Convert CAD to GBP Canadian dollar ↔ Pound sterling Free Online Secure
Type an amount in Canadian dollar and read it in Pound sterling at once. The page uses the European Central Bank's reference rate, and tells you which day that rate is from.
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Common amounts — Convert CAD to GBP (Canadian dollar ↔ Pound sterling)
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The last thirty days
Where these codes and rates come from
The three letters in EUR, USD or JPY are not an abbreviation someone invented for a website: they are ISO 4217, a standard in which the first two letters are the country's own code and the third is usually the initial of the currency. The figures on this page come from the European Central Bank, which publishes one set of reference rates each working day, around 16:00 Central European time, agreed between the central banks of the Eurosystem. They are a daily snapshot meant for statistics and accounting, not a live trading feed — which is exactly why they are the same number for everyone, rather than whatever one bank happened to quote at one moment.
Where you meet an exchange rate
You meet an exchange rate four or five times a year without thinking about it: booking a trip, paying an invoice issued abroad, buying from a foreign shop, reading a salary offer in another currency, or checking what a card charge really cost. In all of these the reference rate is the honest middle, and the price you actually pay sits a little to one side of it. Knowing the middle is what lets you see how wide that margin is.
Questions people ask
Is this the rate my bank will give me?
No, and no page can promise one. This is the European Central Bank's reference rate: the midpoint published once a day for statistics. A bank, a card scheme or an exchange office adds its own margin on top — usually between half a percent and three percent, sometimes more at an airport counter. Use this figure to judge the offer you are given, not to predict it.
How often does the figure change, and what happens at weekends?
The European Central Bank publishes once each working day, in the afternoon, Central European time. There is no publication on Saturdays, Sundays or TARGET holidays, so on those days the page shows the last working day's rate and says which day it belongs to. The chart alongside is one year of the same daily series.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
From Ottawa to the old country: what a Canadian dollar buys in pounds, on a trip through Britain
For millions of Canadians, Britain is not quite a foreign country. Many have grandparents or great-grandparents who left Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland for a farm in Ontario, a mining town in Cape Breton or a prairie homestead. The two countries share a monarch, a legal tradition, a love of tea and a habit of queuing, and thousands of young Canadians cross the Atlantic each year on working holidays. The surprise comes at the till. Prices are in pounds sterling, a currency that is worth almost two Canadian dollars, so that a pint of beer, a train ticket or a sandwich always looks smaller than it is until you do the sum. This page does the sum. Use it to Convert CAD to GBP with the daily reference rates published by the European Central Bank, in which the pound and the Canadian dollar are both quoted against the euro; the page combines them into a dollar-pound figure and prints its date under the result. The amount you type never leaves your browser.
Using the converter
Canadian dollars in, pounds out
Whenever a British price looks small, Convert CAD to GBP and read the answer in dollars before you decide.
Type an amount in Canadian dollars and the answer appears in pounds and pence, with the date of the fixing used. A pound is worth around 1.7 to 1.9 Canadian dollars, so the result is a little more than half of the number you typed. Fixings are published once on each working day; on weekends and public holidays the page repeats the last one and says so. A table of round sums and a graph of the last thirty days sit beneath the box. For the opposite direction, from pounds into dollars, open Convert GBP to CAD.
The yardstick for every offer
At a bureau, Convert CAD to GBP first and compare their rate with the reference as a percentage.
The number shown is the mid-market reference, with no margin added by a bank, a bureau or an app. Whoever serves you gives a little less, and the difference is the real price of the service. Divide the amount you are offered by the amount on this page: 0.99 is excellent, 0.97 is typical for a card, and anything under 0.95 invites a second quote. In the examples below we assume an invented, tidy rate of 1.80 Canadian dollars to the pound. It is not a forecast and not today's price, so swap in the live figure.
The kingdom in a few lines
Four nations, one pound
The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the pound is used in all of them. Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own banknotes, which are legal tender but are sometimes refused by shops in England, so spend them before you cross the border or exchange them at a bank. The pound is divided into 100 pence, and there are coins from 1 penny to 2 pounds and notes of 5, 10, 20 and 50 pounds, made of polymer. Britain left the European Union in 2020 and never adopted the euro.
Getting in
Canadian citizens need an electronic travel authorisation to enter the United Kingdom for a short visit, applied for online or through the official app for a small fee, and valid for two years. Use only the government's own channel, because lookalike sites charge much more. For longer stays, a youth mobility visa allows young Canadians to live and work for two years, and people with a grandparent born in the British Isles may qualify for an ancestry visa. Check the official pages before you plan.
Time and distance
Britain is five hours ahead of Toronto and eight ahead of Vancouver. Convert GMT to EST gives the step to the Canadian east coast, and Convert GMT to PST to the west. Road signs show miles, so Convert km to mi is handy for planning, and Convert °C to °F turns the forecast into the scale you know.
London
The big sights
Many museums are free, but special exhibitions are not, so Convert CAD to GBP for the tickets that matter to you.
