How To Travel Around Tunisia By Train?

Ready to jump on a train and zip around Tunisia? It’s like hopping on a time machine that rolls through deserts, cities, and beaches! If you’re up for an adventure on tracks, you’re in the right place to learn how to make the best of train travel in this amazing corner of North Africa.

So, grab a window seat and let’s dive into everything you need to know about chugging along the Tunisian railways. From getting your tickets to enjoying the ride, we’ve got the inside track (pun intended!) on how to have a blast and see all the cool stuff Tunisia has to offer by train.

How To Travel Around Tunisia By Train

Zooming through Tunisia on a train is like unlocking a secret level in a video game where all the best stuff is hidden. Think about gliding by old ruins, chilling on beaches with the kind of sunshine you see in postcards, surfing sand dunes in the Sahara, or dodging through crowds in city markets. Pretty cool, right? Well, Tunisia’s trains are like your all-access pass.

Riding the rails here isn’t just about getting from Point A to Point B. It’s like being in a moving ‘chill zone’ where you can kick back with some sweet AC, gawk at crazy-beautiful views out giant windows, and meet other adventurers just like you.

Tunis to Carthage And Marsa By Train

So, you wanna zip along the Tunisian coast and see some amazing sights without the hassle of traffic? The TGM is your new best bud. It’s this cool train that scoots you from the heart of buzzing Tunis, straight through to places where you can catch ferries to fancy spots like Marseille and Genoa. But that’s not all.

Imagine zooming past ancient ruins in Carthage where gladiators once roamed, or Byrsa Hill that’ll make your jaw drop. And the final stop? The chill vibes of Marsa Plage, where the beach is waiting for you to just… breathe.

Here’s the scoop: Trains roll out as early as 4 in the morning and don’t clock out until nearly 1 after midnight. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, you’ve got a ride waiting.

Oh, and seats? You’ve got choices! If you wanna splurge a tiny bit, first class is like the VIP lounge with killer views for around 1.25 dinars. Not into spending much? Second class has you covered for about 0.80 dinars, and trust me, it’s still a sweet ride.

If you want to check more information head to the website www.transtu.tn.

Tunis to Sousse, Sfax Or Gabes By Train

If you’re hopping from city to city, you’ve got some cool choices on how to ride the rails. Since they spruced up the trains in 2008, getting around has gotten even better.

So here’s the deal with seats: Second class? It’s the go-to for a comfy trip without spending a ton of cash. You get to see all the cool views and local scenes, and the seats are totally decent – enough room to sit back and chill.

Now, if you’re feeling a bit more posh, first class is where it’s at. Think extra cushy seats and lots of legroom. You can stretch out and soak in the sights in serious style.

And then there’s Classe Confort. Imagine you’ve got all this space just for you, thanks to fewer seats in each row. If you like having elbow room and not bumping shoulders with your neighbor, this is your ticket.

But hey, if you’re traveling by night, remember there’s no sleepers to tuck you in. You’ll have seats that are snug enough to snooze in, so you can arrive at your next stop fresh as a daisy.

A little pro tip: Always, always check the train times before you go. The SNCFT website is super handy for that – and hey, it’s all in English now, making life way easier for us travelers. Just hit up www.sncft.com.tn and you’re all set for an awesome train ride.

Read more: Is Tunisia Safe to Visit?

Timetable Tunis To Gabes Train Route

Timetable Gabes To Tunis Train Route

Train Classes

• x Regular Electric Trains: Tunisia’s electric trains link Sousse Bab Jedid station to the captivating towns of Monastir and Mahdia. Sousse Bab Jedid station is just a short 13-minute, 1-kilometer walk from Sousse Ville, ensuring easy access to the train services.
• C12: This is an Air-Conditioned train with Class Confort & 1st/2nd Class seats.
• Ex: The Ex provides modern air-conditioned travel with the convenience of Express Class seating.
• Au: For a classic train experience, the Au offers comfortable travel with 1st and 2nd class seating options.

