• About Us
  • Readers Write
  • Our People
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • Things to Do
    • Leisure
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Editors' PicksNo SugarcoatingStyle & Travel

9 Weird Tips About Traveling in Tunisia4 min read

By Saber Ben Hassen July 25, 2020
Written by Saber Ben Hassen July 25, 2020

Tunisia is definitely one of the best Mediterranean travel destinations. We have decided to gather a few weird tips just to make your trip way more interesting. These tips will help you to find your way.

Weird tips about traveling in Tunisia

Mid-Afternoon Siesta

Be aware of the siesta in mid-afternoon, especially in summer. Tunisians often close their businesses for 1–2 hours in the afternoon so they can enjoy their lunch. They will likely stay open later because of this break, but don’t expect to be able to shop or eat mid-afternoon in every city as shops and restaurants may be closed.

Police Check Points

Road rules are treated more as general suggestions. If you have a fast car, the police may pull you over if you’re not breaking the speed limit.

Related Read: Driving in Tunisia: 10 Tunisian Road Habits to Watch Out For

Police check points are everywhere in the country. They’re just making sure everything is Ok, but hey, you may even find them in the high way, under a tree, and in other places you might not find in your home country.

Learn How to Haggle

Haggling is a natural way of shopping in Tunisia. However, this may feel a bit weird and intimidating at first if you are from a culture where haggling is not the norm. The important thing to remember is that it is not a battle – it is a friendly negotiation.

Suggested Read: 20 Mistakes Foreigners Make when they Arrive in Tunisia

Especially in touristic places, the vendor is likely to quote a price that is quite high and he is expecting you to give a counter-offer that is lower. Then, you can go back and forth and reach a price that works for both of you.

Personal Space

Personal space isn’t the same as what you are used to. Pretty much like any other Mediterranean country, in Tunisia, personal space is not guaranteed. When you are using public transit or walking down the streets, you might find yourself squished and crowded much more than you are used to in your home country.

Don’t Expect Things to Happen On Time

Remember that things happen on “Tunisian Time.” Trains won’t necessarily leave when they are scheduled, Tunisian friends might not arrive when they said they would and things can take a lot longer than expected.

Related Read: 10 Very Tunisian Proverbs to Live By

Influenced by the French bureaucracy and the cozy Mediterranean culture in general, it’s important to keep this in mind and to allow extra time for delays so that you don’t get stressed out.

People Will Stare At You

Don’t get annoyed when people stare at you. This is actually your chance to feel how it is to be a celebrity. In some places; people, usually kids, will ask to take a picture with you. It’s fun, believe me!

Suggested Read: Tunisian Shall Stop Doing These 5 Things

The Sweetness of Doing Nothing

The culture is much more relaxed than in some other parts of the world. Tunisians enjoy life, family and highly appreciate the ”sweetness of doing nothing.” You can embrace that attitude and enjoy it rather than expecting things to operate the same way they do back home — wherever home may be.

Learn How to Survive Bureaucracy

If you’re ever willing to deal with a Tunisian administration — then good luck. It might be a very difficult, time-consuming, and complicated, to get just any sort of documents. You might need quite a long time to have some basic papers stamped, finger prints taken, etc. The levels of bureaucracy in Tunisia is crazy!

Suggested Read: Ten Things I learned from Living Alone in Tunis

Spending some time in the country, may then lead you to learn the fine art of dealing with bureaucracy.. “argent de poche” under the table. 🙂

How much Tunisians cut lines.

In the grocery store, in the streets, at the airport, super market, etc. If there’s a line, without a ticket number, a Tunisian will try to cut it. You can see it in their eyes when they arrive at the end of the line.

Related Read: 10 Things I Wish I Know how to Explain to Tunisians

And even with a ticket number, they’ll still try by asking permission to cut simply to ask a question. Once in though, they’re there.


If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Carthage Magazine, leave a comment below or head over to our Facebook page. You may also message us via this page.

And if you liked this article, sign up for the monthly features newsletter. A handpicked selection of stories from Carthage Magazine, delivered to your inbox.


