Mekki & Franka

Passport & visa. German passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. Bring a passport valid for the whole trip — an ID card is not enough. Please still check the current rules with the Auswärtiges Amt before you book.

Airports. Monastir (MIR) and Enfidha (NBE) are the closest to the wedding; Tunis–Carthage (TUN) is the country’s main airport. Direct flights from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Berlin with Tunisair, Nouvelair, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Air France and Transavia.

Insurance. Your health insurance may not cover Tunisia — the safest thing is to check with your insurer beforehand.

Pack. Light clothes, sunscreen, a hat, comfortable shoes for the medinas, swimwear, and a light jacket for the evening. Modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered) for mosques and religious sites.

The dinar is a closed currency. You cannot buy it in Germany and you cannot take it out of the country. Exchange on arrival at the airport, at a bank or at your hotel — keep the receipts if you want to change money back when you leave.

Rate. Roughly 3.3 to 3.4 dinars for 1 euro. One dinar splits into 1000 millimes, so prices are written like 12,500 DT.

Cash is king. Bank cards are accepted in hotels, large restaurants and supermarkets. For taxis, medina shops, cafés and small businesses, plan for cash. Cash machines (distributeurs) are plentiful and available in almost every town. A tip: avoid many small withdrawals to limit bank fees, while also avoiding taking out a large sum and carrying a lot of cash around.

Rough prices. Coffee 2–4 DT · a good meal 25–60 DT · a taxi across Tunis 7–15 DT · a litre of water 1 DT.

Tipping. Not obligatory but always welcome — round up, or 5–10% in restaurants.

Taxis. Yellow taxis are cheap and everywhere. Always ask for the meter (compteur) before you get in. After 21:00 the night tariff applies and the fare is legitimately higher.

Apps. Bolt and InDrive work in Greater Tunis and are the easiest option if you prefer a fixed price — pay in cash to the driver.

Between cities. Louages (shared white minibuses with a coloured stripe) leave when full and are the local way to travel — fast, very cheap, no timetable. Trains link Tunis, Sousse, Monastir and Sfax; the TGM light train runs from Tunis to La Marsa and Sidi Bou Saïd.

Car rental. Available at both airports. Bring your German driving licence, and an international driving permit as a safe extra. Driving is on the right, roads are good on the main axes, and city traffic is lively — take it easy the first day.

For the wedding itself, we will organise transport between the hotel and the venue. Details will follow by email once we know how many of you are coming.

Tunis. The medina is a UNESCO site: souks, the Zitouna Mosque and rooftop terraces — climb up to Café Panorama for the view. In the evening, the Habibi bar on Avenue Habib Bourguiba. Don’t miss the Bardo Museum and its Roman mosaics.

Sidi Bou Saïd & Carthage. The blue-and-white village above the sea, best in late afternoon with a mint tea and pine nuts. Fifteen minutes away, the Punic and Roman ruins, the Antonine Baths and the amphitheatre.

Hammamet & Cap Bon. Beaches, orange groves and a medina by the sea, an hour from Tunis.

Sousse. Boujaafar beach, Port El Kantaoui and the medina.

Monastir. The Bourguiba Mausoleum, the Ribat, the Museum of Traditional Costume and the beach.

Ksar Hellal. Where we are getting married: the wholesale market, and the big weekly market on Monday and Tuesday.

Mahdia. Beaches, the medina and the seafront promenade.

El Jem. A Roman amphitheatre that rivals the Colosseum, in the middle of a small town.

Kairouan & Dougga. The oldest mosque in North Africa, and the best-preserved Roman city in Africa.

The south. If you have three extra days: Tozeur, the oases, the salt lake and a night in the Sahara at Douz. Unforgettable.

Brik — thin pastry with egg, tuna and parsley, fried and eaten with your hands. Start here.

Couscous — the traditional dish, with lamb, fish or vegetables.

Lablabi — chickpea soup over torn bread, the great winter dinner.

Ojja — eggs poached in tomato, pepper and merguez.

Harissa — our chilli paste. It is on every table. It is hotter than it looks.

And also — fricassé, chapati and Mahdia chapati, makloub, mloukhia, Tunisian salad, salade mechouia, Tunisian tajine, kafteji and mechoui barbecue.

A word of warning — Tunisian food is generally spicy. Do tell your waiter how you would like your dish.

Sweets — makroudh, bambalouni, zlebia, and mint tea with pine nuts.

Drink bottled water and enjoy the local wines and Celtia beer — alcohol is served in hotels, licensed restaurants and most tourist areas.

• AslemaHello
• Ahla w sahlaWelcome
• ChokranThank you
• Barcha / chwayaA lot / a little
• LabesHow are you?
• Mich harNot spicy
• SahaCheers / well done
• Yaatik el sahaThank you, bless you
• Ala khirGood night
• Chahia taybaEnjoy your meal
• Qaddesh?How much?
• BehiGood, OK
• BslemaGoodbye

French works almost everywhere, English in hotels and tourist areas. Three words of Tunisian Arabic will get you a smile and a better price.

SIM card. Ooredoo, Orange or Tunisie Telecom — a tourist SIM with data costs a few dinars at the airport. Bring your passport.

Emergencies. Police 197 · Ambulance 190 · Fire & rescue 198. The German Embassy is in Tunis, Berges du Lac.

Pharmacies are very well stocked, and there is practically one night pharmacy (pharmacie de nuit) in every town.

Weekend. Friday is the main prayer day; shops and offices slow down around midday. Sunday is quiet in the souks.

Photos. Ask before photographing people, and avoid photographing military or government buildings.

Bargaining is normal in souks, never in shops with fixed prices. Stay friendly — it is a conversation, not a fight.