush times if you depart a day earlier and come back a day later than most people would
Get back to www.vacationhousedestinations.com
Thanks to Wired for the article here:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/16-07/pb_airfares
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Vacation Homes – Saving You Money On Your Next Vacation
You’re finally ready to go on that much deserved vacation. You’ve found the perfect destination, picked the activities and got time off. Now you’re ready to spend countless hours researching every hotel in a 25 mile radius. Looking at the usual hotels that are available and taking into account you didn’t just win the lottery – you can crowd the whole gang into a small room for a few weeks and throw personal space and relaxation out the window OR you can pick the more affordable and comfortable option – vacation homes.
Believe it or not, renting vacation homes is LESS EXPENSIVE and can save you money when you compare the cost of a hotel room to renting a house. In a hotel room, you get a bed, a TV, a small bathroom and a view to the parking lot. If you want to get something to eat you have a few options; go to a restaurant; ransack the minibar fridge with $4 candy bars and $5 bottles of water or you can get room service, wait an hr for dinner and pay extra for the convenience of eating it on top of your bed.
Renting vacation homes on the other hand, offers your convenience, cost savings and space to stretch out. Each home is professionally maintained and can comfortably accommodate guests – bring your friends and family along and split the cost for even MORE SAVINGS. Vacation homes offer full kitchens (with all the utensils, dishes), private bedrooms so you can escape, a nice living room –some offering views, but most importantly a home away from home where you can relax, rejuvenate and spend time doing what you love most. Don’t settle for another overpriced, overcrowded hotel – save some money and book your next vacation at one of our vacation homes – you may never want to go home.
http://www.vacationhousedestinations.com/
Believe it or not, renting vacation homes is LESS EXPENSIVE and can save you money when you compare the cost of a hotel room to renting a house. In a hotel room, you get a bed, a TV, a small bathroom and a view to the parking lot. If you want to get something to eat you have a few options; go to a restaurant; ransack the minibar fridge with $4 candy bars and $5 bottles of water or you can get room service, wait an hr for dinner and pay extra for the convenience of eating it on top of your bed.
Renting vacation homes on the other hand, offers your convenience, cost savings and space to stretch out. Each home is professionally maintained and can comfortably accommodate guests – bring your friends and family along and split the cost for even MORE SAVINGS. Vacation homes offer full kitchens (with all the utensils, dishes), private bedrooms so you can escape, a nice living room –some offering views, but most importantly a home away from home where you can relax, rejuvenate and spend time doing what you love most. Don’t settle for another overpriced, overcrowded hotel – save some money and book your next vacation at one of our vacation homes – you may never want to go home.
http://www.vacationhousedestinations.com/
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Lights, Camera and Action in Mazama
The lights, camera and action were trained on several locations in the Methow Valley for the filming of psychological thriller, The Absent. Producer/director/writer Sage Bannick assembled a cast and crew of 120 people from the Mazama area (including a dozen local teens wandering the halls of the high school as extras) and Los Angeles for the movie, which he co-wrote with Twisp-based Damon Abdallah and Hawaii-based Ari Bernstein. Filming is going on through next week - so you never know if you'll be lucky enough to be in a movie :)
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