Support Carthage Magazine
1 comment
4
FacebookTwitterEmail
Saber Ben Hassen

Founder and CEO of Carthage Magazine, Tunisia's premier English general-interest publication. Saber is an IT Professional. Author of one book and hundreds of published IT-related articles. He graduated from both Tunisia and the US. Winner of a U.S. Dept. of State funded scholarship.

previous post
Alcohol Helps Speak Foreign Languages Better, According to a Study
next post
Sami Gattoufi, Recipient of the Honorable Mention of the H. Strogatz Prize

Related Articles

Tales from the Past | Part II

June 17, 2022

Boukha: Tunisia’s “Water of Life” Fig Liquor

June 14, 2022

Entrepreneurship in the Times of Pandemic: My Boutique...

June 10, 2022

Tales from the Past

June 7, 2022

Tens of Thousands of Jews Celebrate Unusual Coexistence...

May 16, 2022

Tunisian “Gâteau Courant d’Air” – A Household Sweet...

May 9, 2022

Jaafar Guesmi, Tunisia’s Pierre Cadault?!

April 30, 2022

Here’s How To Do the Tunisian Cheek Kiss

April 25, 2022

Date & Walnut Scones — A Tunisian Twist...

April 21, 2022

The National Museum of Carthage

April 12, 2022

1 comment

Nizar August 4, 2020 - 4:35 pm

I am surprised you didn’t mention driving in Tunisia.. sometimes at the roud-abouts you either steal priorities or you will get honked like no tomorrow from the cars behind you, hence if you can drive in Tunisia you can drive anywhere

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Flavors of Tunisia

Taste-Tunisia-Tunisian-Cuisine-3

Want more top stories?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Quizzes

Quiz: How Well Do You Know African Countries...

QUIZ: Think You’re a Know-It-All? Try Naming These...

Just For You

  • 1

    Tunisia COVID-19 Entry Requirements: Latest Updates for Travelers | June 2022

    March 2, 2021
  • 2

    DNA Analysis: Only 4% of Tunisians Are Arabs

    December 30, 2019
  • 3

    5 Things Tunisians Will Never Say Sorry For

    September 26, 2020
  • 4

    Ons Jabeur Rises to New Career-High No. 3 After Winning Berlin

    June 20, 2022
  • 5

    Ten Things I learned from Living Alone in Tunis

    April 21, 2020
  • 6

    Tunisian Swimmer Nejib Belhedi To Swim 155 KM from Italy to Tunisia

    June 14, 2022

Latest

  • Ons Jabeur Becomes the Highest Ranked African & Arab Tennis Player Ever

  • Ons Jabeur Rises to New Career-High No. 3 After Winning Berlin

  • Tales from the Past | Part II

  • Tunisian Swimmer Nejib Belhedi To Swim 155 KM from Italy to Tunisia

Sections

  • Editors' Picks
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Food & Drinks
  • Local History
  • News
  • No Sugarcoating
  • People
  • Quizzes
  • Real Estate
  • Style & Travel
  • Tech & Startups
  • Things to Do
  • Videos

E᙭ᑭᒪOᖇE

Carthage Magazine

We’re on a mission to create content that inspires people about experiences, places, products and people in Tunisia!

 

— About Us

— Adverstising

— Transparency

— Contact Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

ᗯᗩᑎT ᗰOᖇE TOᑭ ᔕTOᖇIEᔕ?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

ᔕᑭᖇEᗩᗪ TᕼE ᗯOᖇᗪ

Spread the word

Our goal is to get these stories out in the public arena, and by doing this, keep promoting Tunisia and changing attitudes towards the MENA region.

 

— Ambassadors

— Readers Write

— What You Can Do to Help

EᗪITOᖇᔕ’ ᑭIᑕKᔕ

  • Tales from the Past | Part II

    June 17, 2022
  • Boukha: Tunisia’s “Water of Life” Fig Liquor

    June 14, 2022
  • Entrepreneurship in the Times of Pandemic: My Boutique Rides

    June 10, 2022

© 2019 - 2022 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • Things to Do
    • Leisure
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • Things to Do
    • Leisure
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
© 2019 - 2022 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Read alsox

Paradise is Real? A virtual Tour in...

May 3, 2020

Events Near You: Vecosterre | Bizerte

August 10, 2020

Why is Tunisia so Small?

July 15, 2019