London has world-class museums, and the national collections are free: the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and Tate Modern charge nothing for permanent exhibits. Special exhibitions cost 15 to 25 pounds. Paid sights include the Tower of London at around 35 pounds, Westminster Abbey at 30 and a ride on the London Eye at 30 to 40. At the invented rate, a 35-pound ticket is 63 Canadian dollars. Convert CAD to GBP for each ticket before you buy, and consider a pass if you plan to see several.
Getting about
A daily cap on contactless travel protects you, but Convert CAD to GBP for the weekly total anyway.
London's underground, buses, trams and suburban trains use a contactless card or a phone: tap in and tap out, and the system caps your fare at a daily maximum, typically 8 to 15 pounds depending on zones. Black cabs are expensive, and ride-hailing apps are cheaper. Walking is often the fastest way, and the city is more compact than it looks on a map. Trains to the airports, to Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge leave from the big stations and cost 10 to 40 pounds if booked ahead.
Eating and drinking
A pub lunch and a pint are the daily staples, so Convert CAD to GBP for both and add a service charge.
A pub lunch costs 12 to 18 pounds, a pint of beer 5.5 to 7, a restaurant main course 16 to 30, a coffee 3 to 4.5 and a pastry 3. Afternoon tea in a grand hotel costs 60 to 90 pounds, and a good traditional Sunday roast about 20. Prices include value-added tax, so the figure on the menu is what you pay, and a service charge of 12.5 per cent is often added at the end, so check the bill before adding a tip.
Beyond the capital
Scotland and the Highlands
A distillery tour and a night in a guesthouse add up, so Convert CAD to GBP for each and write the total.
A train from London to Edinburgh takes about four and a half hours and passes through some of the best scenery in England. Edinburgh has a castle on a volcanic crag, a royal mile of shops and pubs, and a festival every August that doubles the population. North of the city, the Highlands offer lochs, mountains, whisky distilleries and an old-fashioned railway to the west coast. A car is useful, though single-track roads with passing places require patience. A distillery tour costs 15 to 40 pounds.
Wales, the Lake District and the south-west
Wales has castles on almost every hill, a mountainous national park in Snowdonia and a long coastal path. The Lake District in north-west England attracts walkers and poets, and Cornwall and Devon in the south-west offer beaches, fishing villages and cream teas. Bed and breakfast prices run from 70 to 140 pounds a night for two, including a cooked breakfast, which in the invented rate is 126 to 252 Canadian dollars.
Pubs and manners
In a pub you order and pay at the bar rather than waiting for a waiter, and tipping is not expected. Buying a round for your group is a custom, and the habit of queueing at the bar is observed with great seriousness. Say please and thank you often, and apologise when someone bumps into you, whether or not it was your fault.
Money in Britain
Cards, cash and cash machines
Before you withdraw, Convert CAD to GBP for the sum you need and avoid machines that charge extra.
Contactless cards are accepted nearly everywhere, even for a small purchase, and some shops no longer take cash at all. Cash machines owned by banks are free to use, but those in shops and stations may charge a fee. If a terminal offers to charge you in Canadian dollars, choose pounds, since the offered rate is worse than your card network's. A foreign-transaction fee of 2.5 per cent is common on Canadian cards unless you use a travel card.
Tipping, tax and refunds
Prices include value-added tax. Tourists can no longer reclaim it on goods bought in Britain, a scheme that ended after Brexit. In restaurants, check whether service is already included; if not, 10 to 12.5 per cent is normal for good service. Taxi drivers appreciate a rounded fare.
Tracing your roots
Where to begin
Many Canadians visit Britain to find the place their family came from. A good start is to gather what you already have: names, dates and places from relatives, old photographs, letters, and immigration records on the Canadian side. Passenger lists, naturalisation papers and church registers often mention a parish or a town. Online archives let you search British censuses, which were taken every ten years from 1841, and the civil registers of births, marriages and deaths, which began in England and Wales in 1837 and in Scotland in 1855. Many records can be searched for a subscription of 10 to 30 pounds a month.
Visiting the archives
The National Archives at Kew, west of London, the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh and county record offices across England hold wills, deeds, military records and local newspapers. Entry is free, though you need to register and order documents in advance for some collections. Copies cost a pound or two per page. A day in an archive can reveal the name of a farm, a regiment, a ship, and from there a pilgrimage to the actual field or street. Work out what you can afford to spend by converting your budget before you leave.
Villages and churches
Parish churches are open in daytime, and their graveyards are full of headstones. A visit to a village hall or a local history society can produce more information than a database. Bring a small gift or make a donation of 5 or 10 pounds, and you will be welcomed. Photograph gravestones, read the inscriptions carefully and record the names of neighbouring plots.
Going further on a budget
Rail and coach
British train fares are among the highest in Europe if you buy on the day, but advance tickets, railcards and off-peak fares cut the price sharply. A London to Edinburgh advance single can cost 30 pounds, against 150 for a flexible walk-up ticket. National coach services run between all major cities for a fraction of the price, though they take longer. A young person's railcard costs about 30 pounds for a year and gives a third off most fares.
