9 Tips for Riding the Metro in Tunis
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Loading... - gabriel phoebe
- 05 Oct 2022
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Of the many transportation options in the capital city of Tunisia, the one we have used the most is the Metro.
Like us, many daily commuters in Tunis choose the metro because it’s cheap, quick, and easy.
The Tunis Metro is an above-ground rail system. It has 6 lines, and each of them runs between 8 and 15 kilometers (5-9 miles) out from the city center. Tunis is the only city in Tunisia that has a Metro.
If you come to Tunis and plan to do any sight-seeing around the city, the Metro may be your best choice for getting around—especially if you are on the move during rush hour, when empty taxis are nearly impossible to find.
Of course, if you want an overview of ALL of the transportation options throughout Tunisia, we wrote a huge post about that: How to Get Around in Tunisia.
The experience of taking the Tunis Metro can be a little daunting for tourists because it’s not exactly user-friendly if you don’t speak English or French. There is no signage in English, and there are very few maps or visual indicators of where you are or where you should go.
Still, the Metro is a great cultural experience and a cool way to see how average Tunisians live.
Abi and I have lived in Tunisia for years, and we’ve taken the Metro hundreds of times. We’ve consolidated our experience in this post to give you our best tips for taking the Metro. Enjoy!
1. Know the Difference Between the Metro and Other Trains in Tunis
There are 3 different train systems that run in the greater Tunis area, and they all look pretty similar. You should know what the different systems are so that you know what to look for and you don’t accidentally jump on the wrong train!
Metro
The official name for the metro is the Métro léger de Tunis, but everyone just calls it “the Metro.”
You can identify the Metro by the green train cars. Most of the cars are a bright green with a white line down the middle. A few of the newer cars are mostly white with green on top and big, tinted windows. Of course, some of them have advertisement decals all over them. Anyway, they’re not that hard to spot.
TGM
Another train line that starts in downtown Tunis is the Tunis-Goulet-Marsa Rail Line, or TGM. This train has only one line, about 19km long.
You can use the TGM to get to the beaches of Amilcar and La Marsa. It also goes through Carthage, so you can use this train to get to all of the historical sites, although some of the Carthage sites are a good walk from the train stops.
The starting point for the TGM in Tunis is called Tunis Marine on Google Maps. The TGM’s train cars are white with a big, light-blue stripe down the middle. They are also have a very boxy shape. Read More…
