India is a complex destination so before travelling you should have travel tips to ease your travel. CurHere we present the important information for the tourists visiting India about currency which is very important information.

Name - Indian Rupee

Symbol - Rs

Rupee notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 (the Rs1000.00 note is not as commonly found, especially outside of big cities).

The rupee (Rs) is divided into 100 paise (p). The paise comes in coin denominations of five, 10, 20 (all no longer being issued) 25 and 50. There are also rare rupee coins in denominations of one, two and five.

Changing Your Money

It's relatively straightforward changing money, especially in the larger cities. You are supposed to be given an encashment certificate when you change money at a bank or an official moneychanger; you'll need these encashment certificates to change Indian currency back into foreign currency when leaving India (at the international airport), however for exchanges below Rs10000 certificates aren't necessary.

Credit cards are widely accepted in Indian cities and larger towns, particularly American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa; MasterCard and Visa are the most widely accepted. Credit cards can also be used to get cash advances in rupees at some banks. Nowadays, almost all Indian cities have 24-hour ATMs that may accept Cirrus, Maestro, MasterCard, Plus and Visa. It's wise to check in advance with your home bank whether your card can access banking networks in India and if so, what the charge per transaction is and whether there are schemes to minimise these.

Money Tips

If you stay in cheap hotels, always travel on the cheaper train classes and learn to subsist on dhal and rice, you could see India for around Rs500.00 ( US$10.00 ) a day. If you prefer a few more creature comforts, like a simple private room with a bathroom, a varied diet, and occasional 1st class rail travel on long journeys, count on around Rs850.00 - Rs1000.00 ( US$20.00 - US$25.00 ) a day. Staying in mid-range hotels, eating in decent restaurants, and occasionally hiring a car and driver will cost anywhere between Rs1000.00 - Rs2000.00 ( US$30.00 - US$45.00 ) a day. If you don't want to set foot anywhere other than converted maharajahs' palaces and five-star international hotels, budget as if you were travelling luxuriously in the West.

Indian currency notes circulate stay in circulation for a very long time and the small notes in particular become very tatty - some should carry a government health warning. You may occasionally find that when you try to pay for something with a ripped or grubby note that your money is refused. You can change old notes for new ones at some banks or save them and use them creatively as tips. Don't let shopkeepers palm grubby notes off on you as change - simply hand them back and you'll usually be given a note slightly higher up the acceptability scale. Keep a supply of smaller denomination notes - there is a perpetual shortage of small change.