If you want to explore all that Tunisia has to offer with maximum freedom, your best bet for getting around is probably to rent a car.
Think about it: in this country, you have…
- more than 700 miles (1148 km) of coastline
- the Sahara Desert with hidden oases,
- picturesque, old, Berber villages carved into mountains,
- and, many Roman ruins that are still being excavated.
And the cool thing is… ALL of these places are within a single day’s drive of each other.
It’s true that buses, trains, and louages can get you anywhere you want to go in the country. But, while these methods of transportation are cheap, adventurous, and a good experience, they’re not nearly as fast as having your own vehicle.
On top of that, hiring a car in Tunisia costs about the same as in Europe in the US, and it’s pretty much just as easy.
Of course, like every experience in Tunisia, there are a handful of unwritten rules, which, if you know about them beforehand, can make your experience much more pleasant.
Andy and I have lived in Tunisia for years, and I (Abi) have rented a car here twice. In this post I’ll draw on our experiences and turn those unwritten rules into written tips. Enjoy!
The Short Answer to… How Do I Hire a Car in Tunisia?
You can easily rent a car from the airport or various other locations in Tunisia. You can also rent online or at their business location.
I (Abi) have rented a car twice in Tunisia. I rented from a local car rental store in downtown Sfax. I also rented from a company that brought the car to the airport, and I picked it up from that location. Both times the experience was easy and the workers in the car rental companies were accommodating.
Read further to know more about the logistics of renting a car, and to get my take on the pros and cons are of choosing this method of transportation on your trip to Tunisia.
Renting from Tunis-Carthage Airport
The most convenient rental option is renting from the airport when you arrive. It is easy to find the car rental booths close to the exit of the arrival section of the airport.
There are two options for renting from the airport. You can walk up to one of these booths and rent a car the day you arrive, or you can reserve a vehicle online before arrival.
1. Rent In Person at the Airport
The rental companies are on the bottom floor of the airport in the arrivals area. There are many rental car agency booths where you can rent a car the day of your arrival.
Here you will have options, so you can be selective and choose a company that has employees who speak English.
2. Rent Online & Pick Up at the Airport
You can rent from an agency that has their own business location at the airport. Here are just some of them:
- www.booking.com
- www.Sixt.global
- www.Avis.com
- www.europcar.com
- www.hertz.com
- https://location-voiture-tunisie.com.tn (this site is not in English)
You can also rent from companies that do NOT have a location at the airport by planning a “meet-and-greet.”
With the “meet and greet” option, you reserve your car online and provide your flight information. Then someone from that company will be waiting for you after you exit the baggage claim area.
You might choose this meet and greet option if you want to shop around with rental agencies throughout Tunis. This way you’re not limited to the few that have locations at the airport.
I’ve found that the meet-and-greet options are slightly cheaper than the on-location options.
There are many positives to renting online. The biggest reason, I think, would be peace of mind. You know that your car is reserved and waiting for you.
With the online option, you can also check the availability of cars with an automatic transmission. If you have any specific requests for size of vehicle or accessories, then renting online and communicating with the company ahead of time is a great option.
Hire From a Place Near Your Hotel
There are many car-rental shops throughout the big cities in Tunisia. So, one strategy would be to arrive in Tunisia without a car reservation, grab a taxi to your hotel or Airbnb, then get a rental car nearby.
The best thing about this option is the price. It will be much cheaper to rent from a neighborhood car rental company than from one in the airport.
The downsides to this option are the language barriers and lack of options. If you do not know how to drive a manual car, you will not want to go this route!
I would also be cautious about checking out the quality of vehicles before you rent them.
How I Would Go About Renting from a Small Agency
One caveat to the strategy of renting from a small agency near your hotel is that it works well in the big cities, but may not work well if you’re going to a smaller town.
I tried searching for car rental places near Raf Raf, which is a beach town in northeast Tunisia. Here are the only results that came up…
As you can see, there is one place called Top Fast that’s in the actual town of Raf Raf. It looks like a real place with a small office, but they don’t have a website. I’d be surprised if they had a great selection of cars. If they’re the only place in town, they may be able to overcharge you.
There are two other agencies in Ras Jebel, a town 20 minute away. One of these places has a Facebook page, but they don’t show the cars that are available to rent.
It may be that you find a great car for yourself at a great price from one of these 3 places. But of course, it is Tunisia we’re talking about. You just never know. You might end up disappointed with the selection or the experience.
Moral of the story: You can rent from a small agency in your neighborhood, but to be safe, you’ll want to do your own research ahead of time.
Extra Options for Your Rental Car
Many of the car rental places allow for a second driver, free of charge, but you will want to ask for this option.
Car seats are also available by request.
There are also luggage racks sometimes available for an extra fee.
I’ve seen GPS systems available for an extra fee. For navigation, though, I would suggest popping in a Tunisian sim card and using your phone as your GPS system instead.
Types of Cars Available for Rent
If you are renting online, you can easily compare types of vehicles and also price differences. If you need an automatic transmission, you will have to be willing to pay extra for it. The large majority of cars in Tunisia are manual transmission vehicles.
Documentation You Need While You Drive
As is the case anywhere, you have to keep certain documentation with you when driving a rental car. Make sure you have the essentials with you, even if the rental agent doesn’t remind you.
Rental Agreement
You will fill out a rental agreement the day you rent the vehicle. They will give you a copy of this that you will want to carry with you in the vehicle whenever you drive.
There often are traffic police check points. They routinely pull cars over to check the validity of their documents. You will want to always travel with your rental agreement. This will be the most important document they want to see.
