Are you thinking about a Tunisia Road Trip? We travelled to Tunisia in early 2026. This fascinating North African Country really surprised us.
We didn’t plan to travel to Africa so soon, and certainly not in our 2wd campervan… but here we are. Tunisia is a country packed with Roman ruins, ancient medinas, desert landscapes and some of the most welcoming people we’ve met on the road.
It’s also an incredibly diverse country. In the north the landscape is green and Mediterranean. The further south you travel, the drier it gets, until you’re in the vast sand dunes of the desert.
From the Sahara to Star Wars film locations, coastal towns, and UNESCO World Heritage sites, Tunisia is one of the most underrated road trip destinations we’ve experienced.
We spent 8 weeks in Tunisia in early 2026. We arrived 2 days before Ramadan started. So we got to experience the country during the quiet reflective time, and then we saw all the usual hustle and bustle. It’s so lively!
If you’re planning a Tunisia road trip or travelling Tunisia by campervan or motorhome, these posts will help you plan your route, know where to go, and avoid the common mistakes.
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Tunisia Road Trip Travel Guides
As we’re travelling around Tunisia we are producing travel films for our YouTube channel and written travel guides for this blog. Stay tuned for more, including our detailed Tunisia itinerary coming soon.
Why Road Trip around Tunisia?
Tunisia offers an incredible mix of landscapes, culture and fascinating sites. While there is a public transport system (Tunisia has a rail network, but most locals travel by “louage” small mini-vans that depart when full), having your own vehicle, or a rental car, allows you to get to all the places you want to see, and will save you time.
There is SO much to see and do here . Here’s just a few highlights to give you an idea of what to expect in Tunisia. Check out this post for our favourites.
Busy Medinas
The medinas (historic old towns) or Tunis, Sousse, Monastir and other Tunisian cities are so full of life. You’ll find narrow alleyways full of market stalls (and yes, souvenir shops) and friendly shop owners inviting you in to look at their wares (especially carpets). But unlike other markets or bazaars in places like Türkiye, the “hassle” is good-natured, and relatively easy to escape.
Ancient Roman Ruins
Tunisia is home to some of the most well-preserved Roman sites we’ve ever seen, rivalling those in Europe. Places like El Jem, Carthage, and Dougga give a real sense of how significant this region once was within the Roman Empire.
These sites are far less crowded (and much less expensive!) than their European counterparts, meaning you’ll be able to enjoy your visit without the rush.
Sahara Desert
In the southern part of Tunisia, the landscape changes into desert and semi-desert terrain. You’ll see salt flats, rocky plains, and rugged hills. But the Sahara is not all empty sand-dunes and camels. There are lively towns around oases, and a lot more life in the desert here than we expected.
Mediterranean Beaches
Up until 2015 Tunisia was a very popular beach resort destination, with foreign tourists coming for package holidays to the resorts along the coast around Sousse and Hammamet. After a number of tourists were killed in two separate terrorist attacks that year, visitor numbers have dropped significantly, and many of the resorts are now closed.
But, the beaches are still there! We stayed on the beach on the west coast of Djerba Island twice, both at the beginning and end of our road trip.
Unique Berber Villages and Ksour
In Southern Tunisia you’ll find traditional Berber settlements and ksour, which are fortified granaries built into the landscape. These ksour were often strategically positioned on hilltops. Many of these structures are centuries old and were designed for storage and protection.
Villages like Chenini and Douiret offer an insight into how the Berber people adapted to the harsh environmental of the desert. We were surprised at how well some of these villages are preserved, until we learned that many were only abandoned in the 1970s when people moved into modern towns.
Local culture and daily life
Tunisia blends Arab, Berber, and Mediterranean influences. Wandering through the markets, and sitting at cafés provides an insight into local culture. The locals are friendly and welcoming. We had some wonderful interactions, especially in the markets.
Budget friendly
Compared to many European destinations, Tunisia is really affordable for accommodation, food, and fuel. This makes it accessible for longer stays or slower travel. And, if you’re a non-European passport holder, it’s a great place to do the “Schengen Shuffle”.
How to get to Tunisia
By Air
The most common entry point is flying into Tunis–Carthage International Airport. There are also smaller international airports serving tourist regions, like Sousse and Djerba Island. You can rent a car at any of these airports to begin your Tunisia Road Trip.