Stations

Throughout your train adventure, you’ll find convenient stations that serve as gateways to exciting destinations:

• Sousse Ville: Located in central Sousse, this bustling station is a hub for many train services, offering a variety of routes for your exploration.
• Sousse Kalaâ Séghira: Situated just 7.6 kilometers (4.8 miles) west of Sousse, easily reach this station from central Sousse by louage (shared taxi).
• Bir Bou Rekba: Positioned 5.7 kilometers (3.5 miles) from the popular resort town of Hammamet, this station offers easy access to the coastal wonders nearby.

Prices

When you’re getting ready to zip across Tunisia by train, it’s super helpful to know about the ticket prices. Now, they might change a bit, but I can give you a ballpark idea so you can plan how much pocket money you’ll need.

Here’s a quick currency crash course for you: 1 buck (you know, a US dollar) is about 3 Tunisian Dinars. If you’ve got Euros jingling in your pocket, 1 Euro is gonna be around 3.4 Dinars. Keep these numbers in mind when you’re figuring out how much a train ride’s gonna cost you.

Destination	Classe Confort	1st Class	2nd Class
Tunis to Sousse	10.9	10.3	7.6
Tunis to Sfax	17.9	16.8	12.4
Tunis to Gabès	26.2	24.6	18.2
Tunis to Monastir	–		9.2

Tunis to Bizerte By Train

If you ever find yourself in the buzzing city of Tunis and you’re thinking of heading over to the cool town of Bizerte, there’s a train for that! It’s a bit of a ride—98 kilometers to be exact—but totally worth it. You’ll be chilling in 2nd class, which is comfy enough to kick back and watch the world go by for around 2 hours and 50 minutes.

When you’re ready to roll out from Tunis on the weekend, make sure you catch the 4:35 PM train. But if it’s a weekday, you’ve got until 5:45 PM. And for the early birds in Bizerte, your train sets off at 5 AM sharp from Monday to Saturday. If you’re more of a Sunday sleeper, you get that extra hour with the train leaving at 6 AM. It’s the same deal on holidays too, so no rush!

Tunisia Railpasses

Roaming around Tunisia by train just got a whole lot easier with this cool thing called the Carte Bleue railpass. It’s like your golden ticket to hop on and off trains as much as you want for 7, 15, or 21 days. You can pick if you want to cruise in 1st class, chill in 2nd class, or spread out in Classe Confort.

Now, you gotta check the latest prices before you go, but here’s a ballpark for you: for a week of unlimited train rides, you’re looking at around 40 dinars if you’re cool with 2nd class. If you want to level up to 1st class, it’s about 56 dinars. And for that extra comfy Classe Confort, it’s roughly 60 dinars. If you’re thinking bigger, like 15 days, you’ll probably pay double the 7-day price. And for 21 days? You guessed it—triple.

But hey, if you’re jumping on an air-conditioned train for a long ride, you’ll need to throw in a little extra. It’s just a tiny bit more for that sweet, cool air. Depending on how far you’re going, it could be 0.7 dinar for a short trip or up to 1.8 dinars for a mega-long trek. You just pay this bit when you get your ticket with your railpass, and you’re all set for a comfy ride!

Read more: How Many Days Are Enough To Visit Tunisia?

International Train Travel

If you were thinking of train-hopping across the border from Tunisia to another country, hold that thought. Right now, trains in Tunisia are kind of like “staycation” experts—they don’t really go beyond the country’s borders. But no worries! If you’re looking to explore beyond Tunisia, there are other ways to get around. Just like choosing a different path in a maze, you can find buses, cars, or even ferries to take you where you want to go.

Ferries from Tunisia to Europe

If you’re itching to zip from Tunisia to Europe and still want that chill travel vibe, there’s a super cool option. You can hop on a cruise ferry! They’re like these giant boats that have loads of space and glide across the sea. Picture this: You’re standing on the deck, the breeze is in your hair, and you’re heading to places like Marseille in France or Genoa in Italy. They’ve got these ferries setting off a bunch of times a week.

And that’s not all—if you fancy a little Italian adventure, there’s also a ferry that sails once a week all the way to Sicily.

Tunisia to/from Algeria

You might be wondering how to get close to Algeria from Tunis, right? Even though you can’t take a train all the way there, no worries! You can still get super close. Hop on one of the trains that head out to Ghardimaou every day. There are four of them, so you’ve got options!

