 The Grand Mosque, Sousse |
London to Tunisia in 48 hours without flying?
You don't need to fly to visit Tunisia. Far from it. You can travel safely, comfortably and affordably from London's St Pancras Station to Tunisia without flying, by Eurostar, TGV high-speed train and comfortable cruise ferry. Take Eurostar to Lille or Paris and change onto a high-speed TGV train to Marseille, then sail to Tunisia by SNCM or CTN ferry, ferries sail every few days. This page is a step-by-step guide to planning, booking and making a trip to Tunisia by train and ferry, with no flying necessary!
On this page...
London to Tunis by train+ferry - times, fares, how to buy tickets
Useful country information - tourist info, currency, dialling code
Hotels & accommodation in Tunisia
On other
pages...
Sponsored links...
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Useful
country information
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Ferries to Tunisia: |
Marseille-Tunis, Genoa-Tunis: www.sncm.fr, www.ctn.com.tn. Genoa-Tunis: Grandi Navi Veloci: www.gnv.it. |
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Train operator in Tunisia: |
Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens, www.sncft.com.tn For train times, see the Train travel in Tunisia page |
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Time zone & dialling code: |
GMT+1 all year round. Dial code +216. |
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Currency: |
£1 = approx 2.1 Dinars. Currency converter |
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Tourist information: |
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Visas: |
UK citizens do not need a visa to visit Tunisia. |
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Page last updated: |
1 May 2013. |
London to Tunis
 Day 1, by Eurostar & TGV from London to Marseille: Take Eurostar to Lille or Paris, then a 186 mph TGV from Lille or Paris to Marseille... |
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 Chill out along the Rhone Valley... The TGV flies past pretty French villages, crossing and re-crossing the River Rhone on huge viaducts. Spend the night in Marseille. |
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 Day 2, at Marseille, you board the ferry to Tunisia, with comfortable en suite cabins, restaurants, bars and sun decks... |
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 Day 3, arriving in the Bay of Tunis, with the sun glinting off the sparkling waters, and the ruins of Carthage up on Byrsa Hill on your right... |
London ► Tunis
- Day 1: Travel from London to Marseille by train,
leaving London St Pancras by
Eurostar at 12:58,
changing at Lille Europe (arrive 15:30, depart 16:02) onto a
direct TGV to Marseille, arriving
Marseille St Charles at 20:46. Alternative trains are
available if you'd like to leave London earlier and spend an
afternoon or evening in Marseille, or if you'd like to travel
via Paris, see the
London to France page.
It's a very scenic trip, as south of Lyon the TGV runs along the Rhône Valley, crossing and re-crossing the River Rhône, flying at ground level through the hills of Provence over some impressive viaducts to reach Marseille. Watch out for a dramatic viaduct over the Rhone just before Avignon, with views of the famous 'Palais des Papes' in the distance (though if you can spot anyone dancing 'sur le pont d'Avignon' you've got better eyesight than me). You'll catch a glimpse of Marseille harbour with its Chateau d'If of Count of Monte Cristo fame to your right just before arriving at Marseille St Charles station. Spend the night in a hotel.
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Day 2: Sail from Marseille to Tunis by cruise ferry, usually leaving in the morning or lunchtime and arriving in Tunis the following morning (day 3). Two ferry companies, the French SNCM and the Tunisian CTN (Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation) sail from Marseille to Tunis several times a week all year-round. Sailing times & dates vary, so see the Seat61 Ferry Shop or www.sncm.fr for actual times & fares for both SNCM and CTN for your dates of travel. CTN also have their own website, www.ctn.com.tn, although without online booking. Both French SNCM and Tunisian CTN ships are modern and comfortable with a full range of restaurants, bars, cinema & cabins. Make sure you're on deck as the ship sails out of the port of Marseille, past the fishing boats in the Vieux Port and the infamous Chateau d'If, with great views of the city. 24 hours later you've crossed the Mediterranean, and the ship sails into the Bay of Tunis, past the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage on Byrsa Hill, with a real sense of arrival that airline passengers will never know.
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Day 3: The ferry arrives at Tunis international ferry terminal at La Goulette, about 6 miles (10km) from Tunis city centre. You can either take a taxi (10-15 dinars, but insist that the driver uses the meter) or walk to the nearby La Goulette station on the Tunis-Marsa 'TGM' light railway and take a train two stops to the Tunis Marine station at the end of the line, journey time about 15 minutes. There are banks in La Goulette for local currency to buy a ticket. Map of Tunis (the ferry terminal is at the right-hand end of the long straight section incorrectly marked as the Avenue Habib Bourguiba, south of Keredine, at the entrance to the Ben Arous).
For onward trains from Tunis to Sousse, Monastir, Sfax & Gabès, see the Train travel in Tunisia page.