By Ferry
Ferries operate between southern Europe and Tunisia, particularly from Italy and France. These routes are used by both passengers and vehicles, making it possible to travel with a campervan. We caught the ferry to Tunisia from Salerno in Italy, and returned to Palermo, Sicily.
The ferry trip is an adventure in itself. Notwithstanding the fact that we had 40 knot winds and a VERY rough crossing, the introduction to North African culture on the ferry was really eye-opening.
We book all our ferry travel with Direct Ferries, which shows the timetables and prices for every ferry line travelling the route you want to sail.
By Road
Travelling overland into Tunisia is limited due to geopolitical borders. We did meet an Australian couple who had arrived overland from Algeria, but this necessitated visas, planning and an official guide to drive through the desert in Algeria.
Driving in Tunisia
Driving in Tunisia is manageable, but the style differs from what you might be used to in Western Europe, North America or Australia. You can expect to see all sorts of vehicles on the road (including horse/donkey carts) and lane markings often seem to be just for decoration. The drivers here are crazy, but good-natured.
The main north-south motorway (A1) is great. It’s a toll road, though the tolls are VERY cheap. Roads between major towns are generally in good condition, while rural and desert roads can vary… a LOT. Expect pot-holes, and LOTS of speed humps as you drive through towns.
Fuel
Fuel is widely available across the country and is very inexpensive compared to Europe. When we visited in early 2026, diesel was 2.20 TD per litre (about €0.70). Petrol stations are easy to find along main routes. You’ll also find people set up with makeshift fuel sales (often from plastic drink bottles), or buckets and hoses. We suspect that a lot of this fuel (petrol, not diesel) comes from over the border in Algeria where it’s less than half the price it is here.
Parking
Parking is usually informal. In cities, paid parking lots are more common, while in smaller towns parking is more ad hoc. Locals seems to park where they want, and the red and white (parking forbidden) lines on the roadside don’t seem to mean much!
Where to stay in Tunisia
Accommodation in Tunisia is relatively easy to find, but your options will depend a lot on how you’re travelling. If you’re travelling with a hire car, you’ll have access to the full range of accommodation options.
In cities and larger towns, you’ll find everything from family run guesthouses (usually called a “Dar”) to larger hotels. In the smaller towns your options will be more limited, but also probably more traditional
In places like Sousse and Hammamet and even towns in the desert like Douz and Tozeur which see a lot of tourists, accommodation is more geared towards resorts and package holidays, with larger hotels offering an all-in-one experience.
Tunisia by Campervan
Travelling Tunisia in your own campervan is amazing! We spent 8 weeks travelling around in our van and we found it’s quite different to Europe.
Firstly, campsites are limited and not always well-equipped. It is possible to travel here with a motorhome that requires plugging in to power every night, but you’ll need to plan ahead.
If you’re set up for off-grid camping, you’ll love it here. We found plenty of opportunities for wild camping, especially around Djerba Island and in the desert. Be prepared for interactions with locals. It’s usually simple friendly curiosity. You can also expect visits from the police or Garde Nationale, who will ask to see your passport and know about your travel plans.
Planning ahead becomes more important for things like refilling your water tanks and disposing of grey and black water. We tend to stay in a campsite once a week to take care of water, laundry (most campsites have a washing machine) and to have a long hot shower.
Tunisia Road Trip – Essential Information
Language
Arabic is the official language. French is widely spoken as Tunisia was a French colony for 75 years until 1955. We found very few people understood English, so Sue put 2 years of high school French to use. And we used Google Translate a lot. We would recommend brushing up on your French, even if you can learn the numbers, it will help when shopping in the markets.
Currency
The Tunisian Dinar (TND) is the local currency. What we found REALLY confusing at first, is the Dinar is broken down into 1000 millemes (rather than 100 centimes like we are used to). So you’ll often see prices written in thousands. 8,000 means 8 Dinar. What we would think of as 60 cents is 6 hundred millimes! Once we wrapped our heads around that, it became a lot easier to manage.
Cash is widely used, especially outside major urban centres. We found very few places other than supermarkets and fuel stations that accepted cards. ATMs are available in most cities, and will charge a 10 Dinar fee. The maximum we ever managed to withdraw at once was 400 Dinar, most ATMs seem to have a 200 or 300 Dinar limit.
