Practical Information for visiting Tunisia

The currency is the Tunisian dinar (TND), and it is a closed currency: it cannot legally be taken out of the country or obtained abroad. Change money on arrival, and keep your exchange receipts — you need them to convert dinars back at the airport, and only a limited proportion can be converted.

Cash is still king. Cards work in hotels, larger restaurants, supermarkets and resort areas, but the souks, louages, small cafes and most of the interior take cash only.

ATMs are common in towns and at the airports, and occasionally out of money on a weekend. Bring some euros as backup.

Bargaining is expected in souks and for taxis without a meter. Agree a price before starting.

Tipping is customary and appreciated: round up in cafes, ten per cent in restaurants, and a few dinars for guides and drivers.

Coverage for mobile networks is good across the populated north and the coast, and along the main roads south, from Ooredoo, Tunisie Telecom and Orange Tunisie. The deep desert and the remote interior have gaps — do not count on a signal in the dunes.

Local SIMs are inexpensive and easy to buy at the airport or any operator shop with a passport, and data is cheap. This is much better value than roaming.

Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and common in cafes in the cities, though speeds vary and resort Wi-Fi is often slow.

Power cuts are occasional rather than routine. Bring a power bank for desert trips, where charging is limited to a generator running for part of the evening.

Tunisia is generally calm and the tourist areas are heavily policed, but the security picture is not uniform and the border regions carry real restrictions.

• Check your government’s current advice before booking. Most advise against travel to the mountainous Algerian border areas, the Chaambi region and the Libyan border zone, where militant activity and military operations continue. These restrictions can invalidate insurance.
• 
  
• The desert south beyond the established oasis circuit requires permits and a guide in places, and going off-piste without either is genuinely unwise.
• 
  
• Demonstrations happen and can turn tense; avoid them.
• 
  
• Petty crime: bag snatching in Tunis and the resort strips, and overcharging by unmetered taxis. Insist on the meter.
• 
  
• Heat in the south from June to September is the most likely thing to hurt you.
• 
  
• Harassment of women travelling alone occurs, usually verbal; it is less common than in some neighbouring countries but worth being prepared for.

Medical care is reasonable in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax, with private clinics that are much better than the public hospitals and used to foreign patients. Tunisia has a substantial medical tourism business. Insurance is essential, as private care is charged upfront.

Vaccinations: routine cover plus hepatitis A and typhoid; rabies for long or rural stays. No yellow fever requirement unless arriving from an endemic country.

Stomach upsets are the usual complaint. Do not drink the tap water — it is chlorinated but heavily mineralised and unfamiliar; use bottled, including for teeth, and be careful with salads and ice outside good establishments.

Heat and dehydration in the south are serious. Carry far more water than seems necessary on a desert excursion, and avoid the middle of the day between June and September.

Sun is strong year round; the desert light in winter burns people who are not expecting it.

Pharmacies are good, widespread and sell a great deal over the counter, with a night rota posted.

Dress modestly away from the beach and the resorts. Tunisia is more relaxed than most of the region and you will see Tunisian women in both hijab and western clothes, but shoulders and knees covered is right for towns, the interior and any religious site. Swimwear is for the beach and the pool only.

Mosques are generally closed to non-Muslims inside the prayer hall; courtyards at Kairouan and the Tunis Zitouna can be visited, modestly dressed and outside prayer times.

Ramadan: do not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight.

Right hand for eating, giving and receiving.

Alcohol is legal and available in hotels, licensed restaurants and some shops, but drinking in public is not acceptable and is rare outside tourist areas.

Homosexuality is criminalised and prosecutions occur; discretion is necessary.

Photography: ask people first, and avoid military, police and government buildings entirely.

Emergency numbers: 197 for police, 190 for ambulance, 198 for fire. The tourist police operate in the main resort and heritage areas and are the most likely to have English or French.

Medical. Head for a private clinic rather than a public hospital if you have a choice — Clinique El Amen and Clinique Pasteur in Tunis are among those used to foreign patients. Payment is upfront; keep receipts for your insurer.

In the desert, do not travel without a guide, a second vehicle or at minimum a satellite messenger. Tell your accommodation your route and expected return.

Consular help: embassies are in Tunis, with some consular presence in Sousse and on Djerba in season.

Keep offline copies of your passport, insurance and currency exchange receipts — the last of these you will need at the airport.