Carrying Cash in India
 

I will be traveling to India in September for a month. How is money handled there? Do I get rupees before I go or get them there? Should I open a bank account when I get there to access cash or walk around with my money? I plan to be in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad and possibly Delhi.

There are ATM machines everywhere in India! They often will have a big bank sigh out front, but will be just a small room with a security guard outside.

I found that Citibank ATMs worked with my card all the time, but a few of the other banks didn't always accept my card, My daughter's different bank worked at Citibank and many of the others bank's ATs she tried all over India.

We both had basic ATM cards without the Credit or Debit card function, so if stolen, they couldn't be used to charge goods, only to withdraw cash using a pin #. My bank automatically gives you the ATM cards with the VIsa logo, so I was glad I'd asked far enough in advance to order the ATM- only one.

We also had regular VISA and AMEX credit cards which were accepted widely in stores and hotels.

I carried the bulk of my cash in a moneny belt inside my waist, and small amounts in my wallet.

Thanks for the info. I will see if I can get a new atm card quickly.

Also, almost all merchants accept credit cards. Carry a photocopy of your passport with you. Sometimes, if you make purchases more than Rs 10,000 (I think), they may ask for your passport info if you're a foreign national. Maybe someone else can confirm this. But credit cards are widely accepted (Mastercard and visa, american express not so much)

Great, thanks for the information.