Visa and Entry Requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on nationality. Most European, Australian, NZ, USA & Canadian passport holders may enter visa free for 90 days.
If you are bringing your own vehicle over to Tunisia by ferry, you’ll need to go through additional customs and immigration checks when you arrive. You’ll drive through an x-ray machine, and then need to show your vehicle registration documents and insurance to one official.
We then needed to go to another office to collect a Circulation Permission document, which involved filling out an online form which generates a QR code. The officer scans the QR code and then hand-writes your permission document.
We were asked how long we were staying, and needed to show our return ferry ticket. However, we met a German family who hadn’t booked their return, and they didn’t have any problems getting in. We did book a changeable ticket in case we wanted to leave earlier (or stay longer!)
Phone and Internet
Mobile coverage is generally good in populated areas, and even into the desert. We only had trouble with connection in one or two areas. Local SIM cards are available in small stores in almost every town. We use the Holafly Plan eSIM, (use our code NIGELANDSUE for a discount) which offers coverage in over 160 destinations including Tunisia. This was a godsend as we had coverage as soon as the ferry docked.
If you’re working online and travelling with your own Starlink set-up, it does work here in Tunisia.
FAQs
When is the best time to visit Tunisia?
Spring and autumn are generally the most comfortable periods to visit. Temperatures are moderate, making it easier to travel, especially if you plan to spend time inland or in desert regions. The winter can be surprisingly cold, especially in the north. Even in March we had some cold days and mornings where we put the heater on. Summer can be very hot, with temperatures regularly over 40 in the desert.
Is Tunisia safe for tourists?
There were two serious terrorist attacks in Tunisia in 2015. One in the Bardo Museum in Tunis, and another at a beach resort near Sousse. In both attacks sadly several tourists lost their lives.
Since then, there has been heightened security throughout the country. We saw many police checkpoints as we were driving around the country. Even in the capital Tunis there were armed police/security by the main sights.
Tunisia is generally considered to be relatively safe in the main towns and away from the border areas, especially the border with Libya. Heading further south than Tatouine is not recommended, and we spoke to one couple who had driven down there and been turned around by the police.
Having said that, we felt safe here, even walking in Tunis at night. We were stopped at police checkpoints a couple of times, each time the officers just said hello, welcome to Tunisia and waved us on our way.
Is Tunisia campervan friendly?
We found Tunisia a great destination for vanlife. The distances are fairly short, there was plenty of opportunity for wild camping, and we were made to feel welcome wherever we were.
There were a few places (notably Sbeitla) where there was heightened security. We were escorted away from a wild camp to park up in a hotel carpark (for 50 Dinar!)
You’ll find other van-lifers and overlanders here, we met mainly Germans, and other travellers are a good source of up to date information, whether that’s in person or via reviews on the Park4Night app.
Is Tunisia expensive for tourists?
Tunisia is very affordable compared to most European destinations. We have been pleasantly surprised. Shopping in local markets for fruit and vegetables, finding bakeries for bread, and eating at local restaurants has saved us a lot of money.
Even the one time we ate at a tourist restaurant (lunch during Ramadan) the cost was only 40 dinar for the two of us (around €14)
The museums and archaeological sites have cost around 8 Dinar entry (in El Jem, Kairoan and Carthage you get a combination ticket for 12 Dinar for several sites)
Diesel is less than €1 a litre, and a baguette costs less than €0.10. What more can we say?
Watch our Tunisia Road Trip travel films
As we are on touring Tunisia by campervan we are producing travel films and vlogs to show you what it’s really like to travel here. We show you the highlights, hidden gems and give you an insight into the day to day reality of driving around Tunisia.
Here’s our first few videos, and you can check out the full Tunisia playlist for more.
Final thoughts
Tunisia really is amazing. For a small country, there’s a LOT to see here and it’s incredibly diverse.
One day you’re on the coast, the next you’re exploring ancient ruins, and then you’re heading into the desert. Having your own vehicle, whether that’s a rental car or a campervan, makes it easy to see how quickly everything changes and make the most of your road trip.
If you have any questions about travelling around Tunisia, don’t hesitate to reach out via our Contact Page.