Originally Posted by
hserus
Nice trip report. Though you really neednt have bothered to use the thomas cook counter. Especially if you have airport transfer to your hotel already arranged, you dont need INR cash at that time of the night. Tip the driver a dollar bill if you want .. and change money in the city.
The other alternative - which I prefer - is to find one of the several ATMs you find around any major airport, stick your usual ATM card in and get cash in local currency. That'd actually give you a far better rate than airport foreign exchange counters. Anywhere in the world.
As for your rupees, get only as many of them as you actually need. And spend the rest of them by the time you get to the airport (or if you have small change - even INR 100 is around $2 US - keep it for the next trip)
In general, I agree with you on all counts, however, my understanding was that there are no ATMs in the airport proper at DEL, and others ended up having trouble finding one near our hotel. On the off chance that I missed my ride, I felt safer having some local currency in hand. The way the trip was structured, it was also difficult to know how much I'd need, or to spend it down by the end of the trip - as it turned out I changed $100 at the beginning and ended up getting $25 back at the end with a few hundred rupees for souvenirs.
Originally Posted by
hserus
In other words, toiletries in a bag, and sealed plastic bags with dutyfree booze / perfume / whatever. That's all.
Not very different from what the TSA asks for eh?
Yep, except that in the U.S. you can bring aboard liquids you've purchased airside - that you could not here was the big difference - many water bottles being chugged on the jetway
Originally Posted by
chanp
Thanks for the report and pics. Ive havent been there in many years, the airport looks quite updated since then
According to the other threads, the renos were completed sometime last fall and have made a big difference.