# Touring Tunisia



## OurTour (Nov 29, 2011)

Hi

We're working our way down Italy with Christmas and New Year planned in Sicily. In January we're hoping to catch the ferry from Sicily over to Tunisia to tour around for a couple of months and visit my Grandfathers war grave which is just outside Tunis.

We have our dog Charlie with us and are travelling in a Hymer B544 which has 19 years of experience! 

If you have any hints/tips/advice/suggestions on places to visit, things to do and the practicalities I'd really appreciate them as a lot of the stuff I'm finding on the web is quite a few years old.

Cheers

Julie


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Julie,

I would PM Helen and David (hmh), they visited in 2010.

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-806997.html#806997

Pete


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## OurTour (Nov 29, 2011)

Thanks Pete

Just had a look at the link and they've put loads of interesting info on there. I'll check out their site and drop them a message.

We're in Sicily now, so just working out the best ferry options with our pampered pooch - he doesn't do kennels!!

Have a great Christmas and thanks for your help.

Julie


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## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

*Touring Tunisia Forum*

Hi again,

A couple of other recommendations, from our trip in 2010:

Lac d'Ichkeul, a nature reserve in the North is a really lovely place, lots of wildlife, they let us stay overnight, well worth the detour.

El Djem is famous for its Coliseum, but don't miss the mosaics in the museum, the other side of town . . . better than those in the museum in Tunis, though that is worth a visit too.

The agents D'Allessandro in the port at La Goulette were very helpful when we bought our ticket to return to Italy, at the end of our stay in Tunisia.
Basically, we bought a ticket La Goulette to Palermo, but when we were heading for the port our bed, above the cab, broke a bolt and half-collapsed on top of the passenger seat !

We got on the ferry anyway, but there had been bad weather, the boat was delayed, they had to wait so long to get us on board that the dock crew went off shift (at 4 am ! ) and we woke up next morning on board the boat to find we had not moved at all !

By then we were regretting leaving Tunisia, where we felt safe and at home, and heading for Palermo, Sicily, where we had never been, and needing a hotel w/ safe parking for the van, and the means to repair the bed . . .

We therefore asked if we could get off the boat again, and because all the Tunisian drivers had overtaken us as we were boarding, we were nearly the last ones on, and were allowed to drive off again.

I tell you, we were so happy, we went and bought a spit-roasted chicken in the supermarket in Carthage and parked on a bit of rough ground by the port, having lunch in the sun !

We then went back to d'Allessandro, the ferry agent, and told them we needed a new ticket, in a week's time, and for Genoa instead of Palermo, as we would have lost a week, so would skip seeing Sicily for that trip. They kindly counted the old ticket as part payment of the new one, even though we had slept on the ferry overnight !

Then we found ourselves a nice, reasonably priced hotel in Carthage, (Hotel Residence Carthage, if you ever need one ), and the owner directed us to some back-street welders, David bought some bolts, and finally mended the bed.

Sorry that was a bit of a long story . . . !

Helen


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## OurTour (Nov 29, 2011)

Thanks Helen

I've jotted those down. Funny you wanted to stay in Tunisia, we feel safe here in Sicily and are nervously excited about Tunisia.

Off to motorhome dealer in Palermo tomorrow for a couple of bits - it's opposite a sosta so if you're ever stuck again there is refuge over here!

Ferry is on Saturday, sadly excited about being in a cabin (no on board camping at the moment and didn't want pampered pooch to have to go into the kennels - he is spoilt).

Julie


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## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

*Touring Tunisia Forum*

Carthage is a good place to start, the 3 towns in a line, La Goulette, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, (from memory, and without a map, hope I have the names right !) are just one long street, they run into each other, but if you look for a small brown sign on the right, brown lettering on cream, to Les Ports Puniques, follow that through some streets and find two small lakes, there is a tiny Oceanographic museum between the two, and its carpark is an excellent place to park up, though very small.

If you have bikes you can then explore, not far away are a Post Office, gendarmerie or "surete", Internet point, and a supermarket the other side of the main street, as well as bakers, greengrocers etc The "surete" is somewhere else where we saw campervans parked.

Back towards La Goulette there are other bakers butchers etc etc. It is a wealthy suburb, with villas, mature trees, the two lakes, and lots of museums scattered in amongst it all. Well worth spending a week there, and visiting it all, and getting the hang of life in Tunisia before you try to go further afield.

You can see the presidential palace on the hill from the lake, who is in there now, and how it has changed, we wouldn't know, but met some French in Sicily who had been there at the time of the Arab Spring uprising, and the locals were lovely to them, said, You don't need to leave, we'll make sure you are safe etc. 
Have fun !

Helen and David


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