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!

  London to Tunis by train+ferry - times, fares, tickets

  Useful country information - tourist info, currency, etc

  Hotels & accommodation in Tunisia

On other pages...

  Train travel within Tunisia

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

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...
	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.
	Day 2, at Marseille, you board the ferry to Tunisia, with comfortable en suite cabins, restaurants, bars and sun decks...
	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.

  Facilities on board TGVs.   Map of Marseille. 

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 19:03 (21:03 on 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.

• Book the ferry first, online at www.sncm.fr or using the Seat61 Ferry Shop.  Make a note of the sailing dates & times.

• Then book the train from London to Marseille.  You can book online from any station in Britain to Marseille at www.loco2.com, with print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets.  See the London to France page for a complete step-by-step guide to booking train tickets from the UK to Marseille.

• Book the ferry first, by calling SNCM's and CTN's UK agent, Southern Ferries, www.southernferries.co.uk, on 0844 815 7785.

• 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.

Back to home page