The ride? It’s about as long as watching a couple of movies back-to-back—around 3 hours and 15 minutes. And get this, once you’re in Ghardimaou, you’re just a short 7-mile hop away from Algeria.

Tunisia to/from Morocco

Back in the day, when France was calling the shots in this part of the world, they set up this mega railway that went all the way from Tunis in Tunisia, zoomed through Algeria, and ended up in Morocco. It was like one big train express across three countries!

Fast forward to now, and it’s like those levels have been split up. The train tracks are still there, but the trains don’t cross over from one country to the other anymore. Plus, the spot where Algeria and Morocco meet? That’s like a locked gate right now; you can’t pass through there at all.

But hey, you can still make a cool train trip from Tunis to a place called Ghardimaou every single day. That’s as close as you can get to Algeria without actually stepping over the border.

Tunisia to/from Libya & Egypt

Here’s the deal: to get into Libya, you’ve got to be part of a special group, like being on a guided tour with a bunch of other explorers, or having a legit travel agency in Libya saying, “Yep, we’ve got this person’s trip all planned out.” If you try to just show up solo without any of that sorted, it’s like showing up to a party without an invite – you might not get in.

And once you’re in Libya, you can hop on a bus that’ll take you all the way across the country, right up to the border with Egypt. Just picture yourself on a bus, cruising through new terrains, each mile a fresh view – pretty awesome, right? But remember, you’ve got to have all your travel stuff arranged before you go, or it’s game over before you even start.

How To Book Train Tickets And Passes

Planning your train adventure in Tunisia just got a whole lot easier, because now you can check out train times and book your tickets online in English! Pretty cool, right? It’s like having a superpower where you can snag your seat with just a few clicks.

But here’s a little secret – you can only grab those seats three days before you want to travel. Most of the time, you can just decide the night before and still get a ticket. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even just show up at the station on the day you want to go. Just keep in mind, if it’s the busy summer season or a holiday, you might want to book your spot super early so you don’t miss out!

Now, if you’re really into trains or you’ve got a lot of cool places you want to visit, check this out – there’s this awesome Carte Bleue rail pass that lets you hop on and off the trains as much as you want for 7, 15, or even 21 days. You can choose if you want to chill in second class, kick back in first class, or go big in “confort” class. It’s all about how you want to roll.

Oh, and if you’re traveling with little brothers or sisters, listen up – if they’re three or younger, they get to ride for free. Kids from four to nine get a sweet discount – they only pay 75% of what grown-ups pay. But once you hit the big 1-0, you’re in the big leagues, paying full price like the rest of us.

Which Class Should I Choose?

First up, we’ve got second class – it’s your wallet’s best friend. But, just a heads up, it can get pretty packed, especially during rush hour or on popular routes. Sometimes you might even have to stand, but hey, it’s all part of the adventure, right? And it’s totally worth it if you’re just hopping over to the next town.

Now, if you’re up for a bit more comfort, first class is where it’s at. You’re not always guaranteed a seat (though you’ve got a much better shot than in second class), but if you do score one, you’ll be chilling in a recliner with more elbow room and places to stash your stuff. It’s a bit like having a VIP pass at a concert – you’re away from the biggest crowds.

And then there’s Confort class – the crème de la crème of train travel! Imagine you’ve got all this extra space just for you because the seats are set up with two on one side and just one on the other. So, you’ve got room to stretch out and maybe even do a little dance in your seat if you want to. It’s like the first-class upgrade of the train world.

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about taking a train ride in Tunisia, you’re in for a treat. It’s like hopping on a magic carpet that glides through different worlds. You’ll see all sorts of cool stuff outside your window – from sandy beaches that sparkle in the sun to ancient cities that tell stories from a long, long time ago.

The trains in Tunisia are like friendly local guides; they might not take you everywhere, but they sure know how to show you around the best spots. Plus, the people you’ll meet are super nice and always ready with a smile or help if you need it. Riding the rails here isn’t just about getting from point A to point B, it’s about all the little surprises and friendships you might find along the way.