I've notice in the Orient Bay area there is wide range of exchange rates at businesses. The official rate has been hanging around 1.17 to 1.18 but the restaurants have been doing anywhere from 1e = 1USD to 1e = 1.25 USD. Club Orient is the 1.25.

I use my Capital One Venture Card (no foreign transaction fees) to pay when the restaurant exchange rate is above the going rate (like Club O's 1.25). I tell them to put the charge through in Euros so the credit card company does the exchange. If the restaurant rate is lower (better) than 1.18 I just pay in cash.

I'm Posting this because I noticed that all folks from the US that I've seen just say to put their charges through in USD. In which case they pay the higher restaurant exchange rate.

Let me know if my thinking is correct or if I'm missing something.

Your thinking is correct, but way too much work for me on vacation, lol. We just charge everything to our Venture card, in Euros. No need to worry about carrying a bunch of cash and figuring out whether we'll save a penny or two. I figure the double miles with the Venture Card offsets any slight disadvantage in the exchange rate.

Good point, just charging in Euros works for everything as long as there are no other fees added.

Most cards now have jumped on the no fees wagon.