Buses, trains and louages can get you to every location in the country. However, despite the fact that these means of transportation are affordable, adventurous, and fun, they are not nearly as fast as driving your own vehicle.
Tunisia’s cost of car rental is similar to Europe’s, and the process is nearly identical. A few unwritten rules can make your stay in Tunisia much more enjoyable if you know about them ahead of time, just like any other experience there.
Tips for Renting a Car in Tunisia
How to Rent a Car in Tunisia?
One can easily rent a car from the airport or various other locations in Tunisia. You can also rent online or at their business location.
Read on to learn more about the logistics of hiring a car in Tunisia, as well as our thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.
Renting from an Airport
The simplest way to rent a car is to go to the airport and pick one up when you arrive. The car rental counters are conveniently located near the airport’s arrivals exit.
There are two options for renting from the airport. You can walk up to one of these booths and rent a car the day you arrive, or you can reserve a vehicle online before arrival.
Rent In Person at the Airport
The rental companies are on the bottom floor of the airport in the arrivals area. There are many rental car agency booths where you can rent a car the day of your arrival.
As a result, you’ll have a variety of options from which to choose, allowing you to narrow your search to businesses with workers fluent in English.
Rent Online & Pick Up at the Airport
You can rent from an agency that has their own business location at the airport. Here are just some of them:
- Booking.com
- Sixt.global
- Avis.com
- Europcar.com
- Hertz.com
With the “meet and greet” option, you reserve your car online and provide your flight information. Then someone from that company will be waiting for you after you exit the baggage claim area.
You might choose this meet and greet option if you want to shop around with rental agencies throughout Tunis. This way you’re not limited to the few that have locations at the airport. Meet-and-greet options are slightly more affordable than the on-location options.
There are many positives to renting online. The biggest reason, would be peace of mind. You know that your car is reserved and waiting for you.
Using the internet, you may also see if automatic-transmission cars are available. Choosing to rent online and communicate with the firm ahead of time is a wonderful alternative if you have any specific preferences regarding the size of the car or its equipment.
Rent From a Place Near Your Hotel
Tunisia’s major cities have a myriad of car rental agencies. So, if you arrive in Tunisia without a car reservation, you can take a taxi to your hotel or Airbnb, and then hire a car nearby.
With this choice, you save money. Rentals from a local car rental company will be substantially less expensive than from a company at the airport.
The downsides to this option are the language barriers and lack of options. If you do not know how to drive a manual car, you will not want to go this route!
You would also be cautious about checking out the quality of vehicles before you rent them.
Extra Options for Your Rental Car
Many of the car rental places allow for a second driver, free of charge, but you will want to ask for this option.
For an additional cost, GPS systems are available. However, for navigation, we would recommend inserting a Tunisian sim card and using your phone as a GPS system.
Types of Cars Available for Rent
When renting a car online, it’s simple to compare vehicle types and prices. You should be willing to pay an additional fee if you require an automatic transmission. Tunisia’s cars are mostly manual transmission.
Documentation You Need While You Drive
As is the case anywhere, you have to keep certain documentation with you when driving a rental car. Make sure you have the essentials with you, even if the rental agent doesn’t remind you.
Rental Agreement
On the day you rent the vehicle, you’ll sign a rental agreement. They will provide you with a copy of this document, which you should keep in your vehicle at all times.
Traffic police checkpoints are frequently set up. They routinely conduct traffic stops to verify the validity of drivers’ licenses and identification. You’ll want to keep your rental agreement on hand at all times. This is the primary document they will request to see.
Passport
For their records, the rental agency will keep a copy of your passport. Therefore, having a duplicate of your passport on hand at the time of the rental may be advantageous.
You’ll also want to keep your physical passport on hand while driving the vehicle. They will request your passport and rental agreement at normal traffic stops.
Driver’s License
In Tunisia, you can legally drive with a valid Driver’s License from your country of residency. The rental company will want to photocopy of this when you rent your vehicle.
Credit Card
Additionally, you will require a credit card to rent from any agency in Tunisia.
While you have the vehicle, the companies may place a significant hold on your credit card. This deposit money will be reimbursed to you shortly after the vehicle is returned.
What to Know About Driving a Rental Car in Tunisia
Tunisia’s rental process will be identical to that of your native country.
However, once you get behind the wheel, you may encounter plenty of unique adventures!
How Tunisians Drive
There are numerous crucial advice we advise to friends learning to drive in Tunisia, which we’ve compiled in this article: Driving in Tunisia.
Filling Up at Gas Stations
Unlike in America, Tunisia’s gas stations all have personnel who will pump your gas for you. As long as you are prepared to inform them of the quantity and type of gas you require, the experience is painless.
The only truly critical aspect of preparing for a gas fill-up is determining the type of gas you require in advance. If you’re not a car person and can’t tell the difference between a diesel and a gasoline engine, make sure to inquire ahead of time about the type of gas your car uses.
The attendants at the gas stations do not speak English. The majority of the language you’ll encounter at the gas station is in French.
The gas station attendant will wait for you to inform him of the amount of gas you wish to purchase. He will not make the assumption that you desire a full tank. If you simply require a specific amount, inform the attendant. If you’re looking for a full tank, use the French term “plein,”.
Credit and debit cards ARE ACCEPTED at the majority of gas stations. However, they often feature only one or two card readers that are shared by all gas station personnel. If you’re going to utilize a card, it’s a good idea to inquire prior to the pump starting.
If you need to withdraw cash, please visit our article on how to use ATMs in Tunisia.
Paying Tolls
A lot of the highways in Tunisia are toll roads. You will need to pay with cash at toll booths.
If you are nervous about using Tunisian currency, check out our article about that topic: Tunisia’s Currency – Tunisian Dinar
Random Security Checkpoints
In America, police officers are required to have a justification for pulling you over while you’re driving. That is not the case in Tunisia. Numerous police check points randomly stop vehicles. They are typically located within or adjacent to a traffic circle.
The police officers who conduct these traffic stops are actually members of the national guard. They are dressed in dark clothing and frequently carry guns.
There is no reason to fear being stopped, even if it occurs at night. Every interaction we have with them is good. Prepare to show them the aforementioned documents.
Useful Reads:
- Flights to Tunisia — The Complete Guide
- Planning a Trip to Tunisia — All What You Need to Know
- Local Transport in Tunisia — Public Transport in Tunisian Cities
- Traveling Around Tunisia: Transportation Tips
Conclusion
So, there you have our tips for taking on the open road with a hired car in Tunisia!
Again, these are the recommendations we share with friends who are coming to visit Tunisia and are deciding how they are going to get around.
Best wishes to you as you map our your trip and how you will take on this awesome country!
Looking for more information or got more questions? Check out our complete Tunisia travel information page to get everything answered, and more!
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