ATM India (dollars)
 

I m going to India in april (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Pushkar-Udaipur) I want to know if the ATM cash machines give US Dollars or Rupees ? Or can you choose?

While there are a handful of exceptions worldwide, the rule is that ATM machines give local currency. I've heard of two exceptions, neither in India.

Thanks for your reply. I know that one normally only gets the local cuurency but in Amsterdam at the airport you can get Dollars for example, that's why i wondered. So i better bring dollars along.

In my experience, India is one of the few places in Asia where ATMs are hard to find and often either are not working or don't accept a non-Indian card. I would not rely too much on ATMs in India, it is one of the few places in Asia where I would use travellers checks, credit cards (fairly widely accepted even at smaller shops) or cash.

If you find an ATM which will accept your card, it will dispense Rupees.

Currency in India is NOT freely convertible yet so ATMs give only rupees. In Delhi, Mumbai and the larger cities ATMs are now all over and generally work. In smaller cities u would do well to heed Cicerone's point. Some large shops e.g. Cottage Industries even accept $s for large payments and exchange rates are in line with banks.

It is very hard to find ATMs in India that will take cards that are not issued in India. I was there in May 2003 and had trouble finding one in Mumbai and Pune.
Fortunately my parents live there and I could always borrow from them if I needed to :)

However I was able to pay for most stuff using credits cards. Travellers checks can be encashed easily enough.