Boutique Hotels in Tunisia

BY AIR

From Europe:
Tunisair flies regularly between London Heathrow and Tunis (2.5 hours). It also flies to/from Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Lisbon, Lyon, Madrid, Marseilles, Milan, Munich, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Rome, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Vienna and Zurich.

Other airlines flying to/from Tunisia include British Airways, Alitalia, Air France, Royal Air Maroc and Lufthansa.
There are direct services to Djerba with Aigle Azur (from Paris Orly), Thomas Cook Airlines (from London Gatwick and Manchester) and Thomson Airways (from London Gatwick. Birmingham and Manchester).

From the USA:
There are no direct flights from North America to Tunisia. Your best bet is to take a flight to a European centre such as London, Rome or Paris, then pick up a return flight to Tunis from there.

From the Airport:
Tunis-Carthage Airport (TUN) is 8km from the centre of Tunis. The best way to get to your hotel, if you haven’t arranged a pick up, is to take a taxi. There’s a small charge per each piece of baggage. Be warned that you are most likely to be tricked by a taxi driver when you arrive at the airport. Make sure you get a licensed cab, which are metered, but even then some drivers fiddle with their meters to make the fare a lot higher. If you suspect that the fare is too high, you can argue that the fare is too high and suggest that you will check it with the tourist office or police. If you want to make a complaint, take their license number.

Djerba-Zarzis International Airport (DJE) is in the northwest of the island. Most hotels can arrange a transfer, or you can take a taxi.

BY SEA

From Italy:

Genoa to Tunis
The ferry takes around 22 hours and leaves at least once a week, going up to around 4 times per week in July and August.
Palermo to Tunis
There is typically one sailing per week (Tues morning); and occasional sailings from Trapani.
Salerno to Tunis
There are typically 2 sailings per week (Mon and Fri evenings); and occasional sailings from Naples.
Civitavecchia to Tunis
There is one sailing per week (Tues evening).

From France:

Marseilles to Tunis
From Marseilles it takes around 24 hours. Ferries leave at least once a week, with up to 7 ferries a week in summer.

Arriving by Sea:
Be prepared for a few bureaucratic hassles when arriving via sea on foot. It’s just paperwork (though your bags may be thoroughly searched) but it does take time. Police are friendly and as a tourist you will get seen to first, but expect a wait. If you're bringing a car on the ferry, you should extend your home vehicle insurance to have Green Card insurance, preferably with a reference to the country in French. It’s worth having an International Driving License, though your domestic license will also be valid. You’ll also need your vehicle registration papers. As with foot passengers, there’ll be lots of slow paperwork and you may have your vehicle and baggage searched.

back to topGetting Around

INTERNAL FLIGHTS

If you're combining Tunis and Djerba and time is tight, you're best off flying between the two. There are up to 4 flights daily with sevenair (no online booking at the time of writing; phone only) - but you'll need to book ahead.

BY CAR

Car hire is the best way to explore Tunisia’s nooks and crannies, but it’s expensive compared to rental in Europe. We recommend Holiday Autos which offers competitive prices and discounts for internet bookings - prices compare well with small local firms. Check you have an inflated spare tyre and wheel jack before setting out. Roads in Tunisia are pretty good, though smaller, less-travelled routes can be potholed or unpaved. Drivers are generally quite predictable, compared with, say, Italy, but a bit more haphazard than you’d find in the UK. However, look out for erratic local cyclists and moped drivers, who often seem to lack road sense and weave in and out of traffic disconcertingly.

BY BUS

Buses are cheap and efficient and there is a very good network to most towns in Tunisia.

BY LOUAGE

Louage is the Tunisian shared-taxi system. These are often the best, quickest and cheapest way to travel. There is usually a louage station near to the town bus station. These station wagons or people carriers - white with a coloured stripe - wait to fill up and then leave when all the seats are taken. You rarely have to wait more than 45 minutes and fares are pretty similar to buses. Journeys tend to be quicker, and they’re also a great way to meet the locals. They don’t, however, tend to run after 7pm.

BY TRAIN

Train travel in Tunisia can be slow and inefficient, but this is the most comfortable way to travel for long journeys. First, second or confort class is available. Second is usually crowded, first is more comfortable and comfort resembles first but has smaller carriages. The main line connects Tunis with Gabès, via Sousse and Sfax, with regular services. A branch connects Tunis with Gafsa and Metlaoui, and there are also lines to Bizerte, Kalaat Khasba and Ghardimao. Other lines linked to the main north-south network run to Cap Bon and south from Sousse to Monastir and Mahdia.

HITCH-HIKING

Hitching is an accepted means of transport, particularly in the countryside and you’ll see lots of local people touting for lifts. However, bear in mind that it is never necessarily safe to hitch. Women are advised never to hitch without a male companion.

IN THE TOWNS

The best way to get around Tunisia’s towns is to walk, as most centres are pretty small. The only trouble is that the summer heat might put you off doing so. However, taxis are cheap – much cheaper than in Europe - and handy. In Tunis you can also use the Métro Léger, the tram network, which is very useful for scooting about the city, and especially for reaching the Bardo Museum. The TGM overground train will take you out to Tunis’ suburbs, including La Goulette, Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd.