Tunisia Country Information
Currency
The Tunisian unit of currency is the dinar (TD). At the end of September 2008, the exchange rate was approximately TD 1.3 to the U.S. dollar. Bills come in denominations of 30, 20, 10 and 5 dinars. Coins come in denominations of 5 and 1 dinar, 100, 50, 20, and 10 millimes.
Languages
Arabic is the official language, and French is the unofficial second language, widely spoken throughout the country. English, German and Italian are spoken in many places in Tunis, especially in the souks, hotels and government craft stores.
Shopping
A wide variety of Tunisian handicrafts can be purchased throughout the country. In the souks you are expected to bargain. Shopkeepers open and close at their own discretion, but in the summer, they usually open from early in the day until five or six in the evening. Many shops are closed on Sundays. Large modern supermarkets and shopping centers exist in all major cities and carry many mainstream commodities.
Sightseeing
Points of interest in the Tunis area include:
- Carthage—the ruins, the amphitheater, the baths,
the Punic ports, the museum
- The Bardo Museum—sculptures and mosaics from Carthage
set in the residence of the Bey of Tunis (open daily from
9.30–4.30; closed on Mondays and the Aïd holidays)
- Sidi Bou Said—picturesque village overlooking the
Bay of Tunis, well known for its artists
- The Medina and Dar Ben Abdallah (museum of traditional
Arab culture)
- Belvedere Park and Zoological Gardens—café by the lake
Transportation
Public taxis are available and can be easily identified. They are painted yellow and have a number sign on the roof. The charge is by meter at a fixed rate. After 9 p.m. a 50% night charge is applied to the meter reading. Three adult passengers are permitted in each taxi. A small tip is appropriate. In addition, there are telephone taxi services that will send cabs to pick up passengers (phone: 282.211, 492.422), with the meter running beginning from wherever the taxi came from to meet you. Another local transportation option in Tunis is the metro, which is cheap, efficient and reliable for in-town transportation. Buy your ticket before boarding.
For trips further afield, the TGM train leaves from the
far end of Avenue Habib Bourguiba (away from the Medina)
and goes out to La Marsa via Carthage. Buy your ticket before
boarding and keep it—a conductor may request it. Trains
during the day are very regular, during the night less so.
AMIDEAST/Tunisia collaborates closely with the Tunisian
American Chamber of Commerce (TACC)! For more information
on TACC and its activities, please click
here. |
