Taxi prices in Tunis

[jccruiser]

Has anyone been to Tunis (La Goulette) recently and used taxis from the port? We are looking for current cab prices for day tours.

Any information would be very useful.

Thanks:)

[jccruiser]

Just bumping this up

[KirkNC]

Tunis is the land of aggressive bargaining. There is a taxi stand inside the little terminal building where the "official" taxis must be booked. When we were there in 2010, the going rate was around 75 euros. That would go to Sidi Bu Said or the Bardo Museum and the Medina. If you walk outside the gates of the port, you will be mobbed by the "unofficial" taxis and they will be around 50 euros (by the way, I know the euro is not their currency but that was what they accepted). If going to Sidi Bu Said, you can take a tram for almost nothing, the station is right at the port but you need local currency.

[jccruiser]

Tx KirkNC

That's the first I have heard about the tram - tx

[KirkNC]

The station is on the far side of the parking lot where you dock. It is a small building with a black iron fence. It was just opening last time we were there. I "assume" the building has an attendent. If so, you can get some dinar inside the port terminal. The tram was 9 dinar I think for the three of us which I believe was about $3. The tram stops in Carthage and Sidi Bu Said.

[nikrosj]

Taxis in Tunisia are generally honest in that they put on the meter and no haggling is necessary. Taxis are plentiful and cheap. That said, however, there are two MAJOR exceptions to this "honesty" and "integrity": the Tunis-Carthage airport and the La Goulette harbor. This is multiplied tremendously on days that cruise ships arrive!

 

On a normal basis, a taxi from La Goulette area to Carthage would be a maximum of 8 Tunisian dinars, with the meter (approx. $5.50). However, that is simply transportation (taxis can hold 3 passengers). You then would have to flag taxis for each leg of where and when you wish to travel.

 

The way to really see Tunis in its fullest for the day, is with a well planned private tour, planned in advance with a tour company that really knows what they are doing...with excellent guides. Tours that concentrate on the medina and shopping are fine if that is what you want. But if you want to maximize the short time in Tunisia and really learn about the country, that is not how you will learn about the country and that is hardly a guide...but simply, a glorified carpet sales person more interested in making money on the side, then sending you off at the end of the day with a memorable trip.

 

A solid professionally planned day may cost a bit more, but the day will have far more meaning. One company that has been deeply involved with Tunisia for years is TunisUSA. With offices in the US and Tunisia, they know the country backwards and forwards and provide great programs. You can visit their website at http://www.tunisusa.com

 

Your day in Tunisia should be a highlight of your cruise. The right experience can make it so...