Money – Tunisian Experience

There are over 11 million tourist arrivals per year in Tunisia, and many of those visitors carry Euros, US Dollars, and British Pounds Sterling in their wallets when they arrive at the gate. Whether you’re coming for work or vacation, you’re going to want to spend some of that money, probably within a few minutes of landing! So, do you need go through the hassle of exchanging currency, or can you just use what you have? In a few touristy areas of Tunisia, you can pay for things with US Dollars, English money, and Euros. However, if you go very far outside of the areas that accommodate a lot of tourists, you will need to exchange your foreign currency for Tunisian Dinars. We visited dozens of places in person to get an accurate answer to this question! For a LOT of detail on where exactly you can and can’t use foreign currency, and for more important tips on using foreign and local currency in Tunisia, read on! Using Foreign Currency at the Airport Our first stop was at the country’s biggest point of entry, Tunis-Carthage Airport. We asked around at several of the airport vendors to see what kind of currencies they would accept. We stopped at restaurants, cafes, and telecom kiosks, and we got some surprisingly mixed results. There are two big restaurant/cafes on the ground floor of the airport. The first one we went in to was Cappucino Resto & Café. They said that they do accept Dollars and Euros—no problem. When I asked about English money, they said that they accept paper Pounds, but they won’t take coins. I thought this was pretty strange. But then we went to the other big restaurant on the ground level called L’Amicale, just to the left of the entrance, and they said the same thing! I don’t know how they came up with this policy, but it is good to be aware of if you’re planning on using Sterling. Banks in the Tunis-Carthage Airport Next, we went to the little kiosks where you can buy SIM cards and data for your phone. Ooreedoo and Orange both responded that they only accept Tunisian Dinars and debit/credit cards. All of the other, smaller vendors we stopped at only accepted Tunisian Dinars. This includes the Cakes and Bakes bakery and the little convenience store kiosk to the left of the entrance. Using US Dollars, British Pounds, and Euros at the Beach Next, we took a trip down to Hammamet (a major beach town in north-east Tunisia) and did some in-person research to find out whether you can use foreign currency in and around the all-inclusive resorts. Five out of five hotels we entered said it was no problem at all to pay with Dollars, Pounds and Euros. You can book your room, eat at the hotel restaurant, order drinks at the hotel bar, and buy things in the little store, all with foreign currency. By the hotel pool in Hammamet Next, we visited some stores, restaurants and cafes in the very touristy part of Hammamet. This was in and around the Carthage Land theme park. All of the places we went into here also take Dollars, Pounds and Euros. A bigger store that sells beach clothes and accessories said it was no problem. A café and restaurant on the corniche overlooking the water said yes. Even a little convenience store advertised the currencies that they accepted with several different types of paper notes under the glass top of their check-out counter. Using Dollars, Sterling and Euros in Tunis After driving back from Hammamet, we parked in downtown Tunis and walked around the popular tourist destinations: Avenue Habib Bourguiba (also known simply as “the Avenue”) and the ancient medina. We started with the more expensive hotels along Avenue Habibi Bourguiba, with the intention of covering the spectrum from low-budget to high-budget lodging. Our first stop was a popular hotel right on the Avenue called Hotel Africa. They advertise rooms starting at around 300 Dinars or $100 per night. Like the nicer hotels in Hammamet, they responded, “Of course!” Here you can use Dollars, Sterling and Pounds to book your room and purchase food and drinks. Next, we went to a smaller hotel, located right at the entrance of the medina, next to Beb Bhar, called Hotel Royal Victoria. This is a historic building and a really neat place, with rooms in the 225 Dinars or $80 range. They also said yes to foreign currency. Budget hotels like these may or may not accept foreign currencies When we visited hotels with a smaller price tag, we began to discover the borderline that distinguishes where hotels do and don’t accept foreign currencies. Walking north from Beb Bhar on Mongi Slim, we found a side-street with some budget hotels, just on the edge of the medina. A little place called Hotel Roma said they accept Dollars and Euros, but not British Pounds. We went into the hotel right next to it, Hotel Qods, and at first, the front desk clerk said it was “no problem” to pay with foreign currency. But, after we asked more questions, his final answer was that you need go and exchange your currency and pay with Dinars. These places advertised rooms in the 130 Dinars or $46 range. It seems that once you drop down around the $50 per night range in hotels, they are less likely to accommodate foreign currency. What about eating and drinking along Avenue Habib Bourguiba? One of