Thanks Lindsay. So I have the option to put CAD money into the account and take it out as Euros when I’m in Italy in Sept, or put it in earlier and if the conversion rate is in my favour some time this summer, convert it to euros at that time, before I leave, to capture that good rate. Do I have that right?
Yep, that’s exactly it!
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I think the best travel card you can get is the Chase Reserve, among a bounty of other benefits.
- Priority Pass Lounge Access
- Clear Blue/TSA Pre-Check
- Transit Credit
- No Fx Fees
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This is what I have. Even though the annual fee is pretty steep, with the travel credit and the lack of transaction fees it absolutely pays for itself.
If you fly regularly - priority pass is invaluable. Almost every time I fly I get a free $30 bar tab and make a friend with their guest pass.
1.5x pts for travel is pretty good to.
The first year I think they still waive the fee and 125k pts is nice.
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For Canadians only.
You do need to have a Schwab brokerage account but the way it works is that when you open the checking account, they automatically open an account but there is no requirement to ever put any money in it so it isn’t a problem at all. I opened the account for travel purposes and have nothing in the investment account.
Dan
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+1 Schwab checking. I just signed up this year. You have to fund the checking account with $100, but there are no minimums, no fees. And yes, they really do refund all ATM fees (at the end of the month)!
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Never leave home without it 
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In 2022, we embarked on a worldwide petsitting journey through THS initially planning for a three-month trip. At the time, our credit cards were set to expire within a year, but we didn’t give it much thought. As our trip extended beyond our expectations, our cards eventually expired, and the bank sent new ones to our previous address. Luckily, my sister was handling our mail, so she shared the updated card information with us. We added these details to Google Wallet for convenient contactless payments. During our travels, most countries like Australia, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Taiwan, and the UK readily accepted our e-wallet contactless payments, making life easier.
However, upon our recent return to the US, we encountered unexpected challenges. Arriving at SFO (San Francisco International Airport), we had reserved a rental car with Avis. To our surprise, Avis refused to provide the car rental without a physical credit card. Neither Apple Pay nor Google Pay were accepted. Oddly, they also declined debit cards, except if you were departing from SFO. This left us in a predicament, as it was getting late and public transportation wasn’t a feasible option for our next destination.
Facing this dilemma, we made the decision to secure a room at the Hyatt at SFO, intending to sort things out the next day. However, we encountered the same issue at the hotel’s front desk. They required a physical credit card to place a $300 security deposit on the room. Frustration grew as we found ourselves without a car and now without accommodation. Ultimately, we had to resort to booking a bus ticket online to leave San Francisco. Fortunately, a dear friend came to our aid and picked us up from the bus station in the middle of the night.
This experience taught us a valuable lesson: always, always keep a physical credit card on hand, especially while in the US. Unlike many other parts of the world, contactless payment options are not always reliable here. This ordeal highlighted the disparity in payment systems between the US and other countries, reinforcing the need to be prepared for such situations in the future.
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Deleted because I figured it out on my own. 
I use Wise and Revolut which allows me to transfer money to the local currency, avoiding all fees