Flights and travel guide to Tunisia

Tunisia is a country in Northern Africa that has a Mediterranean Sea coastline in the very centre of Mediterranean Africa. Tunisia lies immediately to the south of Italy and Malta. Libya borders Tunisia to the south-east, whilst Algeria lies to the west. Independence Day, 20 March - a time when hotel rooms are completely booked. Plan accordingly. Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib Bourguiba established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to diffuse rising pressure for a more open political society. Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration.

Climate

Temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south.

Terrain

Mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara desert.

• Tunis - the capital of Tunisia
• Bizerte
• Kairouan
• El Kef
• Gabes
• La Goulette
• Nefta
• Hammamet
• Sfax
• Sousse
• Tozeur
• Monastir - Main charter airport for Tunisia

No visa is required for Americans, Canadians, European Community and Great Maghreb nationals (Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania). A landing visa (on arrival) is available for Australians. For New Zealand, other African and Asian countries’ nationals, a visa must be applied for at the embassy of coverage.

By plane

There are plenty of airlines offering flights to Tunisia from major UK airports including London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, New Castle, London Gatwick. Tunisia’s main international airport for scheduled flights is Tunis-Carthage International Airport (TUN) near Tunis. From the airport, you can catch a taxi to the center of Tunis (beware, meters may be rigged). Alternatively, take bus # 635 or # 35 to Ave Habib Bourguiba for around 1 dinar. The bus comes roughly every half-hour and stops in front of the terminal.

Tunisia’s second airport is Habib Bourguiba, Skanes-Monastir(MIR) which is served by low cost charter flights from all over Europe. Monastir is nearer to most of the holiday destinations. Inexpensive charter flights (at least from the UK) are also available. Other international airports include Tozeur and Djerba. Other Airports countrywide are serving national and international flights, and here is a list of the Tunisia’s Airports: Tunis Carthage Intl Airport near Tunis (North Tunisia) - Habib Bourguiba Skanes Monastir near Monastir (Central East Tunisia) - Sfax Thyna Airport near Sfax (Central East Tunisia) - Tozeur Nefta Intl Airport near Tozeur (South West Tunisia) - Gafsa Airport near Gafsa (South West Tunisia) - Tabarka November 7th 1987 near Tabarka (North West Tunisia) - Djerba International Airport in Djerba Island (South East Tunisia) -

Arabic is the official language of Tunisia and one of the languages of commerce, the other being French — a relic of Tunisia’s former status as a French protectorate until 1956. English is of limited use, but fine for use around tourist areas.

It is apparently not considered rude for a man to stare at a woman’s body which should indicate that modesty will attract less attention. Women can expect to be the target of frequent catcalls ("Gazelle" seems to be especially popular).

Tunisian women often wear outfits that would normally be seen on the streets of any major world city (tight jeans, slinky top), but they do so while showing traditional modesty by exposing virtually no skin. Arms are covered down to the wrists, collars go to the neck (cleavage is non-existent) and a head scarf may be worn. Western women visiting can minimize attention by selecting clothes that minimizes skin shown. V-necks are fine if another layer with a higher collar is worn underdeath.

Travellers report problems being pestered either to buy something or for other purposes. Persistence is a major complaint. Some say that a refusal often results in a bad reaction, "being hissed at" is one example, but those who have been advised to refuse politely with a smile rarely complain. "Non, Merci" is a very good response, with a smile. This seems to be borne out by the reports of sole female travellers who you would expect to receive the most attention, but who often report the least problems (from an admittedly small sample), perhaps because they are more cautious than accompanied females. It certainly seems to be the case that sole female sea bathers attract a good deal of unwelcome attention (even molestation) until a male friend arrives.

Theft of belongings, even from hotel rooms and room safes, is widely reported and the usual caveats apply - keep valuables in a secure place (e.g. supervised hotel safe deposit), do not flash too much cash, and keep wallets, purses and other desirable items where pick pockets cannot reach them. A good recommendation is only to carry enough cash for your immediate requirements and only one credit or bank card, provided you can be assured of the security of your reserves. Besides, most of the Automatic Bank-notes distributors are available and foreign credit cards are accepted. You can take cash (in equivalent Tunisian Dinar) directly from your bank account with a small extra fee (Bank transaction from 1 to 2 euros).

Theft is also reported in the Airport. Keep your belongings under your direct supervision all the time.

• Malaria - There is NOT much of a malaria risk in Tunisia, but pack your bug spray.
• Sun Please remember that the sun is frequently your biggest enemy, we would recommend frequent application of a high (factor 30 or better) sun screen. It is usually cheaper in your local super market than at the holiday destination.
• Be careful what and where you eat and drink (remember the ice cubes too); diarrhoea is a common complaint from uncautious travellers. The tap water in the high-end Tunis-Carthage-Marsa area seems to be safe (2006).

Vaccinations

Always check with your doctor 4-8 weeks before traveling (The 4-8 weeks is important, as some vaccinations take weeks to become effective, and with Polio you can be contagious for a while too):

• Yellow fever is required for all travelers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas.
• Hepatitis A is usually recommended Two Havrix injections, given 6 months apart, provide 10 years of Hep A protection
• Typhoid
• Polio
• Hepatitis B - Highly recommended if likely to have intimate contact with locals or if visiting for more than 6 months.

Tunisia is a Muslim country, and dress code is important, particularly for females. Whilst a lot of skin (even topless) is tolerated on beaches and within hotel complexes, a modest amount of exposed skin may be frowned upon outside these areas. Be warned that the Tunisian government discourages critical discussion of local politics, particularly in public forums.

• Flights to Tunisia from Aberdeen
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• Flights to Tunisia from Manchester
• Flights to Tunisia from Newcastle