Louage, train or bus: how to get around Tunisia

Getting around Tunisia works best with three kinds of transportation. SNCFT trains are the easiest option along the Tunis, Sousse, Sfax and Gabès corridor. The louage, a shared minibus that leaves when it is full, reaches almost every other town. For Djerba or Tozeur, flying saves you a day.

SNTRI buses fill the gaps, for example to Kairouan, which has no train station. One rule applies to all of them: travel by day. This guide tells you where to catch each one in Tunis, how long trips take, what a taxi costs and which regions to avoid.

The louage, the most flexible way of getting around Tunisia

The louage is how Tunisians travel. The French foreign ministry describes it as a shared taxi with room for luggage that “only leaves when it is full” (our translation). So there is no timetable: you wait for it to fill up.

France Diplomatie mentions vehicles for 5 or 6 people. On the main routes, they are now mostly minibuses with about eight seats, according to Wikivoyage and a traveler's account from 2022. The same ministry gives a useful tip: vehicles with blue stripes serve nearby towns, those with red stripes cover long distances.

Louage stations in Tunis

Tunis has several stations, depending on the direction. The two most useful for travelers:

• Moncef Bey, where louages for Sousse, among others, leave from. The traveler behind the blog Claire's Footsteps found dozens of minibuses there and signs in Arabic and French. Her louage to Sousse left about 15 minutes after she arrived.
• Bab Saadoun, at the northern gate of the old city. This gate “opens onto the roads to Bizerte and Beja” (our translation), writes the Tunisian outlet Webdo, and the bus and louage station is close by.

Ask your hotel which station serves your destination. Once there, staff will point you to the right vehicle.

What a seat costs

Fares are set by the authorities, per kilometer. The latest scale we found dates from December 2022, according to Kapitalis:

Distance	Fare (December 2022)	With air conditioning
Up to 10 km	850 millimes	15% more
10 to 150 km	86 millimes per km	15% more
Over 150 km	71 millimes per km	12% more

In October 2022, Claire paid 12 dinars from Tunis to Sousse, a trip of under two hours. Depending on the station, you pay at a ticket window or directly to the driver, in cash. Check the posted price or ask before you get in.

SNCFT trains: Tunis, Sousse, Sfax and Gabès

The Tunisian national railway company (SNCFT) runs about 2,000 km of track. The French foreign ministry sums up the experience well:

Trains are rather slow, but cheap and punctual.

The SNCFT website publishes winter 2026-2027 timetables for five main lines from Tunis:

1. Tunis, Sousse, Sfax, Gabès, then Gafsa, Métlaoui and Tozeur;
2. Tunis, Béja, Jendouba, Ghardimaou, extended to Annaba in Algeria;
3. Tunis, Mateur, Bizerte;
4. Tunis, Gaâfour, Dahmani, Le Kef, Kalâa Khasba;
5. Tunis, Nabeul.

Tunis station is near Place de Barcelone, which several light metro lines also serve, according to Wikivoyage.

Journey times

The rail guide Seat61, updated in June 2026, lists the following times. The first train leaves Tunis at 6:05 a.m. It reaches Sousse at 8:28 a.m., Sfax at 10:36 a.m. and Gabès at 1:04 p.m. That means about 2 h 20 to Sousse, 4 h 30 to Sfax and 7 hours to Gabès.

A night train leaves Tunis at 9:15 p.m. and reaches Gabès at 4:22 a.m. It has seats only, no sleeping berths. For Métlaoui, the 9:50 a.m. train arrives at 6:27 p.m. Tunis to Bizerte takes 2 h 50, in second class only. Seat61 reports several trains a day to Ghardimaou.

These times can change. Check them on the SNCFT website, which also offers real-time train tracking.

Classes, tickets and fares

Most trains have first and second class, and they are air-conditioned. The former “Grand Confort” class, with 2+1 seating, is now sold as first class. The newer railcars have a single class.

