Tunis - Any information please

[mho]

We are going to Tunis on Brilliance of the Seas in June but am finding it difficult to get much information. Is it easy to get from the port to the city, can you get taxis or do you have to go on ships excursion. Any info re Tunis would be great, thanks.

[Benita]

Tunis has a fabulous museum - the Bardo. You can take a taxi to it. Try to time it so you will not be there the same time as the ship's excursion - gets way too crowded. You can also visit Carthage - great history, but very little left to see.

[rsquare]

Benita is absolutely right about the Bardo. It's a couple of floors (no elevator) so you could probably stay ahead of or fall behind any tour groups going through. I believe that they only take Tunisian currency to get in, which you can buy at the place where they stamp your passport, by the dock. Bardo would be a longish cab ride, as the ship will dock in La Goulette and you have to go across a lake on a causeway to get into Tunis proper, and the Bardo is clear across Tunis; fascinating ride, though, you'll see how people live in what seems to be a fairly prosperous third world country. Incidentally, French will be helpful, but don't expect much English outside of places that cater to tourists.

 

Most useful guidebook that I found is the Blue Guide to Tunisia; pretty much the only detailed maps of Tunis and of Carthage that I was able to find. Most libraries have it, and I just copied the Tunis chapter and took it with me.

[sr4mjc]

We're on the Splendour out of Venice in November and stop in Tunis and Casablanca. The cdc website recommends Hep A &B and Typhoid, but is it really necessary for one day stops at these ports? We'll also be stopping at Dubronik, Santorini, Malaga and ending in Lisbon.

 

Thanks!

[aujimw]

My wife and I are on your cruise with you and (while I'm not too concerned with the vaccinations) I'm eyeing this thread with some interest. We'd really like to make it to the Bardo and the American Cemetery (in addition to seeing Carthage and the Medina and Souks) in our one day in Tunis.

 

We're on the Splendour out of Venice in November and stop in Tunis and Casablanca. The cdc website recommends Hep A &B and Typhoid, but is it really necessary for one day stops at these ports? We'll also be stopping at Dubronik, Santorini, Malaga and ending in Lisbon.

 

Thanks!

[banditoo]

As a nurse and also as one who loves to travel or even eat out locally in our very civilized part of the world, I would really recommend everyone to get the hep A & B immunizations. You can pick up Hepatitis from drinking water or ice cubes or even from eating in a restaurant where hand washing or sanitation has not been up to standard. It is becoming more of a standard immunization for everyone even without traveling. If you can avoid the ravages of Hepatitis or even the risk of it, I say be safe and go for it!

[larinconada123]

My wife and I are on your cruise with you and (while I'm not too concerned with the vaccinations) I'm eyeing this thread with some interest. We'd really like to make it to the Bardo and the American Cemetery (in addition to seeing Carthage and the Medina and Souks) in our one day in Tunis.

Hi AU. We stopped at La Goulette last November and went on a private tour with another couple to the Bardo, the Souk El-Bey, the American Cemetery, Carthage and Sidi Bou. Like most American Battlefield monuments on foreign soil this eternal resting place is beautiful and sober and we were honored to pay our respects. It is just a few clicks from Carthage which is sort of a must see, but a must see of virtually nothing. Sidi Bou is a charming little tourist city on the water. The most impressive things are the Bardo Museum and the Souk. The Souk was very interesting and shows the modernity of Tunis over, say, Cairo. But the big prize, whether you are a museum goer or not, is the Bardo Museum. The mosaics are awesome and you can visit it in a short time.

 

We did all the sites mentioned above, had a quiet lunch in Sidi Bou and were back to the ship by 3:00 PM. Tunis is only about 8 KM from the port and you can easily get around. We used the services of Chris from Malta Tours (we used their services in Malta as well) and they were great.

 

French does come in handy but anyone that wants to sell you anything will speak English.

 

Tunis is great fun. Have a great time!

 

Larinconada

[aujimw]

My wife and I are on your cruise with you and (while I'm not too concerned with the vaccinations) I'm eyeing this thread with some interest. We'd really like to make it to the Bardo and the American Cemetery (in addition to seeing Carthage and the Medina and Souks) in our one day in Tunis.

Hi AU. We stopped at La Goulette last November and went on a private tour with another couple to the Bardo, the Souk El-Bey, the American Cemetery, Carthage and Sidi Bou. Like most American Battlefield monuments on foreign soil this eternal resting place is beautiful and sober and we were honored to pay our respects. It is just a few clicks from Carthage which is sort of a must see, but a must see of virtually nothing. Sidi Bou is a charming little tourist city on the water. The most impressive things are the Bardo Museum and the Souk. The Souk was very interesting and shows the modernity of Tunis over, say, Cairo. But the big prize, whether you are a museum goer or not, is the Bardo Museum. The mosaics are awesome and you can visit it in a short time.

 

We did all the sites mentioned above, had a quiet lunch in Sidi Bou and were back to the ship by 3:00 PM. Tunis is only about 8 KM from the port and you can easily get around. We used the services of Chris from Malta Tours (we used their services in Malta as well) and they were great.

 

French does come in handy but anyone that wants to sell you anything will speak English.

 

Tunis is great fun. Have a great time!

 

Larinconada

 

 

Thanks for the info. Any way I could get some contact info from you for Malta Tours? Thanks.