the bigger pastry and gelato places accepts several foreign currencies. A restaurant touristique just off the Avenue called Les Pub also said yes. But the smaller sandwich shops were mixed. One said that they only take Euros and Dinars. The final verdict here is that you can go downtown and buy food with foreign currency, but you may have to visit more than one place to find someone who will accept it. A friendly shop owner in the medina If you’re shopping for souvenirs in the medina, you will also want to ask beforehand what kinds of money they take. There’s a big shop right in front of Beb Bhar that sells traditional Tunisian clothing, and they accept Dollars, Euros and Pounds. But when you go to smaller shops further into the medina, they are less likely to accept them. One shop with lots of traditional metalwork souvenirs said that he could possibly take Euros, but once he checked his cash register, he said that he didn’t have enough change. To be safe, you may will want to change to Tunisian Dinars if you have plans to take away a lot of souvenirs from the medina. Using Foreign Currency in Sidi Bou Said Our final destination was the sea-side, hilltop village of Sidi Bou Said, just outside of Tunis and right next to ancient Carthage. Walking up the hill, you’ll pass several souvenir shops with pushy salesmen that try to drag you inside. These vendors make their living off of tourists, and they do accept Dollars, Euros and English money. At the top of the hill, a hostel called Dar Said accepts all currencies, as does a fancy restaurant called Dar Zarrouk. But a little café and sandwich place right next to these nicer places only accepts Dinars. A smaller restaurant called Tam Tam at the bottom of the hill accepts Euros and Dollars, but not pounds. Change Your Currency: It’s Worth It! While Tunisia accommodates tourists in some areas by accepting foreign currencies, you severely limit where you can go and what you can experience by not using Tunisian Dinars. Tunisia is an amazing place with so much to see and do. Exchanging a day’s worth of cash into Tunisian Dinars will help you feel empowered to go out and really experience the country. We highly recommend taking this step! The Tunisian Dinar The currency of Tunisia is the Tunisian Dinar. The official abbreviation for the Dinar is TND, but they also designate an amount of money using a lower-case “dt” after the number. For example: 20 dt. In March 2020 at the time we’re writing this, 1 US Dollar changes to 2.83 Dinars. 1 British Pound gets you 3.62 Dinars. And 1 Euro gets you 3.16 Dinars. Tunisia is an inexpensive country. Especially outside of the touristy areas, you can easily get transportation around town, drink coffee, and eat at restaurants for under 50 dt per person per day. Look for exchange signs like this in a hotel lobby or in an airport The coinage in Tunisia is a little confusing coming from Western currencies. They divide the dinar into 1000 milims. So the price of an espresso may be written as 1,500 dt. The coins come in 500 milim, 200 milim, 100 milim, 50 milim, and even 20 milim. They also have coins for 1 dt, 2 dt, and 5 dt. Where to Exchange Money If you’ve made the decision to change your home currency for Tunisian Dinars, it is pretty easy to find a place to make an exchange. There are several banks to choose from at the airport. The front desk at most of the bigger hotels can also exchange money for you. A big, electronic sign with exchange rates will indicate that the hotel can make the exchange. If you’re not near your hotel or an airport, you can also find a bank just about anywhere in the city. Look for signs or search on Google Maps for one of the following: ATB, Banque Zitouna, BNA Bank, Attijari Bank, BH Bank, STB Bank, Biat, or Al Baraka. There are many more; this list is just a starting point. How to Exchange Money The most important tip we can offer when it comes to exchanging your cash for Tunisian Dinars is to get a receipt!!! When you change your money for Tunisian Dinars, you will get a receipt that looks like the one pictured below. From what we were told at several banks, you can only exchange your leftover Tunisian Dinars back into your home currency if you present your receipt! Also, just to be safe, it’s probably a good idea to use the same bank when exchanging to Dinars and then back to your home currency. Make sure you get a receipt like this when you exchange cash! Be Safe When Handling Cash Finally, it’s good to remember to be safe when handling your cash in Tunisia. As is the case anywhere, Tunisia has its fair share of pickpockets. You will want to use your street smarts and common sense when handling money in public. It is safer to exchange cash in a hotel or bank where you have a counter to set your stuff on, and without a lot of people crowding around. In busy areas like the bank kiosks in the airport, you will want to keep your cash and the wallet you pulled it from in your sight at all times. So, there you have it: the ins and outs of using (or not using) Dollars, Euros and British Pounds in Tunisia! We hope you find these tips useful. Please check out our other money-related posts and resources to make the most use of your hard-earned cash on your next visit to Tunisia!