Tunisia

[John Holiday]

Have booked a week in Sussex, Tunisia in November for hopefully a little sunshine.
Will be taking my Brompton to get around.
Has anyone any experience of cycling in Tunisia?
Am a fairly confident rider & NS Standards Instructor & have ridden much of Europe.
Appreciate any comments.

[John Holiday]

Sousse, not Sussex!

[al_yrpal]

Take a Kalashnikov too….

Al

[landsurfer]

We had a good holiday in Sousse, but it is "hotel land" ...
If you venture outside the perimeter fences ( with their uniformed and ever so polite guards with shotguns !) you will be subjected to constant harassment by boys and young men for money ... or to visit a family shop !!
The taxi drivers are renowned for ripping off visitors and if you enter one of the markets you will be constantly harassed for money and shop visits by adults, possible the parents of the aforementioned boys and young men.
Car drivers use a totally random approach to signals and signs ..........
As an experienced cyclist in many countries around the world from the Americas to Hong Kong,Europe, Iceland and the Med islands i believe a cycling in Tunisia would be classed as a death wish .... just my thoughts ... I'm sure others may have had a different experience.

[Bonefishblues]

We were scammed (or rather the attempt to scam us) so brilliantly in Sousse market that we played along with it in great humour and parted having had a great time - both parties. It was many years ago though, and I fear that we won't go back, given recent events. Sad, as there's much to see*, and a lovely warm people.

*Douga, War Cemeteries, the museum in Tunis, and much more.

[MrsHJ]

If all else fails I'd try to arrange for some guided mountain biking- I bet there are some off the beaten track areas not too far away. I love the way cycling in a country gives you a different perspective.

I'm sure you've read the latest FCO travel guIdance -your risk of getting caught up in a terror attack probably far lower than getting into a car crash in the UK. The FCO travel advice is written by diplomats on the ground in the relevant country.

[Cyril Haearn]

I would try to visit "la Tunisie profonde"

[landsurfer]

I would just go to Corfu ...

[pq]

I rode for a couple of weeks around Tunisia a few years back. No idea about the area around Sousse because I steered well clear of the touristy bits. There was some nice riding to be done and the locals were mostly friendly, but I did get threatened more than I have in any other country I've ridden (and I've ridden in a lot of places), mostly attempts at robbery which were easily thwarted but not pleasant. It's not somewhere I'd be in a hurry to return to.

[John Holiday]

Just returned from my visit to Sousse, Tunisia, where I enjoyed a week of warm sunshine and getting out & about on my Brompton.
Not a lot of cyclists in evidence & those that were, rode elderly single speed Roadsters of mainly French origin. A few elderly mopeds,often with two or three on board!
The Brompton created lots of interest as it always does.
Most of the drivers were reasonably behaved, although 'white van man' is alive in Tunisia too!
On one roundabout, I kept a close eye on a van driver approaching with a phone in one hand and & a cigarette in the other!
The bike made exploring beyond the confines of the hotel much easier than walking & as ever,easy to stop & chat to people or look at things.
So,not quite as traumatic or gloomy as some of the earlier responses!
The bike travelled in suitcase & Brompton front bag was my carry on.

[althebike]

I stayed just outside Sousse a few years ago, two years later the hotel I stayed at got blown up .Within the guarded sections, I felt safe, and the people were friendly, but once outside the hotel compound I felt at the mercy of everyone who seemed to see me as a source of their income. People either wanted to buy my shoes ,or clean them, or sell me something else. I would have felt safe cycling around outside the town, but I doubt anything would be considered secure if left in view.