Tunisia
Last checked:
- Capital
- Tunis
- Currency
- TND · Tunisian dinar
- Languages
- Arabic (Tunisian Arabic), French (widely used)
- Plugs
- Type C, E · 230 V
Emergency numbers
Top 5 places
- Medina of Tunis · Tunis
UNESCO-listed old city with souks, mosques and palaces.
- Bardo National Museum · Tunis
One of the world's great collections of Roman mosaics.
- Carthage and Sidi Bou Said · Tunis suburbs
Roman and Punic ruins plus the white-and-blue cliff village, both on the TGM line.
- El Jem Amphitheatre · El Jem
Huge, well-preserved Roman amphitheatre.
- Djerba · Houmt Souk
Island with beaches, El Ghriba synagogue and a relaxed old town.
Getting around
Taxi
Yellow taxis
Cheap metered taxis in cities; a red light in the windscreen means available. Night surcharge of 50% applies. Insist on the meter; taxis waiting at hotels often overcharge.
Buses
Louage
White shared minibuses between towns leave when full from louage stations. Cheap and frequent, but driving can be fast.
Trains
SNCFT trains
Trains link Tunis with Sousse, Monastir, Sfax and other cities. A multi-day 'carte bleue' rail pass is available (varies).
Trains
TGM light rail
Suburban line from central Tunis to La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa. Cheap; ask locals for the right platform.
Public transport
Tunis Metro (light rail)
Tram network across Tunis, very cheap, crowded at peak times.
Ride-hailing app
inDrive and local taxi apps
inDrive and local apps operate in Tunis; Bolt is reported to no longer operate (varies).
Money and cash
Currency: TND · Tunisian dinar
The dinar is a closed currency: you cannot legally bring it in or take it out. Withdraw at ATMs (foreign cards work widely) or exchange at banks and keep the receipts so you can change leftover dinars back before departure. Cash is needed for taxis, louages, markets, cafes and tips; cards work in larger hotels and some restaurants.
Tipping
Tipping in Tunisia is appreciated rather than required. Small tips are common for table service, hotel staff, guides and attendants (hammams, toilets). Amounts are modest; leaving around 10% or rounding up in restaurants is a common guideline in tourist areas (varies).
| Restaurants | Rounding up or around 10% in tourist restaurants (varies); small change in local eateries. |
|---|---|
| Cafés and bars | Leave small coins for table service. |
| Taxis and ride apps | Rounding up the meter fare is common. |
| Hotels | Small tips for porters and housekeeping are appreciated, especially in resort hotels (varies). |
| Tours and guides | Tip guides and drivers at the end of a tour (varies). |
| Food delivery | Small change or rounding up. |
Service charge: what’s true
A separate service charge is not common in ordinary restaurants (varies). Always ask for an itemised bill: Wikivoyage notes waiters often overcharge tourists.
Pressure tactics to watch for
Touts and unofficial guides near sights expect payment for unasked advice, and hammam or toilet attendants may ask for change. Politely decline help you did not request ('La, shukran' or 'Non merci'), ask for an itemised bill, and pay only what is listed.
Useful phrases
- L'addition, s'il vous plaît. The bill, please.
- Une facture détaillée, s'il vous plaît. An itemised bill, please.
- لا، شكرا (la, shukran) No, thank you.
Etiquette
- Dress modestly outside beach resorts: shoulders and knees covered.
- Non-Muslims cannot enter most prayer halls; some mosques allow visitors into courtyards only.
- During Ramadan avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in daytime.
- Greet with 'Aslema' or 'Salam'; French greetings are also common.
- Bargaining is normal in souks; fixed-price state craft shops exist if you prefer not to haggle.
- Ask before photographing people.
Scams and how to handle them
Touts and unofficial guides
Where: Medina of Tunis, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said
How it works: Men offer directions or tours unasked, then demand payment or lead you to shops.
How to avoid it: Decline politely and use a map or official guide.
Friendly street hustlers
Where: Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Tunis
How it works: Men approach claiming friendship, ask the time or bump into you, then ask for money or cigarettes.
How to avoid it: Do not engage; keep walking.
Taxi meter tricks
Where: Hotels, airport, tourist areas
How it works: Drivers tamper with the meter or quote inflated fixed fares to hotel guests.
How to avoid it: Hail taxis on the street and insist on the meter.
Restaurant overcharging
Where: Tourist restaurants
How it works: Bills include extra items or inflated prices.
How to avoid it: Ask for prices first and an itemised bill.
Distraction theft
Where: Airports, hotels, busy streets
How it works: Thieves use confidence tricks or distractions to take bags and phones; theft from hotels and airports is reported.
How to avoid it: Keep valuables out of sight and in the hotel safe; watch your bags at the airport.
Safety
- Most visits are trouble free. Governments advise against travel to some areas, particularly near the Libyan and parts of the Algerian border; check current advice (varies).
- There is a risk of terrorism; security is heightened at tourist sites, hotels and museums.
- Sexual harassment reports rise in summer, both in busy night areas and quiet daytime places like parks and beaches.
- Keep exchange receipts and do not try to take dinars out of the country.
- Avoid demonstrations.
How widely English is spoken
Limited outside resort hotels and tourist businesses; French is far more useful. Younger people in Tunis increasingly speak some English.
Sources
- GOV.UK Foreign travel advice: Tunisia, safety and security
- GOV.UK Foreign travel advice: Tunisia, getting help
- Wikivoyage: Tunisia
- Wikivoyage: Tunis
We check these guides against official and well-known sources, but rules and prices change. Spot something out of date? Email support@tourits.app.