Tunisia Guide
Getting around
Though car rental is expensive in Tunisia, it's possible to reach almost every location in this guide by some form of public transport. Though sparse in some places, Tunisian public transport is generally reliable, and distances within the country are relatively short.
Trains are generally a little faster than the SNTRI (national) buses, and cost slightly less in second class, more in first. SNTRI buses are faster and more comfortable than SRT (regional) buses, but also more expensive, and usually only ply routes to and from Tunis. Louages (shared taxis) are faster than buses, and only slightly more expensive, but are considered more dangerous. Buses and louages may stop for an hour during any journey if it happens to be lunchtime. A plane journey will cost about five times as much as train, bus or louage.
Transport costs are moderate: Tunis– Sfax, a journey of 270km, costs 10.5TD (£4.50/$8.80) by second-class train (an SRT bus would cost around the same if it ran the route), 13TD (£5.50/$10.90) by louage, 13.9TD (£5.90/$11.65) by SNTRI bus, 15.6TD (£6.65/$13.05) by first-class train, 16TD (£6.80/$13.40) by train in "confort" class, or 58.2TD (£24.80/$48.70) by plane. Transport services tend to stop at around 5pm; in the far south, local transport can dry up even earlier, though there may be a night bus to Tunis via either Sfax and Sousse or Kairouan. On remote routes your only choice may be the early-morning market bus.