You buy tickets at the station. According to Seat61, sales open only three days before departure and SNCFT does not sell online. A reseller, Bookaway, offers tickets between the main stations (Tunis, Sousse, Sfax, Gabès).

SNCFT no longer publishes its fares. Seat61 gives indicative prices that may be out of date: 7.6 dinars in second class and 10.3 in first for Tunis to Sousse, 18.2 and 24.6 dinars for Tunis to Gabès. Children under 4 travel free.

The Sahel metro and the TGM, the suburban trains

Sousse, Monastir and Mahdia

For getting around Tunisia on the Sahel coast, the Sahel metro is ideal. It is an SNCFT electric train line between Sousse and Mahdia that serves Monastir airport (Aéroport Skanès-Monastir station).

These figures come from Wikipedia. Allow about 30 minutes from Sousse to Monastir.

Trains run about every 30 to 40 minutes depending on the source, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mind the station: in Sousse, the metro leaves from Sousse Bab Jedid, about 1 km on foot from the main station, Sousse Ville.

The TGM and the Tunis light metro

The TGM links Tunis Marine station to La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Saïd and La Marsa. Seat61 reports frequent departures from 4 a.m. to 12:50 a.m. It is the easiest way to visit Carthage from Tunis.

In the city, the Transtu company runs the light metro, a kind of tramway, and the city buses.

SNTRI buses for towns without a station

The national intercity transport company (SNTRI) links the main cities by coach. France Diplomatie notes that bus companies serve even “the most remote towns” (our translation). In Tunis, SNTRI has two bus stations: Bab Alioua and Bab Saadoun.

Kairouan, for example, has no train station. According to Seat61, an SNTRI bus leaves Tunis about every hour, for a 2 h 15 trip. From Sousse, it takes about 1 h 30, and louages leave about every 30 minutes.

Since May 2026, you can pay for SNTRI tickets by bank card at Bab Alioua, Bab Saadoun and a few agencies, including Tozeur and Djerba, according to the magazine Managers.

Since March 2026, SNTRI has also linked Tunis to Algeria with the Algerian company ETUSA. The bus to Algiers leaves Bab Alioua on Thursdays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. The bus to Annaba leaves Bab Saadoun Thursday through Sunday at 7 a.m. Entry requirements for Algeria depend on your nationality.

Yellow taxis and apps in town

Yellow taxis are plentiful. You hail them on the street. The Government of Canada notes that they generally accept cash only, and that few have working seat belts. Ride-hailing apps exist, but fares there are usually higher.

The meter starts at 0.9 dinar, then adds 46 millimes every 79 meters, or about 0.58 dinar per kilometer. According to Business News, this fare had not changed since 2022 as of November 3, 2026. Drivers are asking for a 1.7-dinar flag fall, but no decision has been made.

The 2022 fare scale published by Kapitalis also sets two surcharges:

• at night, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., fares go up 50%;
• at the airport, the meter starts at 4.5 dinars.

For cash, read our guide to paying in euros or by card in Tunisia: taxis and louages are almost always paid in cash.

Renting a car and driving in Tunisia

A car gives you real freedom, especially for the south and smaller sites. The license you need depends on the country that issued it. Canada says you can drive with a Canadian license, and should also carry an International Driving Permit. The United Kingdom asks its nationals for a 1968 International Driving Permit, valid for one year in Tunisia. Bring your national license and an International Driving Permit, and check with the rental company.

According to France Diplomatie, the speed limit is 110 km/h on highways, 90 km/h on the rest of the network and 70 km/h on Djerba. After an accident, leaving the scene is an offense and you must fill in an accident report with the other driver. After a fatal accident, the driver is taken into police custody.

The UK government lists the hazards on the road. Potholes appear after heavy rain. Many villages have unmarked speed bumps. At roundabouts and traffic lights, right of way is not always respected, especially at night.

You will come across police or military checkpoints: approach slowly and have your papers ready. Canada adds that rental cars are often stopped for checks.

