Tunis Carthage International Airport: where to stay, areas and…

Tunis-Carthage airport is the closest to the centre of all Tunisia's airports: the Les Berges du Lac district is just 10 minutes by car (about 5 km) away, while a taxi to avenue Mohamed V or the Medina takes around 20 minutes for 8-15 dinars at the daytime rate, with a 50% surcharge after 21:00. There is no direct train: bus lines 35 and 635 reach Tunis Marine station every 30 minutes with a 25-minute ride, for 1 dinar, but they have little luggage space and few departures in the very early morning. With these distances, the lake district or the centre is almost always the better choice, even for a direct return to the airport; it's only worth staying in the lake district, the closest to the terminal, for one-night layovers or dawn departures. Those looking for old-town atmosphere can aim for the Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as long as they accept the last stretch on foot, since cars can't reach the door of many houses.

Les Berges du Lac and Centre Urbain Nord

Airport area · The Les Berges du Lac lakefront is about 10 minutes by car from the airport (5 km); the Centre Urbain Nord business district, a few kilometres further north, takes 15-20 minutes instead.

Best for: Business trips, one-night layovers and anyone who wants the shortest possible ride from the terminal.

Pros

The district closest to the terminal among those with international hotels, handy for morning departures
Embassies, corporate offices and the new convention centre keep the streets quiet even in the evening

Cons

Mostly office towers around the hotels: for the Medina and its monuments you still need a 15-20 minute taxi
Little evening life on foot outside the hotels' own restaurants

Recommended hotels in this area

Mövenpick Hotel du Lac Tunis: On the lakeshore on rue du Lac Huron, in the heart of Les Berges du Lac, among embassies and multinational offices; 10 minutes from the airport and 15 from the historic centre.
Novotel Tunis Lac: Accor chain hotel on the lake shore, in the same business district as the Mövenpick, a handy mid-range alternative with the same quick access to the airport.
ADAM Hotel Suites: Serviced apartments from studios to three-bedroom units in Les Berges du Lac II, opened as AVANI Les Berges Du Lac Tunis Suites (Minor Hotels) and now run independently under the name ADAM: no more international brand, but the same building and the in-room kitchen, handy for long business stays.
Tunis Marriott Hotel: In the Centre Urbain Nord district, about 4 km from Belvedere Park, in the same stretch of business districts north of the historic centre that also contains the lake; indoor pool and gym, among the few of international standard in the city.

See more hotels in this area →

City centre and avenue Mohamed V

City centre · Daytime-rate taxi 15-20 minutes from the airport (8-10 km) for 8-15 dinars; bus lines 35 and 635 link the terminal to Tunis Marine station every 30 minutes with a 25-minute ride, for 1 dinar.

Best for: Those who want avenue Habib Bourguiba, the Belvedere and the museums within a short taxi ride or city bus.

Pros

Avenue Habib Bourguiba, the Théâtre Municipal and Belvedere Park reachable on foot or with a short ride
More choice of restaurants and evening life than the lake district

Cons

Traffic and honking on avenue Mohamed V until late in the most central streets
Airport buses have few departures in the very early morning: for dawn flights only the taxi is left

Recommended hotels in this area

Golden Tulip El Mechtel Tunis: Nine floors on the edge of Belvedere Park, close to the Medina and the business district; 264 rooms, three restaurants and a spa, about 10 km (15-20 minutes) from the airport.
Sheraton Tunis Hotel: On avenue de la Ligue Arabe, in the administrative and diplomatic district, a few steps from Belvedere Park; among the most central chain towers in the city.
Radisson Hotel Tunis, City Center: On avenue Jean Jaurès, a few steps from avenue Habib Bourguiba and the Medina, about 14 minutes from the airport; a recent opening, the third Radisson brand in Tunisia after the lake's Blu.
Ibis Tunis: Budget option on rue de Syrie, 1.8 km from the centre and a few steps from the light rail (Nelson Mandela station); close to the zoo and the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul.

See more hotels in this area →

The Medina

Neighbourhood · Same 15-20 minute taxi from the airport to the edge of the Medina; from there you continue on foot, 5-10 minutes depending on the alley, because cars can't reach many of the houses.

Best for: Those who want to sleep among the alleys of the Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and accept a last stretch on foot because cars don't enter the quarter.

Pros

A few steps from Tourbet el-Bey, the Dar Ben Abdallah museum and the historic souks
Authentic Tunisian house atmosphere, far from the towers of the lake and business districts

Cons

Cars can't reach the door: with heavy suitcases you need a few minutes on foot
In several properties only one other language besides French and Arabic is fluently spoken: communicating may take a few extra gestures

Recommended hotels in this area

El Patio Courtyard House: Adults-only maison d'hôtes in the heart of the Medina, a few steps from Tourbet el-Bey and the Dar Ben Abdallah museum; homemade breakfast served in the North African-style inner patio.

See more hotels in this area →