Car hire
Driving is on the left, and most hire cars have manual gears, so ask for an automatic if you are not used to a stick. A small car costs 40 to 80 pounds a day, fuel is sold by the litre at about 1.45 pounds, which is a high price compared with Canada. Parking in cities is expensive, and congestion charges apply in central London. Roundabouts are everywhere; give way to traffic coming from the right, and signal on exit.
A week by train
Take a seven-day loop: London, York, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lake District, Chester and back. Six nights at 120 pounds are 720, advance rail tickets 220, meals at 45 a day 315, museums and castles 150, local transport 60 and extras 100. The total is 1,565 pounds, which at the invented rate is 2,817 Canadian dollars, without the flight. Convert CAD to GBP for each line and see how the plan compares with your budget.
Language and humour
The same words, different meanings
British and Canadian English share most vocabulary, but some everyday words diverge. A biscuit is a cookie, chips are French fries and crisps are chips, a jumper is a sweater, a lorry is a truck, and the boot of a car is the trunk. Tea can mean a hot drink or a main evening meal, depending on region. Pants mean underwear in Britain, so ask for trousers. Learn a few differences, and you will avoid misunderstandings.
Understatement
British speech is full of understatement. When someone says not bad, they may mean very good, and quite good is often lukewarm praise. Canadians, who value politeness, usually feel at home, but should read between the lines. A phrase like I will bear that in mind can mean no. Humour is dry, and teasing is a sign of affection.
Sport, weather and what to pack
Football, cricket and the other game
Match tickets are the biggest single item for sports fans, so Convert CAD to GBP for the ticket and the train before you book.
Sport is part of British life, and watching it live is an experience in its own right. Tickets for Premier League football are hard to get and cost 40 to 120 pounds, though lower divisions are cheaper and just as passionate. Cricket matches can last five days, with tea breaks and picnics on the lawn. Rugby, tennis at Wimbledon and horse racing at Ascot are all within reach of a visitor with a plan. Hockey fans from Canada will feel at home at ice hockey games in Sheffield, Nottingham or Glasgow, where tickets cost 15 to 30 pounds.
The famous weather
British weather is mild and changeable. Summers are rarely hot, with daytime highs around twenty degrees, winters seldom freeze for long, and rain can fall in any month. Carry a light waterproof jacket and layers, and be ready for four seasons in one afternoon. Daylight lasts until ten in the evening in June in Scotland and gets dark by four in December, so plan outdoor visits with the season in mind.
Packing sensibly
Pack comfortable walking shoes, as you will walk on cobbles and hills, and a travel adaptor with three rectangular pins, since the British plug is different from the Canadian one. Voltage is 230, so check that your devices accept it. Bring a refillable water bottle; tap water is safe, and many cafes will fill it free.
Afternoon tea and other rituals
Tea, properly
A formal tea costs as much as a restaurant dinner, so Convert CAD to GBP for the set menu and compare it with a tea room.
Afternoon tea is a meal of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and cakes, served with a pot of tea at around four. A traditional version at a hotel costs 45 to 90 pounds, while tea rooms in towns offer a simpler one at 15 to 25. The long argument about whether the cream or the jam goes on first rages in Devon and Cornwall, and visitors are well advised not to take a side.
Fish, chips and curry
The classic fried fish and chips, wrapped in paper and sprinkled with vinegar, costs 9 to 14 pounds. Indian food is so loved that chicken tikka masala is often called a national dish, and a good curry house meal costs 15 to 25. Full English breakfast, with eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, tomato and toast, is served until late morning for 8 to 14 pounds.
Public holidays
Banks and many shops close on public holidays, which the British call bank holidays. They fall on Mondays in May and August, and at Christmas and Easter. Transport services run on reduced timetables, and prices for hotels rise. Book early if your dates include one.
Other conversions
If the trip goes on
Travellers who continue to the euro area can use Convert CAD to EUR, those who cross to Switzerland Convert CAD to CHF, and those who return through the United States Convert CAD to USD.
A habit worth keeping
Write down the rate and the date each time you change money. When the statement arrives, a quick look at the note tells you what the trip really cost.
Mistakes to avoid
Forgetting the service charge
Check the bill for a service charge, and then Convert CAD to GBP for the total you really pay.
A bill may already include a service charge. Check before you add a tip, and then Convert CAD to GBP to see the real total.
Paying in dollars
A terminal that offers to charge you in Canadian dollars uses its own rate. Choose pounds.
Using an old rate
A rate from last month can be several per cent out. The date beside the result protects you whenever you Convert CAD to GBP.
In short
The only thing fetched from the network is the table of daily rates; your amount stays in the browser and no account is needed. From a pint in a London pub to a castle in Scotland, one habit pays: Convert CAD to GBP, read the date and weigh every offer against the figure on this page.