Flying to Djerba and Tozeur

For the south, flying saves a lot of time. France Diplomatie even advises travelers to “favor air travel” (our translation) to reach the tourist areas of the southwest, such as Tozeur.

Tunisair Express operates domestic flights. According to the schedules listed by Flightmapper in November 2026:

• Tunis to Djerba: about 1 hour in the air, with three daily flights on the schedule;
• Tunis to Tozeur: 1 h 10 in the air, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays since October 2026.

Check the schedule with the airline when you book.

Getting around Tunisia: main routes compared

To make getting around Tunisia easier, here are the journey times and prices we could verify. No source, no price.

Route	Transportation	Time	Indicative price	Comfort
Tunis to Sousse	Train	about 2 h 20	7.6 to 10.3 DT (Seat61, may be out of date)	Air-conditioned, two classes
Tunis to Sousse	Louage	under 2 h	12 DT in 2022	Full minibus, no timetable
Tunis to Sfax	Train	about 4 h 30	not found	Air-conditioned, two classes
Tunis to Gabès	Train	about 7 h	18.2 to 24.6 DT (Seat61, may be out of date)	Seats only at night
Tunis to Kairouan	SNTRI bus	2 h 15	not found	Intercity coach
Sousse to Monastir	Sahel metro	30 min	not found	Suburban train
Sousse to Mahdia	Sahel metro	1 h 30	not found	Suburban train
Tunis to Bizerte	Train	2 h 50	not found	Second class only
Tunis to Métlaoui	Train	about 8 h 40	not found	Air-conditioned, two classes
Tunis to Djerba	Plane	1 h	not found	Tunisair Express flight
Tunis to Tozeur	Plane	1 h 10	not found	Tunisair Express flight

Sources: Seat61 (June 2026), Wikipedia, Claire's Footsteps (2022), Flightmapper (November 2026). Check the schedule before you travel.

Safety: regions to avoid and official advice

Most travelers' routes stay within areas under heightened vigilance: Tunis, Cap Bon, the Sahel, Sfax, Djerba. Some lines do, however, come close to regions that governments advise against. When two governments disagree, we follow the more cautious advice.

France Diplomatie also advises against all but essential travel to rural areas between Kasserine, Sbeïtla, Sidi Bouzid and Gafsa away from the main roads, and to a 5 km strip along the Algerian border in the governorates of Jendouba and Le Kef. The Gafsa to Kasserine and Gafsa to Sidi Bouzid roads remain usable if you stay on them. Check your own government's travel advice too.

On transportation, the risks are mostly ordinary ones. The UK considers rail travel generally safe, but reports petty theft on trains. Canada points out that derailments and collisions happen every year. Strikes can also disrupt transportation, airports and seaports. For the details of each zone and each country's advice, read our article is Tunisia safe?.

Before you go

Write down the Tunisian emergency numbers:

First check the entry requirements for Tunisia: whether you need a visa depends on your nationality, and your passport must be valid for at least three months from your date of entry, according to France Diplomatie. Look up holidays in our Tunisia festival calendar, and find the rest of our guide on the Tunisia page.

Frequently asked questions

Can you book a train online in Tunisia?

Not on the SNCFT website, according to Seat61. You buy tickets at the ticket window, no earlier than three days before departure. The reseller Bookaway sells tickets between Tunis, Sousse, Sfax and Gabès.

Louage or train between Tunis and Sousse?

Both take about two hours. The train has fixed times, proper seats and air conditioning. The louage leaves when it is full, which can be faster if you arrive at the right moment.

How do you get from Tunis-Carthage airport to the city center?

By yellow taxi, on the meter. Under the 2022 fare scale, the meter starts at 4.5 dinars at the airport. Wikivoyage also mentions bus 635 to Tunis Marine, which runs regularly by day but not at night.

Can you get to Kairouan by train?

No, Kairouan has no train station. Take an SNTRI bus from Tunis or Sousse, or a louage from Sousse.