The basic rules
Traffic drives on the right and overtakes on the left. Road signs on the main routes are in both Arabic and French, so finding your way is easy even without satnav.
| Road type | Limit |
|---|---|
| Built-up areas | 50 km/h |
| Outside built-up areas | 90 km/h |
| Motorway | 110 km/h |
| Motorway in rain | 90 km/h |
- Alcohol: the legal limit has been 0.3 g/L of blood since the 2016 tightening — in practice, do not drink at all before driving.
- Seat belts: buckle up every passenger, front and back.
- Phones: no hand-held use while driving; use a mount and hands-free.
- Speed cameras: fixed and mobile, especially on the A1 motorway and at town entrances.
Documents to keep in the car
Keep them in the glovebox rather than your suitcase: you will be asked for them at every checkpoint.
- Your national driving licence; an International Driving Permit is recommended on top if your licence is not written in Latin script.
- Your passport or ID card.
- The rental agreement and the vehicle registration, handed over by the agency at pick-up.
- Proof of insurance, usually on the windscreen or attached to the agreement.
Minimum driver age and years of licence held depend on the agency: both are stated on each listing before you book.
Police and National Guard checkpoints
You will regularly pass checkpoints at town entrances and exits and on the main southern routes. They are routine, not a sign of trouble. Slow right down as you approach, and only stop if an officer waves you over.
If you are stopped: greet the officer, stay in the car and show the documents asked for. Most checks take under a minute for a tourist in a rental car.
What surprises visitors in town
In Tunis, Sousse or Sfax traffic is dense and runs on its own logic: indicators are used sparingly, merging is assertive, and the horn signals presence more than annoyance. Keep your distance and anticipate.
At roundabouts and unsignalled junctions, do not count on right of way being applied consistently: slow down and make sure the other driver has seen you. Watch out too for louages (shared taxis) pulling over without warning to pick up passengers.
Night driving and the south
Outside towns, roads are rarely lit and you will meet carts, cyclists or livestock without lights. Plan each leg to arrive before dark, especially inland.
In the south, fuel stations thin out. Fill up before long crossings: the Chott el-Jerid road between Kebili and Tozeur runs for about 90 km with almost no services. In summer, avoid driving in the hottest hours, carry water and check the air conditioning at pick-up.
Sand tracks (towards the dunes south of Douz, for instance) are not for a regular car, and rental agreements usually exclude them. For the deep desert, book a 4×4 excursion with a driver.
Motorways and tolls
Three toll motorways leave Tunis: the A1 to Hammamet, Sousse, Sfax and Gabes, the A3 to Beja and Bou Salem, and the A4 to Bizerte. Fares are modest (3.900 TND from Tunis to Sousse for a car); carry dinars in cash, as cards are not accepted everywhere.
Full toll tariffs and fuel prices are in our "Fuel and tolls" guide.