[larinconada123]

Chris' email address is: csheridan@onvol.net

 

You can make arrangements through email. He came highly recommended on cruisecritc.com and we were glad we used his company. We did pay a fee up front to secure his tours---they don't allow anyone in Tunisia to take your money---but it was non-refundable if the ship didn't make the stop, etc. Good reputation and it was very reasonable as we took the private tour with another couple.

 

Enjoy! And let me know if you have any other questions.

Larinconada

[NautiqueBelle]

Chris' email address is: csheridan@onvol.net

 

You can make arrangements through email. He came highly recommended on cruisecritc.com and we were glad we used his company. We did pay a fee up front to secure his tours---they don't allow anyone in Tunisia to take your money---but it was non-refundable if the ship didn't make the stop, etc. Good reputation and it was very reasonable as we took the private tour with another couple.

 

Enjoy! And let me know if you have any other questions.

Larinconada

 

I hope you won't mind answering a few more questions. My husband really wants to visit the American Cemetery and none of the ship's tours go there.

1. Do you think if there is a ship's tour stop in Carthage that one could easily walk over to the American Cemetery?

 

2. Do you recall the cost of your private excursion with Chris? What type vehicle did he use and was it air-conditioned?

 

3. Did you use the local currency (TND) at shops/restaurants? If so, did you get the TND onboard the ship? How much would you recommend having for the day?

 

Thank you for your sharing your day in Tunisia with us! :)

[larinconada123]

hope you won't mind answering a few more questions. My husband really wants to visit the American Cemetery and none of the ship's tours go there.

1. Do you think if there is a ship's tour stop in Carthage that one could easily walk over to the American Cemetery?

 

2. Do you recall the cost of your private excursion with Chris? What type vehicle did he use and was it air-conditioned?

 

3. Did you use the local currency (TND) at shops/restaurants? If so, did you get the TND onboard the ship? How much would you recommend having for the day?

 

Thank you for your sharing your day in Tunisia with us! :) __________________

Belle

[NautiqueBelle]

larinconada123: Your post did not make it all the way through. All that posted was my original questions. I hope you'll come back with the answers again. Thanks.

[kihei228]

Oops! computer glitch. Sorry.

 

We did stop and get local currency for the museums, etc. I think I exchanged about 100 bucks (US) worth and came back with some extra Tunisian money.

 

We did send a deposit to Chris before we left. We felt his reputation was worth it and we were not disappointed. If the ship misses the port or there is some other glitch the deposit is refundable.The deposit was for the Malta tour and then we paid him in Malta for the Tunis trip a few days later. We had a very roomy van with excellent airconditioning with a guide and driver. I think the cost was about 115 US dollars per person. It was my wife and I and another couple. The rule of thumb is that you can geberally arrange a private tour for the same price as going on the ship's 'cattle car' tour. You have so much more flexibility and control over your time.

 

It is way too far to walk from the Allied Cemetery to Carthage.

 

The stop in La Goulette is one that you leave with the feeling you've really been someplace different. You'll have a great time.

 

If there is anything else I'd be glad to try and answer. As we look over our cruise itineraries we decide where we want to take full day tours (for us a full day is about 6 hours) and where we will make shorter visits. Tunis is a must for a full day.

 

Have a great trip.

Larinconada

[larinconada123]

I went back and checked my notes: it was 470 Euros for the for of us, or about 118 euros each. The cost is the same for 4 people or 6 people, so you could reduce the cost by adding two more people which we did not.

 

Here is the original e-mail from Chris:

 

Subject:

Tunisia Tour Confirmation (amended)From:

"Chris | Malta Travel Websites" <csheridan@onvol.net>Date:

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 10:49:55 +0200

Tunisia Tour Booking Confirmation

by tourinmed.com, a Malta TravelNet Group Website

 

Your booking has been confirmed for the following:

 

Ocenia Insignia

 

6/8hr Private Tour, for 4 passengers (2 additional seats available), starting at 0900hrs, on November 21st, 2007

Deposit Paid EUR150.00 (plus 3.5% ccard/admin fee)

Balance Due EUR320.00

The balance is paid in Malta as you are visiting this port first. You may prefer to pay in EUR or USD currency to avoid the additional credit card charges

 

 

 

Your itinerary includes the following:

Ancient Carthage

Bardo Museum

American Cemetry/Monument

Sidi Bou Said

 

Kindly check the details above and contact us if you find any discrepancies.

The above price does not include entrance fees into shows and museums.

Meeting Point

From your cruise ship. Every effort is made to have guide and transport by the ship as you disembark, however Tunisian authorities do not always allow this. If you do not see your driver as you disembark, make your way to the cruise terminal building which is located approx. 200 metres away and you will find your guide waiting for you there. Look out for your name on a hand held board. On the rare occasion the guide may be slightly delayed due to unforseen circumstances, do not move from the disembarkation point. The full duratoin of tour will be given to you.

From your hotel. Kindly wait in the lobby area 10 minutes before the time displayed above.

Your tour has been booked by our local agents JAC Travel and is operated by DELTA TOURS, Hammamet. Your contact in Tunisia is Mr BETTAIEB and you need to contact him please do not not hesitate to do so on Tel: + (216) 72 271077 or 72 271177 or 22308977.

 

We hope your visit to Malta is a memorable one.

Best Regards

Chris Sheridan

[NautiqueBelle]

larinconada123 (kihei228) Thank you so much for answering the questions. Great information. I will keep your information handy and will use when making plans for Tunis.