Updated January 2026

On a ferry out of Genoa, expect additional checks if you have a single ticket.
At Tunis port show a first night hotel reservation.
HUBB Tunisia thread

Money
Tunisian dinar exchange rates

Price of fuel
Unleaded petrol 2.05 TD/litre; diesel 1.8 TD (less than half average EU price).
World fuel prices.

Costs
Moderate

Useful languages
Arabic, French, English

Visas
Required by all except citizens of EU countries, Canada, USA and UK who can stay for up to 90 days.

Border formalities
If ferrying from southern Europe do your formalities aboard the ships from Marseille or Genoa if they are CTN ships; it means you get out of the port more speedily. With SNCM (French) ships you may do it in the port.
At La Goulette (Tunis port), most recent reports say no funny business as occasionally occurred in the old days, but you need a first night hotel reservation. They may call the hotel to check.
A three-month TVIP is issued for free; no carnet required. If you can get it, a Green Card extension to your motor insurance is valid in Tunisia or buy local ‘assurance’. See this for details in October 2025

Desert pistes
For Brits (as opposed to Europeans, especially from further east) Tunisia is a long way and an expensive ferry compared to similar Morocco and desert-wise, there’s less going on. Algeria’s Grand Erg Oriental spills over the border so there’s much more sand than Morocco but you need a permit and a guide to get to some desert areas. The far south is a military area.

Crossing into Algeria and Libya
There are several crossingts between the Med and the desert (Nefta). Leaving Tunisia is straightforward; Algeria takes some time and you can expect to get saddled with a gendarmerie escort for the first few days, even if you’ve arranged to meet a tourist agency guide.
It will be the same in Libya at Ras Adjir, but the police escorts may be permanent.