Most visitors to Tunisia head for the beach resorts of Hammamet, Sousse, Monastir and Djerba, and many add Tunis with Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, or a trip into the Sahara around Douz and Tozeur. Tunisia is not part of the EU's Roam Like at Home area, and European plans usually charge roaming by the day, so most travellers use a travel eSIM or a local SIM.
Key facts for Tunisia
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Ooredoo, Tunisie Telecom (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: police 197; ambulance 190; fire 198
- Embassies: in Tunis
Before you go: where to travel
Several governments advise against travel to the areas along the border with Libya and to some mountain areas near the Algerian border, and parts of the far south are military zones that need a permit. Check your government's travel advice before planning a trip to the south, and register your journey with your embassy if your country offers that service.
Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said
The TGM light railway runs from central Tunis to La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa along the coast. In the medina, the lanes are narrow and the signal can weaken between thick walls, so save a map offline before you wander. Yellow taxis in Tunis use meters; ask the driver to switch it on when you set off.
Beach resorts and Djerba
Coverage is good in the resorts and towns along the coast. Hotels usually offer Wi-Fi, but it can be slow in rooms far from the lobby, so many travellers rely on mobile data for maps, messages and transfers.
The Sahara
Desert trips from Douz, Tozeur or Ksar Ghilane leave mobile coverage behind quickly once you are among the dunes. Go with a licensed guide, carry plenty of water and tell your hotel when you expect to be back.
Money, cards and drones
The Tunisian dinar cannot be taken out of the country, so change money as you need it and keep your exchange receipts to change leftover dinars back at the airport. Cards work in large hotels and some shops, but you will need cash in markets, in louages (shared minibuses between towns) and in small restaurants. Drones need prior authorisation and are often seized at customs, so leave yours at home.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM is set up before departure with a QR code and begins its validity on its first connection in Tunisia, so you land with data for maps and transfers. Your usual number stays reachable for texts and bank codes.
Tunisian prepaid SIMs from Ooredoo, Orange Tunisie or Tunisie Telecom are sold at the airport and in operator shops, and you need your passport to buy one.
Consular protection: who to call in Tunisia
- 197 reaches the police in towns and cities, and 193 the National Guard in rural areas.
- 190 is for an ambulance and 198 for the fire service.
- Embassies are in Tunis and its suburbs. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- If you are an EU citizen and your country has no embassy or consulate in Tunisia, the embassy of any other EU country must help you on the same terms as its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- The app has emergency phrases in Arabic, ready to show on screen; French is also widely spoken.
Questions travellers ask about Tunisia
Does my EU plan work in Tunisia?
Not under Roam Like at Home; most operators charge a daily roaming fee.
Can I take dinars home?
No. Change only what you need and keep your receipts to change the rest back at the airport.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Tunisia?
Ooredoo and Tunisie Telecom, with 4G and 5G where available.
Which number do I call for an ambulance?
190; for the police, 197.
The short version
Install a travel eSIM before you fly, check your government's advice before heading south, carry some cash, leave the drone at home, and save 197 and 190.
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