So what do you do if, despite her advice, you find yourself with surplus currency at the end of your holiday? She suggests we spend it in the airport café (which does accept rupees) or put it in a charity box where at least we know it will be put to good use.  Don't, she says, keep it for the duty-free shop in the departure lounge at Mahé airport because it doesn't accept local currency. But why isn't it possible to change the rupees back into sterling in the UK? Because, as Travelex points out, the Seychelles rupee is a restricted currency and cannot be imported or exported.  As a result there's no market for it in this country and therefore no exchange-rate return for sterling.  The Seychelles isn't the only country likely to trip holidaymakers up in this manner. The following countries could leave you out of pocket too:  Bahamas: Visitors are only allowed to take up to 200 Bahamian dollars into the country (around £105) but US dollars are widely accepted across the islands.  Cape Verde: The Cape Verde escudo cannot be bought or sold in the UK. You can exchange from sterling to escudo once you arrive, but can't reconvert back before returning home.  Costa Rica: The colon cannot be bought or sold in the UK. Best to take US dollars in cash and travellers' cheques. This can be changed for colon once there, but it can't be exchanged back to sterling.  Cuba: You can't buy Cuban pesos in the UK or take them out of the country, so there is no buyback. US dollars are no longer accepted, either, so you have to take sterling.  Gambia: You can buy Gambian dalasi in the UK, but you're likely to get a better rate in the Gambia. Some traveller's cheques incur a charge, so check with the issuer.  Haiti: There are no restrictions to taking the Haitian gourde in and out of the country, but they are hard to buy in the UK (ICE doesn't sell them). US dollars, euros and Canadian dollars are widely accepted.  India: Most bureaux will sell Indian rupees - and exchange them back on your return - but it's unwise to bring anything less than 100 rupee notes back: bureaux are unlikely to exchange small denominations.  Maldives: There are no restrictions to taking the rufiyaa in and out of the country, but the currency is hard to buy in the UK. It's best to take US dollars which can be exchanged at hotels and resorts.  Morocco: Dirhams cannot be bought or sold in the UK. However, euros are accepted as currency in Morocco or you can exchange sterling at the airport when you land. Change any unused dirhams for sterling before you return.  Nepal: You cannot buy the Nepalese rupee in the UK and it's illegal to import or export the currency. Visitors must pay bills in foreign currency (sterling, Hong Kong dollars, Singapore dollars or US dollars). Visitors are required to exchange a minimum of 20 US dollars into local currency per day. Up to 15 per cent of the amount exchanged may be reconverted but you need to keep receipts.  Sri Lanka: You can only take up to about £26 of Sri Lankan rupees in and out of the country, so they can be hard to buy in the UK. Generally, the rate of exchange for traveller's cheques is better than the rate of exchange for cash. To avoid additional charges, take traveller's cheques in US dollars or sterling.  Tanzania:Shillings cannot be bought or sold in the UK. Best to take sterling, euros or US dollars. Tunisia Dinars cannot be bought or sold in the UK. Best to take sterling, euros or US dollars.  Venezuela: The import and export of the Venezuelan bolivar are only permitted in small amounts. US dollars are the most widely accepted currency, though the euro and sterling are also acceptable.  Help! I'm flying from Heathrow but I don't understand what is meant by a "resealable plastic bag" for carrying containers of liquids. Is a "press and seal" sandwich bag acceptable or does it need a zip? JB, Waterlooville  The rules specify one clear and resealable bag per person, no larger than 20cm x 20cm (8" x 8") in size. Bags with pressable seals are acceptable, but fold-over sandwich bags are not. BAA says it is still providing bags at the check-in areas of all its airports.  We hope to spend a warm, fairly luxurious week somewhere with a pool - a hotel or a villa, but we'd need five or six bedrooms and help with cooking. We are thinking about Morocco. Any ideas? RH, Cheltenham  CV Travel (020 7384 5870; www.cvtravel.co.uk) has villas with cooks in Marrakesh, Ouarzazate and Tangier. A villa this size would cost around £5,000 a week mid-season, but prices vary widely. For hotels and riads in Marrakesh, try Simply Travel (0870 166 4988; www.simplytravel.co.uk).  I have been trying to book a Saturday night away in the UK as a birthday treat for my husband but every hotel or b & b I approach seems to have a policy of a minimum two-night stay at weekends. Sadly, it isn't possible, nor in some cases affordable, to do this. Do you have any solutions?  Miles Quest of the British Hospitality Association (BHA) admits it can be frustrating but explains that hoteliers offer this because they worry about losing out by being unable to let a room for one Friday or Saturday night if the other night has already sold. He says most people do want two nights (and hoteliers sometimes offer a third night free to encourage this longer occupancy). City centre hotels are most likely to allow you to book a single night, but it may be a question of phoning round or checking internet sites to find one.
Unless wads of worthless notes are your idea of a souvenir, be sure to check restrictions before you buy currency abroad.