First Directory

2 minutes on the net with NU would tell you, but it will be a similar cost, probably a bit less, my last one was about 75. IIIRC these insurance type things normally only apply if you paid for your holiday with your bank card so you'd better check that as well.

As to free cash withdrawals, well if you go to the bank say 4 times whilst yo are there that might save you a tenner or so, probably less.

Commission free travel money usually just means the commission is factored into the exchange rate they give you. You'll probably get a better rate at M&S.

You'll probably find it's a similar amount - but check exactly what's covered and excesses, conditions etc.

Also it may be worth checking what you're covered for already, I found that my work medical insurance plus my house insurance covered the majority of risks that any travel insurance would cover, and what wasn't covered didn't bother me (eg cancellation), so I've ditched my annual travel insurance.

Almost certainly, I've never had problem using any of my bank cards abroad.

But - First Direct still charge an exchange rate markup of 2.75% (IIRC), you won't avoid this charge. You just avoid the 1.5% fee on top. You're better off opening a Nationwide flex account and using that for your holiday cash withdrawals. I use FD as my main account but a Nationwide account for foreign trips - it's saved me a fortune over the years.

Don't bother getting any currency in advance - presuming you are flying into a major airport there'll almost certainly be several ATMs. You could always take a bit in GBP in case of the highly unlikely event of you not being able to find a working one - and change it at an exchange desk at their airport. People often seem reluctant to arrive in a foreign country without currency, but I've done it dozens of times now and never had a problem finding an ATM.

The rec travel.* groups are excellent places for travel advice: rec.travel.usa-canada in your case.