Mumbai Travel Forum

I'm coming to Mumbai next week from England and travelling also in Gujarat & Rajasthan. I'll be travelling in India for a month. How and where can I get Indian Rupees? I have UK debit cards and credit cards and could bring some sterling in cash. However, I'd prefer not to carry too much cash. Is it easy to use a bank debit card to get cash? Should I buy travellers'cheques from somewhere like Thomas Cook?
Any help will be gratefully received, thanks.
Rosie

Hi Rosie - Debit and credit cards are widely accepted. No need to get traveller's checks or carry a lot of cash into India. When you land in Mumbai change enough cash (at the currency exchange counter before you exit the airport) to get you through your first day. Then go to an ATM the next day for additional cash. Check with your bank for ATM fees - some are high - a fee and then a per cent of the total withdrawn. Since you'll be here for a month, might be a good idea to let your bank(s) know so you won't have any hassles using your cards. Enjoy!

It will definitely not be a problem in Mumbai. ATMs of various banks are spread everywhere. If you move into smaller towns, you might find less of the foreign banks but you can almost bet that one of the State Bank of 'xyz' ATM will be present (these are all associates of the State Bank of India). Hotels will have money exchange anyway. Thomas Cook might not be present in smaller cities.
just remember one thing that card usage is not nearly as widespread in India as in the UK or most other developed nations - i mean the small roadside restaurants, the cabs, museum entry wont have card acceptance facility. so just remember to keep enough cash with you all the time for normal daily requirements. why dont you try out websites of the state bank & a few others like HDFC Bank & ICICI Bank to check out if they have branches/ATMs in the towns that you will visit??.....the latter also has a branch in London btw....
Sam.

ATMs are all over the place in most cities. But be very carfeul with money there. Take out as much as you need and not more. Even hotel safes are not "safe". Money was stolen from a electronically coded safe on my wife's last trip when she stayed at Hotel marine Plaza (do not stay there). She could not open the safe with her own code at the end of the day, and a low level hotel staff was able to open it with a master key and that is when the money was discovered missing. Hote insisted that we make a police report and that is basically a "black hole" with no hope of a result. Hote would not make any restitution unles the police catch and convict someone... which will never happen. I know another case in which money was stolen from a hotel safe in Goa. Good luck.

Thanks very much, all 3 of you, for your extremely useful advice. I feel I have a much better picture of the money exchange situation... and yes, good point, I will inform my bank of my travels - and we will take care with our valuables and money. This forum is fantastic!
Rosie