Best Foreign Exchange

Last year I followed 'best foreign exchange' discussions here and
thought the following might be of some minor interest:
On my trip to Vancouver Island, Canada, from the US couple weeks ago I
found that (including any/all fees, after checking my bank statement on
return) using ATMs at banks gave me a total cost of 1.04% over international
spot rate, which seems pretty good to me. Using my Visa credit card cost me
about 2% more. When I use ATMs I withdraw as much as they will let me at one
time which, in this trip was US$300 to minimize per transaction fees.
Doesn't really make a big difference but I just don't like the feeling of
being taken advantage of more than need be... Currency change was much
worse. I brought home my excess Canadian currency rather than cash convert
it to USD. I think that most foreign currencies I hold will become more
valuable as the dollar sinks (largely due to Bush economics) anyway!
Does this seem like close to a standard for travel to other countries as
well?
--
Steve Juniper

"There is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if
well administered, and I believe farther that this [Constitution] is likely
to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in
Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become
so corrupted as to need a despotic Government, being incapable of any
other."
-- Gore Vidal quoting Benjamin Franklin --