Reply With QuoteYou can't buy INR here
Off to Mumbai next month and just wondering about the best way to take funds, cash sterling and exchange over there, travellers cheques in sterling, plastic, ( but get hit with the charges ), or just take INR from here.
We are staying in one place, ( hotel ), so anything from there will just go onto the card, but it's for when we venture out, or purchases etc.
You can't buy INR here
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Just get them at the airport when you land, dozens of concessions. Rates were all the same when I used to travel through for work.
re cash v travellers, its up to you, whatever you feel comfortable with
i prefer cash, anything can take ages in india , waiting in a bank etc
i would only change a little at the airport on landing, when you arrive where you are staying if you shop around you will get much better rates . this can make a big difference depending on how much you are changing.
you can also get a better rate if you take big notes like £50's . despite, or maybe because, indian rupee notes can be some of the most hideously filthy and disfigured currency you can find on earth , money changers prefer nice clean crisp mark free notes, to the point that you can occasionally get a better rate for changing new notes compared to old ones
if you are changing at the airport , check the charges and check your change. bleary eyed travellers who have just stepped off a plane can be easy meat.
for plastic take a halifax clarity card, just don't expect to be able to pay for chai and street samosas with it
Last edited by seikopath; 27th September 2016 at 13:36.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Didn't even think about whether you could get INR here, DOH!
Funny you should mention £50 notes, quite like them myself, have always got a few so will probably take them with us.
i love the fifties and they are great for travelling, not always easy to get hold of though even if you book them in advance
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
It's weird when you try and pay for something here with £50's, people look at them and panic, but they are probably the least dodgy, and counterfeited, bank note you can get for precisely that reason.
you should try paying for something with scottish notes....
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
You can buy Indian rupees here - any of the main FX shops will do it but you need to pre-order. May be worth buying a little so you have it for immediate use when you get there.
I found the best rates were to be had if you had GBP (or USD) cash and you change one you are at your hotel or with a money changer. I found the rates about 7% better than over here or at the airport.
Great place to visit!
Cash is king in my books, I always take £50 notes and always change them at a proper travel exchange shop to get the best rates. Hotels and airport rates will be lower.
Be warned that most banks won't change money unless you have a current account with them, certainly was the case in NW India where I visit every year so make sure you head for a Thomas Cook exchange rather than a bank.
Last edited by IAmATeaf; 27th September 2016 at 17:44.
Cash machine at the airport for some cab money, local bank after that.
Safer than carrying cash, and if you use the right card you should be able to get an attractive rate with few/no fees.
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Don't ever do that. If you have a prebooked taxi to the hotel then you don't need money immediately. Once at the hotel you can use any bank. Avoid government banks, slow service and bureaucracy. ICICI, HDFC are good (IMO). There are plenty of money changers, Thomas Cook is your next bet. xe.com are indicative rates www.rbi.org.in will give you day rates. Though rates offered can sometime vary by a rupee or so. £ 50 notes are a good idea. Avoid Scottish notes ;)Originally Posted by seikopath
Last edited by 72bpm; 27th September 2016 at 18:43.
The airport exchange rate is very competitive, unlike in western countries.
Large denomination notes such as a £50 can be difficult to change at some exchanges.
I disagree. At most airports the rates offered are much less between 5 and 10% less. There is lack of transparency in the deal. I have tried exchanging £ at airports it always 5 Rs less than the quoted rates. When asked you get all sorts of excuses - old notes, wrong series, large denomination, that is only for amounts over xxx, it is a national holiday/Sunday, you are left handed etc etc
I am from India and I hate to say this, be careful. Exchange in small tranches. Tell him if you get a good rate you will come back. Check the RBI rate beforehand. You can get sums of up to 25K or 30K INR in cash. It is 86.48 today, expect to get between 85 to 86 at most places.
Be extra vigilant when coming out if the bank with the money. Sometimes £50 notes can be difficult.
I've personally never had issues when cashing in £50 notes. I've even cashed them in in shops, restaurants and even in some hotels when their rates have been good.
I use a card for all hotel bills, but take cash for perchases outside the hotel, I take £ but always take a few hundred $ as most retailers prefer them.
I prefer the FairFx card.
The security over taking cash is great and I have always found the rates to be goodish flat 1.4% commission +£1.
They are MasterCard so can be used all over in Mumbai. Word of warning ATMs are thin on the ground in rural places, Himachal Pradesh in particular.
I'm a bit fan of Revolut for a travelling credit card - no commission and inter-bank rates. Works perfectly for me.
Hey just checked that out, it looks great, but do you actually get a card?
Revolut are excellent and yes you get a physical card.
You do, and the latest versions even come with contactless. I've found it very handy.
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