Tunisia

Traveling

Passport and visa service: To know if you need a visa, consult the Homevisas.com website
Diplomatic representations: Consult the directory of embassies and consulates near you on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Recommendation: Public transport in town is not always on time. The best way to get around in the big cities is to take a taxi (yellow cars). They are very inexpensive and work with a meter. You are advised to check each time that the driver starts the meter correctly when you set off!
Maps of urban networks

Recommendation: The rail network covers almost all the country, linking most of the big northern cities (Tunis, Bizerte, Beja) and those on the east coast (Sfax, Gabès). The trains are quite slow, but they are economical and punctual. You can get different reduction cards from 25 to 50%: the youth card, the blue card and the museum rail card.
Tuninter serves domestic flights. This company links practically all cities with Tunis.
Buses serve the most remote places in Tunisia.

There are also taxis between towns, called "rental contract taxis". They are group taxis and only leave when they are full. Each town has a rental station. The cars with blue bands serve nearby places, those with red bands the longer distances. In some cases, they are more economical and less restricting than trains. According to the driver's style, the journey may be full of thrills!
Rail companies: Tunisian national railway company (SNCFT)

Recommendation: Renting a car can be very useful according to the kind of trip you want to make. You have nothing to fear on Tunisian roads. To make things easier, you should avoid rush hours (12.30 pm and 6 pm). Signs on main roads and motorways are in Arabic and French.
Road maps: Road map of Tunisia
Find an itinerary: Maporama

Historical: Tunis is rich in fine architecture.
Many archeological sites are part of the world heritage (Carthage, El Jem, etc.).
Cultural: Islamic ceramics museum (Tunis), The Bardo Museum (Tunis), National museum of Islamic art (Kairouan).
Sculpture, Paintings, Theater, Concerts, Cinema, Literature, etc.
Nature: Many natural and wildlife parks.
Religious: Mosques, especially those of Tunis and Kairouan.
Thermal: The hot spring areas of Korbouse, Khebayet at Gabès, Hammam bent Jedidi.
Beach: All Tunisia's beaches are on the Mediterranean. The one at Djerba is especially renowned.
Outdoor activities: In the south of Tunisia, you can do guided tours in the Sahara in 4x4s or by camel.
Shopping: Several shopping malls and other shopping places such as Centre el Menzah6 or Berges du Lac.
For local craftsmanship, you will find souks in Tunis or any other town. Be careful, it is common to haggle over prices.

Top 10 highlights of the capital city
The Medina of Tunis
The souks
Ezzitouna Mosque
Dar Ben Abdallah Museum
Bardo National Museum
The Zawiyya of Sidi Kaçim Az-Zaligi
The Bab Bhar Gate
The Kasbah Square
Saint Vincent de Paul Cathedral
The Belvédère Park

Top 10 highlights of the country
Archeological site of Carthage
Ichkeul national park
Punic city of Kerkuane and its necropolis
Kairouan
Medina of Sousse
Dougga / Thugga
Amphitheater of El Jem
The village of Sidi-Bou-Said
Sbeitla
Matmata

Health precautions: A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required for travelers over 1 year of age coming from contaminated areas.
Tunisia is not a country with serious health risks. To guard against traveler's diarrhea, you should avoid the highest risk foods: those that are undercooked or badly cooked, prepared dishes which are later eaten cold, raw vegetables as well as fruits you have not peeled yourself. Drinking water must be boiled and filtered or drunk from sealed bottles. Avoid ice cubes.
International hospitals: There are no international hospitals, but there are private clinics where foreigners can be admitted to various specialized departments.
For further information on sanitary conditions: The information pages on the World Health Organization website.
For further information on safety conditions: Consult the services of your nearest Tunisian Embassy.

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Tunis (GMT+1 in winter, GMT+2 in summer)
Summer time period: Summer time from March to October

Fuseau(x) horaire

Type of climate: Winter is cool and rainy while summer is very hot especially in the south of the country. The most pleasant time to visit Tunisia is in the spring (March, April and May). July and August are ideal for enjoying the beach; but the heat may become uncomfortable for some people.

Climate

Culinary specialties: Tunisian cuisine is famous for its lamb-based dishes. You can find the following specialties: couscous, tagines, dishes prepared with sheets of "bric" pastry (like filo pastry).
Tunisian dishes are very aromatic. Cumin, coriander, saffron, cinnamon, aniseed, mint, orange, rose water are all used.
Drinks: The Tunisian specialty is mint tea after meals or lemonade with almonds. In winter, people often drink fresh orange juice.
Dietary taboos: Pork is prohibited and the sale of alcohol is restricted.

Domestic currency: Tunisian Dinar
ISO Code: TND
To obtain domestic currency: The most practical way is to withdraw money directly from ATMs. There are many of them and they are easily accessible in airports, city centers, and all over the country.
Possible means of payment: Places where you can pay with foreign currency are rare.In stores, restaurants, hotels, cafés, payment is made in cash or by Credit Card, according to the sum. American Express cards are not taken so often.

Official language: In Tunisia, Arabic is the official language. The Arabic which all Tunisians speak in their everyday communications is a dialectal variety called Tunisian Arabic.
Other languages spoken: 98 % of the population speak Arabic, the rest speak Berber. French is also spoken by a large majority of Tunisians.
Business language: English is not very common. French is the language used in trade, and for some administrative texts.
Getting some knowledge: Use the travlang website
Free translation tools: Arjeeb - Free translation English-Arabic-English of text and web pages
Ectaco - Free Dictionary Arabic-English-Arabic