Tunisia

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Flag of Tunisia Tunisia
Information
Language: Arabic
Capital: Tunis
Population: 10,102,000
Currency: Tunisian dinar (TND)
Hitchability: <rating country='tn' />
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<map lat='33.88865750124075' lng='9.47021484375' zoom='6' view='0' float='right' height="400" />


Tunisia is a country in Northern Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east.

Hitchhiking in Tunisia is easy, especially in remote areas. Maximum expected waiting time is usually around 10-15 minutes. A small contribution can be expected so make it clear before getting on board. Also there can be the possibility to hitch with tourists driving with rental cars. There are many private taxis and shared minibuses called louage. Drivers are very helpful and they usually drive extra to take you to a good sport or a sightseeing place. It's common that the drivers want to gave money to take a louage (shared minibus).

In bigger cities like Tataouine or Medenine you have to walk a lot to find a good spot, it's worth to take a louage, especially if it's hot because it's difficult to find shades along the road.

Speaking French is a huge asset.

As a single woman you may have to think of some extra safety measures.

Getting in

From Europe you can get to Tunisia via plane or via a ferry. The borders from Algeria and Lybia are open.

By Boat

There are ferries to Tunisia from Napoli, Trapani (Sicily), Genova, Cagliari (Sardinia), Marseille and only in summer from La Spezia. It is not sure if these ferries are hitchable because especially in summer a reservation can be needed. The other possibility is to hitch a private yacht which is going to Tunisia.

Getting out

Both Algeria and Libya are not the easiest countries to get visas for. If you manage to get a visa for Algeria the border control will not make problems for you if you hitchhike into the country. That being said it is not a bad idea to communicate with your driver that you'd like to pretend he's a taxi and you are not in fact a hitchhiker.

Climate

Tunisia is arid and hot, especially during the summer. Be sure to not get stuck somewhere in the dessert and to have enough water with you and protect your head from the sun.

The south of the country is desert and merges into the Sahara. The terrain in the north is mountainous. A series of salt lakes, known as chotts or shatts, lie in an east-west line at the northern edge of the Sahara, extending from the Gulf of Gabes into Algeria.

Health

Generally the health system in Tunisia is in a good condition. To avoid diarrhoea wash your hands before eating and only drink bottled water. Most towns have a pharmacy and bigger towns have hospitals but these are sometimes overcrowded. Doctors mostly speak French because it is likely that they did their studies in France or Belgium. English is rarely spoken.

Be aware of wild animals and dogs because rabies (always deadly) is common. Make sure to have rabies vaccine before traveling to Africa. Don't get bitten of snakes or scorpions.

Internet

Though some bars and hostels/hotels do have wifi, it's not a rule even in the centre of the capital. Thankfully internet is not too expensive with the best provider probably being Orange. As soon as you get into Tunis it is recommended to change your money into dinar at the STB bank since they have the best rates and do not take provisions, and afterwards get to the nearest Orange office for a SIM card. At the moment a SIM card with two gigabytes is around 10 euro.

Cities

Literature

  • "The rough guide to Tunisia" - Peter Morris and Daniel Jacobs

Personal experiences

September 2023: Out of the thirty countries JanV has hitchhiked Tunisia might be the easiest. We only hitchhiked in the north from Tunis to Bizerte and from Bizerte to Algeria, but the south should be just as easy. We never waited for longer than 2-3 minutes and unlike some Asian or African countries such as Iran where hitchhiking is super easy but people don't understand the concept of hitchhiking so you run the risk of miscommunicating and having to pay at the end of the ride, hitchhiking in Tunisia is a well known method of travel. You will most certainly see hitchhikers on the road and everyone is willing to help, even if they don't necessarily want to talk or anything in return. Pretty much sit back and enjoy the ride, but don't expect drivers to know English. Some young people speak it but the main language is still very much French. Google translate voice detection works decent for Arabic and is a nice crutch.



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