Getting Around Tunisia

Located about five miles (eight kilometers) from downtown Tunis, Tunis-Carthage International Airport (TUN) is the main international airport for the country. It handles flights from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

Airlines serving Tunis-Carthage International Airport: Afriqiyah Airways, Air Algerie, Air Berlin, Air Europa, Air France, Air One, Alitalia, British Airways, Buraq Air, Corsairfly, Egyptair, Emirates, Jat Airways, Jetairfly, Libyan Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Luxair, Nayzak Air Transport, Nouvelair Tunisie, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Sevenair, Syphax Airlines, Syrian Arab Airlines, Tunisair, Turkish Airlines, and XL Airways France.

It is very easy to travel by buses in Tunisia so all backpackers or other people who prefere not-organized travels can easy move all over this beautiful country.
In all towns there are bus stations (it is better to have a guide - for ex. Lonely Planet becouse it's easier to find it), even in small towns or villages it is easy to find it - if not tray to ask someone - tunisians are very helpfull and friendly people.
Costs of buses are for example (June 2008): Nabeul - Tunis 3.600 TD ; Nabeul - Kilbi 1.600 TD ; El Jem - Sousse 3.420 TD ; Matmata - Gabes 1.800 TD ; Tozeur - Gabes 9.100 TD
There are many bus corporations so is very easy to find good connection, it is not necessary to book tickets which you can mostly buy from the driver.

there is a web site of one of the most popular corporations S.N.T.R.I: http://www.sntri.com.tn/html/administration/client_fr1.php - the site is only in french but you can find a timetable on it.

Well... Tunisia being a cheap country in many ways otherwise I cant realy say that its that cheap when it comes to car rentals, around 300 euros for 1 week is common. And then comes the insurance part. Even though I tolk the best and most expensive insurance I was not fully covered.

I dont recommend driving in the cities either... well maybe if you are from athens, istanbul, Beirut, or similar cities where there is no traffic order. But for a Swede who is used to everybody driving in line and following most trafic laws, driving in Tunisia can be a scary experiance.

TAXI
From downtown Hammamet to downtown Nabeul (12km), it shouldn't cost you more than 8 Dinars (6,40€) during the day (50% more btw 9PM and 5AM).
Allo Taxis : 72 222 444

BUS
Daily schedules are published in ''Le Temps'' and ''La Presse'', two french newspapers.
Rate: Hammamet or Nabeul/Tunis : 3 DT.
For more info, see below.

Taxi prices are very cheap in Tunis comparing to Istanbul. From Gammarth to the Cartrage airport just costs 10 dinar. The problem is that you should be sure the taxi opens taxi-meter. Otherwise they can ask you any price they want. Or they might begin a city tour without asking you and try showing all around for extra money..

Tozeur-Nefta International Airport (TOE) is one of only a few commercial airports in southern Tunisia, and is therefore a gateway for travelers heading to the nearby Sahara Desert. It is located three miles (four kilometers) from the town of Tozeur.

Airlines serving Tozeur-Nefta International Airport: Sevenair, Transavia, and Tunisair.

Going to Al Haouira by public transport and coming back to Tunis the same day is possible (I did it). You can travel by louage (shared taxis). Take a taxi in Tunis and ask the taxi driver to take you to the louage station to go to Al Haouria (there are three louage stations in Tunis but now I don't remember which one is yours). I think the one way trip lasts 2hours (but I have bad memory!). The caves are not far from the louage station, you will have a 1-2 km pleasant walk. I suggest you to take the louage to go back to Tunis early, otherwise you can get blocked in Al Haouria (when you arrive there ask to local people until when there are louages to go back to Tunis . . .). The only thing is that when I went to Al Haouria (Autumn 2008) the caves were closed due to some landslides and the guardian told me that it would take some time before opening again (he was talking about 2 years but I think this is too much . . .)
Hope it helps
ua là shukran aila guàgib ;-)

This is an easy trip that takes you few hours, so you don't need to get up very early.

*Tunis-Testour-Ain Tounga-Testour-Tunis: take the louage to Testour at Bab Saadon louage station in Tunis until the village of Testour. The trip lasts 1hour 20 min, is very pleasant and the landscape is very green. When you arrive to Testour louage station i suggest you to arrange the trip to Ain Tounga there.

To go to Ain Tounga (10 minutes by car) you have two choices:
-Wait for another louage to that direction and ask to the driver to drop you in front of the remains. That costs 700 millims (0,86 €) in 2008 one way but usually louages go past Testour full so that would mean some time of waiting and you would have the same problem for your trip back to Testour
-Arrange some kind of "private" transportation. At the same louage station you will find someone to take you to Ain Tounga and bring you back to Testour for few dinars. I payed him 5 Dt (3€) round trip letting me visit the remains during one hour and a half.

After visiting Testour (you will need, one hour and a half aprox) take the louage back to Tunis. You should find louages until 6 pm but i would not wait until the last moment... just in case...

Taxi Ave Bourguiba-louage station costs about 1,300 DT (0,72€) (2008)
Louage Tunis-Testour costs 4,200DT (2,32€) one way trip (2008)
Louage Testour-Ain Tounga costs 0,700 DT (0,86€) one way trip (2008)