Tunisia

Tunisia is small. Tunis to the edge of the Sahara is about 500 km, and the whole country is roughly the size of England. That makes it the easiest North African country to combine ruins, coast and desert in a single week without spending the week in a car.

The Roman sites are the reason to come, and they are better than most people expect. El Jem's amphitheatre is one of the largest and best preserved anywhere. Dougga is a whole hillside town with its streets still legible. Both are quiet on most days, which is a rare thing for ruins of that quality.

Set your expectations for Carthage before you go. It was systematically destroyed, rebuilt by the Romans, and is now spread across an affluent suburb of Tunis in separate fenced parcels. What survives is foundations, cisterns and baths. It is interesting with context and underwhelming without.

The beach resorts on the eastern coast and on Djerba are built for European package holidays. They are perfectly pleasant and have nothing to do with the rest of the country. Decide which trip you want.

When to go

Months	What it is like
Apr-Jun	The best window. The north is green, wildflowers are out at Dougga, and inland sites sit at a workable 25-30°C. The sea only warms up enough for most people to swim from about mid-June.
Jul-Aug	The coast is 30-33°C, humid and completely full of European holidaymakers. Inland and in the south it goes past 42°C. Desert trips are not sensibly run in this heat, and most operators reduce them. Ruins like El Jem and Dougga have no shade at all.
Sep-Oct	The sea is at its warmest, the crowds thin out after the first week of September, and inland heat drops back to something reasonable. October is the best month for the desert.
Nov-Mar	Mild on the coast at 15-18°C, wet in the north, and too cold to swim. Desert nights near Douz can approach freezing. Many coastal resort hotels close for the winter. Good for the Roman sites, poor for a beach holiday.

Before you go

• Many nationalities, including most European, North American and Australian passport holders, enter visa-free for up to 90 days. Check yours.
• The Tunisian dinar is a closed currency: you cannot legally bring it in or take it out. Change on arrival and keep your receipts so you can convert leftover dinars back at the airport.
• Ramadan affects opening hours, restaurant service and the rhythm of the day for a month, and its dates move each year. Check before booking. Coastal resort hotels carry on largely as normal; independent travel in the interior is more affected.
• Louages, shared long-distance taxis, are the standard way to move between towns and leave when full. Trains are limited and slow outside the Tunis suburban line. For Dougga and the southern loop, you need a car or a driver.
• French is widely spoken; Arabic is the official language. English is common in tourist areas only.
• Some border zones with Libya and parts of the far south and west near Algeria carry travel advisories. Check your government's current advice before booking any desert leg, and use a registered operator.
• Alcohol is sold in hotels, licensed restaurants and a limited number of shops. It is not readily available in smaller inland towns.