Tunis-Carthage Airport: Cheap Flights and Transport

Tunis-Carthage International Airport lies about 8 kilometres from the centre of the capital on the shore of the Lake of Tunis and is the busiest airport in the country. Operated by OACA, it is the home base of Tunisair and Tunisair Express, and Nouvelair flies from here too. All flights are handled in a single main terminal, and the airport takes its name from ancient Carthage.

From Germany, Tunisair and Nouvelair fly to Tunis from Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Hanover and Stuttgart, and there are dense links to almost every major French city as well as to Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria. Turkish Airlines and Tunisair serve Istanbul, so there are non-stop flights between Turkey and Tunisia as well, and routes to the Middle East and Africa complete the network.

The cheapest flights to Tunis usually come up between October and March and on midweek dates; the summer holidays, Ramadan and Eid al-Adha see heavy travel by the Tunisian community in Europe and call for early booking. Compare Tunisair and Nouvelair services together, check Enfidha for Hammamet, and because tickets are priced one way, try outbound and return separately. The prices on this page are the current lowest Tunis fares found by our searches.

The airport has no rail link; the cheapest way into the city is Transtu bus line 35 to the Tunis Marine stop. Yellow taxis wait in front of the terminal, and shared taxis known as louages serve other cities across the country. Timetables and fares change, so check the airport website or ask your hotel for current details.

• Taxi: the ride to the city centre takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic; make sure the meter is running or agree the fare before you set off.
• Transfers: pre-booked transfers are the most comfortable option for hotels in Hammamet, Sousse and Sidi Bou Said.
• Car hire: international and local companies have desks in arrivals; the airport is close to the A1 motorway and the Tunis ring road.

The terminal offers duty-free shops, cafés and restaurants, currency exchange and ATMs, a pharmacy, car-hire desks and SIM card counters of the mobile operators. There is a Tunisair lounge as well as lounges that can be entered for a fee, and Wi-Fi is available in the terminal areas. Passport control can take a while at peak times, so arrive early.

Open-air car parks for short and long stays lie in front of the terminal, with rates displayed at the entrance. The pick-up area gets crowded at peak times; current rates are listed on the airport website.