Currency The units of Indian currency are the rupee and the paisa -- 100 paise equal one rupee. Paper money comes in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500 rupees. Coins are worth 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50 paise, and one rupee, two rupees, and five rupees.

When to Visit The best time to visit Udaipur is from September to March, but the monsoon months of July to September are also excellent. Check the Festival Calendar for Mewar Festival dates as if you want to visit when here’s plenty of action this is the time to do it. The summers are hot and winters are cold but the temperature does not rise to extremes. The summer evenings are cooler and the nights are more pleasant.

Tourist Centres Tourist Reception Centre, Fateh Memorial, outside Suraj Pole, Telephone: 411535; Tourist Information Counter at City Railway Station, Platform No. 1, Telephone: 412984; Tourist Information Bureau, Dabok Airport, Telephone: 655433.

Business Hours Most government and private banks are open weekdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays 10 to noon. Post offices are open from Mondays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most museums are closed on Mondays, and site museums (adjoining archaeological monuments) on Fridays. Shopkeepers may close their establishments for an afternoon siesta.

Money You can change money at a number of places including the Vijaya Bank and Thomas Cook, both in the City Palace complex. At Chetak Circle, the State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur changes money. There is also the Bank of Baroda, the Bank of Rajasthan and the Punjab National Bank, all in Bapu Bazaar. International airports and some top hotels have 24-hour currency-exchange facilities, and the major American Express branches have extended hours for check-cashing. For the most favourable rates, change money at banks. Although ATM transaction fees may be higher abroad than at home, ATM rates are excellent because they're based on wholesale rates offered only by major banks. India's state-run banks can take forever to cash traveller's cheques; if possible, save time and use an American Express office or the foreign-exchange service at your hotel.

Banks/Money Changer Contacts: State Bank of India, Hospital Road, phone: 525857; State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, Chetak Circle, phone: 525066; Punjab National Bank, Town Hall Road, phone: 522118; Bank of Rajasthan, Bapu Bazar. Telephone: 529598; Bank of India, Delhi Gate, Telephone: 525579. Canara Bank, Hospital Road,
telephone: 527365; Union Bank of India, Town Hall Road, Telephone: 420047; Andhra Bank, Shakti Nagar, Telephone: 413415.

Customs & Duties If you're bringing dutiable or valuable articles into India, you must declare this at Customs; you may be asked to fill in a Tourist Baggage Re-Export Form (TBRE) listing the articles, which must then be re-exported at the time of departure. Failure to re-export anything listed on the TBRE means you'll have to pay duty on each missing item. Depending on the attitude of the customs official, you may have to enter your laptop computer on a TBRE form.