Passport
The rental company will keep a copy of your passport for their records. So it may be helpful to already have a copy of your passport on hand at the time of the rental.
You will want to have your actual passport with you whenever you drive the vehicle too. At routine traffic stops, they will want to see your passport along with the rental agreement.
Oftentimes, when I get stopped at a routine traffic stop, I would not be asked for my Passport instead of my Driver’s License.
Driver’s License
In Tunisia, you can legally drive with a valid Driver’s License from your country of residency. The rental company will want to photocopy of this when you rent your vehicle.
The word for Driver’s License in Tunisia is “permit,” which sounds like “per-mee” with a French accent.
An American Driver’s License does not clearly indicate to a Tunisian traffic police what it is. I’ve shown it to police officers before during routine checks, and I had to explain exactly what I was showing them. It looks closer to an identity card here than a permit to drive.
International Driver’s Permit (Optional)
Another helpful document to have when driving internationally is an International Driver’s Permit or IDP. This is just a document saying that your Driver’s License is valid.
An IDP costs $20 to buy in the United States and can be bought at any AAA office. You can get it from AAA by mail.
The IDP is not necessary in Tunisia. I’ve driven here for years and rented cars with just my Driver’s License and passport and these seem to suffice for the authorities here.
Credit Card
You will also need a credit card when renting from any company in Tunisia.
When I rented cars here, the companies put a large hold on my credit card while I had the vehicle. This deposit money was returned to me not too long after I returned the vehicle.
I was nervous for a while that I might get scammed and not see the return, but in the end, it was all okay and I had been afraid for no reason.
What to Know About Driving a Rental Car in Tunisia
The renting process in Tunisia is going to be similar to your renting experience in your home country.
Once you get behind the wheel, though, you may be in for a load of new experiences!
How Tunisians Drive
If you’ve done any searching online about how Tunisians drive, you may have seen people say things like “they don’t follow any traffic rules” or “the roads are chaotic.” Well, these statements are pretty much true.
To be sure, Tunisians are not the worst drivers in the world. But they’re far from the best. If you’ve only driven in the US or the UK before and you’re going to rent a car in Tunisia, be prepared to take your time and adjust to a steep learning curve.
Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death among Tunisians. In 2018 there were 1,208 deaths and 8,869 injuries on the road. That’s more than 3 deaths every day of the year. Can you imagine what it would be like if 3 people died from terrorism every day in Tunisia? There’s no need to live in fear, but a healthy dose of realism and caution are warranted when you take to the open road in Tunisia.
There are a lot of important tips we give to friends who are learning to drive in Tunisia, and we’ve complied them in this post: 19 Tips for Driving in Tunisia.
In case you don’t read that post, I’ll leave you with this one important word of caution: WATCH OUT FOR PEDESTRIANS. Pedestrians are everywhere, at every time of the day and night.
Tunisian drivers can read the body language of pedestrians. Drivers can tell when pedestrians are going to cross the street, and they know when they need to slow down. As a tourist, you are NOT in tune with these subtle, non-verbal cues. Just accept that you need to be extra cautious.
Filling Up at Gas Stations
Unlike in America, the gas stations in Tunisia all have attendants that pump gas for you. As long as you are ready to tell them how much and what kind of gas you want, it is a painless experience.
The only really important thing to prepare for in filling up your gas tank is learning ahead of time what kind of gas you need. If you’re not a car person and can’t readily distinguish a diesel vs gasoline engine, remember to ask your car rental company ahead of time what kind of gas your car takes.
Gas station attendants do not speak English. Most of the lingo you need to use at the gas station is in French.
The gas station attendant will wait for you to tell him how much money’s worth of gas you want to put in the car. He will not assume that you want a full tank. If you only want a certain amount, tell the attendant how much. If you want a full tank, use the French word “plein” which is pronounced “pleh”.
You CAN use credit and debit cards at most gas stations. However, they usually only have one or two card readers that all of the gas station attendants share. If you’re going to use a card, it’s a good idea to ask before they start pumping gas.
If you want to withdraw cash, see our post on using ATM’s.
Paying Tolls
A lot of the highways in Tunisia are toll roads. You will need to pay with cash at toll booths.
If you are nervous about using Tunisian currency, check out our posts about that topic:
Random Security Checkpoints
In America, police are supposed to have a reason for stopping you while driving. In Tunisia, that is not the case.
There are many police check points that stop cars at random. They are usually set up in or around a traffic circle.
The police that oversee these traffic stops are actually the national guard. They wear dark colored uniforms and often carry rifles.
There is no reason to be alarmed if you get stopped, even if they stop you at night. All of our interactions with them are pleasant. Be prepared to show them your documents listed above.
Pros and Cons and Renting a Car
Our family likes to tackle financial decisions with a good old-fashioned pros and cons list. If we were traveling to Tunisia for the first time, this is the kind of info we would want to know. So here you go!
| Pros | Cons |
| FREEDOM!!! | Cost is higher than public transportation |
| Don’t have to wait for unreliable public transportation | Driving conditions in Tunisia are not for the faint of heart |
| Explore beyond the major tourist sites | Often only manual transmission is available |
| Can go out at odd hours of the night or for emergencies if needed. | Less of an immersive cultural experience with Tunisians |
Conclusion
So, there you have our tips for taking on the open road with a hired car in Tunisia!
Again, these are the tips we share with friends who are coming to visit Tunisia and are deciding how they are going to get around.
Best wishes to you as you map our your trip and how you will take on this awesome country!