Tunis ► London
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Day 1: Sail from Tunis to Marseille by cruise ferry. Ferries sail several times a week, usually at around 11:00 or 12:30, arriving in Marseille the following day (day 2) at 08:30, 10:30 or occasionally 14:00. Sailing times & dates vary, so see the Seat61 Ferry Shop or www.sncm.fr for times & fares for both SNCM and CTN. Both French SNCM and Tunisian CTN ships are modern and comfortable with a full range of restaurants, bars, cabins, cinema, and so on. Tunis international ferry terminal is at La Goulette, 6 miles from the city centre by taxi or light railway plus a short walk.
- Day 2: Travel by train from Marseille back to London. Allow at least 3 hours to make a connection in Marseille between the scheduled arrival of the ferry and the departure of your train.
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If the ferry arrives 08:00-09:30, there's a 13:10 TGV high-speed train from Marseille to Lille, change at Lille onto Eurostar, arriving London St Pancras at 19:06 (21:06 Saturdays), still on day 2. If your ferry arrives 09:30-11:00, there's a 15:36 TGV to Paris, change train & stations in Paris and take the Eurostar arriving London 21:39. If your ferry is due to arrive any later than 11:00, then you should plan to spend the night in a hotel and travel the next day (day 3). This advice takes into account the fact that ferries can sometimes arrive late. See the London to France page for the full range of times, fares & options from Marseille to London.
How much does it cost?
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The fare from London to Marseille starts at £68 one-way or £119 return by Eurostar+TGV high-speed train. See the London to France page for more information about fares.
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From Marseille to Tunis, a ferry ticket starts at £141 single, £281 return including a berth in a 4-berth cabin. You can check fares for different cabin types and dates at www.sncm.fr.
How to buy tickets online...
- Book the ferry first, online at www.sncm.fr or using the Seat61 Ferry Shop. Make a note of the sailing dates & times.
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Then book the train from London to Marseille. You can book online at either www.raileurope.co.uk or www.voyages-sncf.com. See the London to France page for a complete step-by-step guide to using these websites to book train tickets from Paris to Marseille.
How to buy tickets by phone...
- Book the ferry first, by calling SNCM's and CTN's UK agent, Southern Ferries, www.southernferries.co.uk, on 0844 815 7785.
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Then book the train from London to Marseille, by calling Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 09:00-19:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays). Alternatively, you can book through any European rail-appointed travel agent such as Ffestiniog Travel (01766 772050). Click here for more European rail booking information.
London - Tunis via Genoa
It is also possible to travel from London to Tunisia via Genoa in Italy - the ferry may be a bit cheaper from Genoa to Tunis than from Marseille to Tunis, but the train fare from London to Genoa is usually more expensive and less convenient than London to Marseille.
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SNCM (French) and CTN (Tunisian) provide a joint ferry service from Genoa to Tunis once or twice a week, with fares starting at about £85 single, £155 return - visit www.sncm.fr to check fares and sailing dates for both companies.
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Grandi Navi Veloci (Italian) also sail from Genoa to Tunis two or three times a week - see www.gnv.it to check fares and sailing dates.
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For details of train times and fares between London and Genoa, and how to buy tickets see the London to Italy page.
Find
hotels in Tunisia
◄◄◄◄ Search all the main hotel booking sites at once...
I'm a big fan of www.hotelscombined.com as it checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, LateRooms etc.) to find the widest choice of hotels & the cheapest rates. Try it and see! |
 The Majestic Hotel, Tunis |
Personal recommendation...
The Hôtel Majestic on the main Avenue de Paris in Tunis has the best French colonial facade in town and is a great place to stay, see www.booking.com/hotel/tn/majestic.en.html. It was closed for refurbishment for a while, but has now reopened in 2011. It's comfortable and central, and rooms with en suite facilities cost around £20 per night.
You
should take a good guidebook. For the independent
traveller this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough
Guide. I personally prefer the layout of the Lonely
Planets, but others prefer the Rough Guides. Both
provide excellent practical information and historical
background. You won't regret buying one!
Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk
The Thomas Cook European Timetable has train, bus and ferry times for every country in Europe, including European Turkey from Istanbul westwards. It costs around £14.99 from the bureau de change section of any branch of Thomas Cook, or you can buy online at www.thomascooktimetables.com. Alternatively, you can buy the twice-yearly Independent Traveller's editions at Amazon.co.uk also with shipping worldwide.
Travel
insurance & health card
Get travel insurance, it's essential...
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Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself). Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, though, see the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.
In
the UK, use
www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across
major insurance companies.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, try
Columbus Direct's other websites.
If you live in the USA or Canada, try
Travel Guard USA.
Get an EU health card, it's free...
If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from www.ehic.org.uk. It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.
Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees
Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen. In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.
You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.
Get an international SIM card
to save on mobile data and phone calls...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find a huge bill. Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%. Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home. It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.