India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (27 page)

Be sure to contact your credit card companies the minute you discover that your wallet has been lost or stolen. Also file a report at the nearest police precinct, because your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number.
Most credit card companies have an emergency number to call if your card is lost or stolen. They may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two.
Visa
’s U.S. emergency number is
866/670-0955.
American Express
cardholders and traveler’s check holders should call
905/474-0870.
MasterCard
holders should call
636/722-7111.
If you need emergency cash over the weekend, when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via
Western Union
(in India call
1-800/44-1851
or 1-800/111-911, or go to
www.moneyintime.com
; in the U.S. call
800/435-2226;
www.westernunion.com
). You can
call all these numbers collect by using the access code 000-117
.

TRAVELER’S CHECKS

You can buy traveler’s checks at most banks. They are offered in denominations of $20, $50, $100, $500, and sometimes $1,000. Generally, you’ll pay a service charge ranging from 1% to 4%.

The most popular traveler’s checks are offered by
American Express
(
800/807-6233, or 800/221-7282 for card holders—this number accepts collect calls, offers service in several foreign languages, and exempts Amex gold and platinum cardholders from the 1% fee);
Visa
(
800/732-1322)—AAA members can obtain Visa checks for a $9.95 fee (for checks up to $1,500) at most AAA offices or by calling
866/339-3378; and
MasterCard
(
800/223-9920).

Be sure to keep a record of the traveler’s checks serial numbers separate from your checks in the event that they are stolen or lost. You’ll get a refund faster if you know the numbers.

Traveler’s checks are useful in that, unlike cash, they can be replaced if lost or stolen, but they are far less popular now that most cities have 24-hour ATMs that allow you to withdraw small amounts of cash as needed.

5 Health

STAYING HEALTHY

Consult your doctor or local travel clinic concerning precautions against diseases that are prevalent in India. The following cautionary list may have you wondering whether travel is advisable at all. However, don’t be alarmed: Millions of travelers leave India having suffered nothing more than an upset stomach—even this small inconvenience should settle within a few days, your system the stronger for it.

General Availability of Health Care

Contact the
International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers
(
IAMAT;
716/754-4883,
or 416/652-0137 in Canada;
www.iamat.org
) for tips on travel and health concerns in the countries you’re visiting. The United States
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(
800/232-4636;
www.cdc.gov
) provides up-to-date information on health hazards by region or country and offers tips on food safety.
Travel Health Online
(
www.tripprep.com
), sponsored by a consortium of travel medicine practitioners, also offers helpful advice on traveling abroad.