Traveling from Algeria to Tunisia?

Traveling to Tunisia- Help!!!?

• I am looking to travel to Tunisia in the next few weeks, my questions: 1) Is it safe for a single foreign tourist there? 2) Can I get by on English or will I need to take an intensive Arabic/French crash course? 3) I am setting aside about a week, which places should I visit?? 4) Which city in Europe is it cheapest to fly to Tunisia from? 5) Which airline tends to offer the best fairs to/from Tunisia? 6) Which city in Tunisia should I fly into? Shukran!

• Answer:

  I am an American who has been living in Tunisia for 5+ years. The country is so full of history (has been under the rule of Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Berbers, Ottomans, Beys, and French; played a significant part in WWII, was the center of the ancient world with Carthage as the capitol, etc) and it has so many beautiful places to visit! It is unlike any other Arab country in that is has a lot of greenery. There are also many historical ruins in just about every part of the country you go to. The mountain region is breathtaking! There are fantastic views and an the atmosphere is reminiscent of an old town in Switzerland. Absolutely gorgeous! The coast is marvelous. The Sea is clear and picturesque. The midland and south are terrific because they offer you the chance to peek into a forgotten society - one that holds fast to tradition. I have been all over Tunisia and have visited most cities and have loved everyone because they each have their own special charm. The people are so warm and hospitable. They instantly welcome you as one of their own and treat you like family. 1.) Tunisia is also a very safe place. There are not many places in this world where a women can walk the streets alone in the middle of the night without fear. Yet I often take late night walks (around 11pm or so when I can't sleep) and have never had any problems and have never felt fearful. Tunisia on a whole is a very safe country. I have lived in Tunis and Monastir and have visited other parts of the country without any problems. There is a joke here too the between a police officer and a police officer, you find a police officer. Believe me, it's safe. 2.) If you stick to the tourist areas (hotel areas, airport, medinas, where the tourist shops) English will do. Even outside of those area most people speak English. If they can't, they will try their best to help you or find someone who does speak English. I remember being in the city one day and there was a British woman (I could tell by her accent) and she was asking for help but nobody understood her, yet they all stayed and tried to understand words to help her until I came and was able to direct her to where she needs to go. The people here are very friendly and very willing to help. 3.) This is a hard question because it depends on what you want to do and see. If you tell me what kinds of things interest you, I can suggest a city. 4.) This question to depends on many factors. (My husband is a pilot for TunisAir, so listen to me on this! lol) It will depend on what day of the week you are traveling, what time, to what destination in Tunisia, how long you plan on staying, if you want a direct flight or one with layovers, etc. I would suggest you fly from where. Here are some tips: I found that sometimes you get the best way is to call airlines direct. Sometimes the internet is cheaper, sometimes the phone operators are cheaper. Check out both to make sure you get the best deal. There are a few other simple suggestions you should follow too: -- Choose the same airline for all legs of your itinerary whenever possible so you can take advantage of all connecting and round-trip airfares. -- Try to fly on the least popular days: Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. -- Remember that Saturday night stays are usually required for most bargain airfares. -- Try to select the least popular flight times: mid-morning or late evening. -- Check with discount airlines for cheaper fares. -- Try to book as far in advance as possible. Generally try to purchase your tickets at least 21 days in advance of departure. Many airlines also have specials requiring three-, seven- or 14-day advance purchase. -- In general, the cheapest airfares are available in the spring and summer. -- If you travel around the holidays, book your departure and return flights a day or more before and after peak travel dates. If you're flexible, you might benefit by waiting until the last minute to book your flight because major carriers often run special sales. These sales, however, often have a long list of rules, restrictions and blackout dates. --Consider booking tickets that come with restrictions because they also come with a cheaper price tag. -- Consider using alternate airports near your desired airport. The extra drive can save you hundreds of dollars. --Be as flexible as possible with your dates. 5.) As for the airline that offers the best airfare to Tunisia, it to depends on your destination because some airlines will fly to one destination but not others. TunisAir(the national airline flies to all destinations in Tunisia and is very competitive in prices. I also like Novelair, and Air France, although they don't fly to every destination. Basically, it comes down to personal choice on this one. 6.) As stated above, it depends on what you where you want to go and what you want to do or see. If you want to see the Sahra for example, you are going to want to fly into Toezoer or Djerba airports. If you want to visit a seaside resort, you are going to want to fly into either Tunis or Monastir airporst. If you want to see the mountains, you want to fly into Tabaka. You can also look at my 360 blog for information on Tunisia, and look a my pictures of Tunisia (some are on Yahoo, some are on Flickr. Main blog page http://360.yahoo.com/jamie_hassen Intro Blog to Tunisia I wrote http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-5ksVjU47eqs_12qDwPwirmLXqHA-?cq=1&p=764 Blog about the mountain region of Tunisia I wrote http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-5ksVjU47eqs_12qDwPwirmLXqHA-?cq=1&p=1473 Blog about Djerba I wrote http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-5ksVjU47eqs_12qDwPwirmLXqHA-?cq=1&p=1787 Blog about the North Africa AMerican Cemetery I wrote http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-5ksVjU47eqs_12qDwPwirmLXqHA-?cq=1&p=1848 Most of my pictures are kept here http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jamie_hassen/albums/ Newer pictures are kept here http://flickr.com/photos/jamie_hassen/sets/ Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about what typical tourist destinations are or if you have any comments or questions.