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Most of the tourist who visit Tunisia each year arrive by air. The main airports for international flights are Tunis-Carthage, Monastir and Jerba, with Tozeur and Tabarka picking up a stray flight here and there. Tunis Air, the national airline, flies to a range of destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, but there are no direct flights between Tunisia and North or South America, Asia or Oceania. There is no departure tax in Tunisia.

Crossing by ferry from France or Italy is a popular option, and it's possible (though a pain) to bring a car or motorcycle along for the ride. To do so, bring the vehicle's registration papers and purchase liability insurance and an international drivers' permit (in addition to your domestic licence). The only transport option between Algeria and Tunisia is taking a shared taxi (louage) from Place Sidi Bou Mendil in the Tunis medina to Annaba and Constantine, but it's been years since the last recorded tourist crossing. Travel to and from Libya is physically easier - the road between Tunis and Tripoli has never been busier - but the likelihood of getting a visa remains slim. A better bet is to go through a tour company specialising in trips to Libya.

The best yachting marinas in Tunisia are at Monastir, Port el-Kantaoui, Sidi Bou Saïd, Tabarka and Zarzis

Money & Costs

Currency: Tunisian dinar (TD)

Meals


• Budget: US$3-5

• Mid-range: US$5-30

• Top-end: US$30 and upwards
  
  Lodging
  

• Budget: US$5-10

• Mid-range: US$10-40

• Top-end: US$40 and upwards

Tunisia is not a budget buster, especially for Western visitors. It's usually possible to get a clean room for about US$5 per person, and main dishes in local restaurants are often in the US$4 range. If you're fighting to keep costs down, you can get by on around US$15 a day, but you'll have more fun with a budget of about US$25 and can live like royalty for upwards of US$40.

American Express, Visa and Thomas Cook travellers cheques are widely accepted, and the US dollar is a good currency to carry them in. ATMs are found in almost every town large enough to support a bank and certainly in all the tourist areas. Credit cards are accepted in souvenir shops and upmarket hotels and restaurants. Tipping is not a requirement, but most local café and restaurant patrons toss a few coins on the table as they leave, and waiters in tourist restaurants are accustomed to tips of around 10%. Handicrafts are about the only items you'll be able to haggle over in Tunisia.