Fun, sea and vibrant history with a Tunisia holiday

To the south of the Mediterranean sea is where a Tunisia holiday shall take you. Once there, there is no doubt that you will almost immediately be captivated by it’s eclectic history and culture.

Being mainly an Islamic country, as well as having large Jewish, Christian and Catholic communities, religious festivals can have a certain ubiquitous presence. One of the most significant of these is Ramadan, and when the fasting is finally over there is celebration on a huge scale that is impossible to ignore.

With a history strongly influenced by previous French, Roman and Arabian occupations, the country is crawling with monuments and archeological sites that will undoubtedly enthrall even those without a cultural bone in their body. However, those searching for less adventurous activities will certainly find them amongst Tunisia’s many soft, sandy beaches that line the coast.

Whatever your preferred flavor of culture, there will be no shortage of it with a Tunisia holiday.

Currency

The unit of currency is the Tunisian dinar (TND), divided into 1,000 millimes.  Travellers cheques are widely accepted.  ATMs are found in most towns and at all the tourist resorts, almost all will accept Visa cards and many will also accept Maestro debit cards. Visa, Diners Club, American Express and MasterCard are accepted for payment in souvenir shops, upmarket hotels and restaurants, although Visa encounters the least problems.  All Tunisian currency must be exchanged before departure.

Time

Local time is GMT +1
(GMT +2 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October).

Language

The overwhelming majority speak Arabic and French.  English is taught in all schools and is increasingly spoken especially by younger people.  Some German and Italian is also spoken.

Electricty

Electrical current is 230 volts, 50Hz.  
Round European-style, two-pin plugs are used.

Tunisia Climate

Tunisia weather varies according to the region, with cooler weather in the mountains and hotter, drier weather in the southern areas that border the Sahara.  However, most visitors to Tunisia will be principally interested in the weather in Tunisia beach resorts, which is warm and reliably sunny: ideal for relaxing family beach holidays, watersports, romantic evenings and occasional excursions.

When planning holidays in Tunisia beach resorts it is more useful to think of Mediterranean weather rather than African weather. Tunisia summer weather in all the popular resorts like Hammamet and Gammarth is hot and exceptionally sunny without being oppressive. Tunisia temperatures can go high in peak summer, but even in August the Tunisia coast enjoys a very pleasant average high of 33º. And most coast resorts receive welcome breezes ideal for watersports and sailing. Cheap Tunisia holidays in May, June, September or October will enjoy very pleasant temperatures in the mid 20ºs. Tunisia summer temperatures are higher inland so take plenty of sun protection on trips to the desert and ancient sites. The desert south can be very hot indeed in peak summer but most desert excursions are quite short and humidity is lower.

Tipping

Tipping is not a requirement but appreciated for good service in local establishments. Most people performing a useful service will wait to be tipped. Waiters in resort and hotel restaurants expect a tip of around 10%.

Communications

The international dialling code for Tunisia is +216.  The outgoing international code is 00, followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom).