Overland to Tunisia
Diana Jarvis
Last September, I embarked on the first Byway trip to Tunisia. To my absolute surprise, it only took just over 48 hours to get from London to Tunis. I’d already overlanded to Marrakesh in Morocco over seven days and Tirana in Albania in five, so getting to North Africa in just two days piqued my curiosity and wanderlust to no end.
Day 1: London to Marseille
The first day of the trip was all trains: the Eurostar from London’s St. Pancras to Paris followed by a short hop across Paris on the Metro to the TGV from Paris’ Gare de Lyon to Marseille. Despite the distance covered and the sheer amount of life and landscape on display outside the window, the day passed relatively quickly. From the industrial outskirts of Paris to the patchwork hills scattered with sheep in Bourgogne and the Rhone-Alps and onward to the rocky hilltop citadels of Provence, this is storybook France in a slideshow of vignettes.
Diana Jarvis
I reached Marseille in the late-afternoon September sun and had just enough time to snap a few photos before heading to the conveniently located Hotel Alex for the night. Just a stone’s throw from the train station, Hotel Alex is an independent boutique hotel with a range of quiet, comfy rooms and a spa in the basement.
With only a few evening hours in Marseille, I skipped down to the beating heart of the old city, the Vieux Port. Surrounded by outdoor bars and restaurants, and filled with piers leading out to shiny giant yachts, the old port area is a good place to stretch travel-weary legs and marvel at the variety of life on display.
Day 2: Taking the boat to Tunisia
Diana Jarvis
Much of Marseille’s industrial-looking waterfront is given over to miles and miles of shipyards and departure points. The ferry to Tunis leaves from Port 3C about 5 km north of St. Charles train station and is easily reached by bus.
Most travelers between Marseille and Tunis take their cars, so the terminal for foot passengers is small, easy to navigate — and I was through passport control and security in no time.
I boarded the boat about two hours before it eventually departed and immediately felt cozy and cocooned in my cabin. It was dominated by a giant seawater-flecked window which had the calming effect of an Impressionist painting and, come nightfall, the gentle hum of the ship’s engine provided a suitable soundtrack to eight hours of blissful dream-filled sleep.
Diana Jarvis
Service was balletic in performance with upward of 20 waiters, once given the nod, serving generous bowls of French onion soup, followed by slow-cooked chicken with surprisingly tasty, yet anemic-looking, broccoli and potatoes, and a chocolate tart for dessert.
Day 3: Arriving in Tunis
Diana Jarvis
I was amazed that it only took about ten minutes to get from the boat through passport control and security. I was in a cab speeding into the center of the city before I knew it. With a population of around 2.5M, the sprawling modern metropolitan area of Tunis looks a lot like any other dusty North African industrial hub. But step into the labyrinthine rabbit warren of streets in the 8th-century Medina and you’ll find a unique mix of timeless commerce and modern life pieced together on every cobblestone corner.
Wandering the maze of narrow, UNESCO-protected medina streets in Tunis was every bit as captivating and atmospheric as those in Marrakesh or Cairo. Yet the vendors here seemed far less interested in the hard sell. Souvenirs like ceramics and rugs were mingled naturally with everyday items like kitchen supplies, perfumes, and spices.
Diana Jarvis
An unexpected thunderstorm blew in out of nowhere, and I watched as the shopkeepers quickly cleared away their wares and shut them away behind those ornate blue doors. I carefully sidestepped the sudden puddles in the cobblestone street and ducked into a cafe, welcomed by a hand-painted mural declaring “Any time is coffee time.”
I was greeted by a young woman whose English, with a mid-Atlantic twang, was flawless. She ushered me up to the bubblegum-pink rooftop terrace, by which point the wind was whipping up the equally pink-painted palm fronds of the awning. She told me her name was Fatma and that she was studying business in college. Diva Caffe is her cousin’s place and has only been open since March. We chatted as we watched lightning illuminate the rooftops and waited out the storm.
Day 4: Tunis, Carthage, and Sidi Bou Said
Although Tunis has a transit system, taking taxis was much easier and safer. They all use the Bolt app, which means there’s no need to haggle over fares (tourists undoubtedly get charged at least double otherwise) and cuts out any language barriers or misunderstandings about your destination.
I took one out to the ancient city of Carthage, another UNESCO site and one of the city’s biggest draws. You can feel the layers of history in the weathered stones and crumbling ruins, but you really do need a good guide to bring it to life.
A few miles farther along, the coastal breeze of Sidi Bou Said is a welcome relief from the city heat. It’s packed with quintessential Tunisian scenes: ornate blue doorways and whitewashed buildings draped in pink bougainvillea. It’s sometimes compared to Santorini as an antidote to overtourism, but Instagrammers of every nationality have these spots on their radar now, putting the once-sleepy hilltop village at risk of overtourism, too. That said, I couldn’t resist pulling out my camera to snap a few doorways, and relaxing with some fresh mint tea at the cafes.
Diana Jarvis
Day 5: Tunis to Sousse
I traveled from Tunis to Sousse by train. With no A/C in second class, it was a sweaty ride, but a great way to watch the urban sprawl give way to flat plains dotted with whitewashed homesteads, endless olive groves, the occasional eucalyptus tree, and cactus-strewn desert land.
Pulling into Sousse, the passengers all scatter into the hot mid-afternoon sun. Thankfully, the station is just a five-minute walk from the ancient city walls, and Hotel Paris—my digs for two nights, featuring rooftop views of the ramparts—is super close by. It’s also conveniently right next door to the city’s top-rated spot, Restaurant du Peuple, where I got my first taste of brik, a popular Tunisian staple: a samosa-like savory pastry stuffed with potato, mild cheese, and zucchini.
Diana Jarvis
Day 6: Exploring Sousse and the Medina
The best way to take in Sousse’s UNESCO-protected city walls and everything inside them is from up high. You can climb the 74 steps of the tower in the Ribat (one of many lookout posts built along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa from Tangier to Alexandria as a defense against invaders) for 360º views across the Medina to the towering kasbah, and out toward the beaches and the open sea.
Today, the kasbah houses an archaeological museum and is a fantastic alternative to Tunis’s Bardo for viewing remarkably well-preserved Roman mosaics from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Highlights include the baptismal font (I definitely wasn't the only visitor who thought it looked like an ancient hot tub) and the Medusa floor mosaic.
Diana Jarvis
Day 7: A Louage Ride to Kairouan
The best way to get around Tunisia without a car is by louage—a six-passenger shared minibus taxi. They’re safe, reliable, and head out as soon as all six seats are filled.
Loosely translated, Kairouan means 'military column' or 'caravan' in Middle Persian, pointing to its historical roots as a staging post and stopover for travelers. This weary traveler was thrilled to linger for a few days exploring this ancient, UNESCO-protected walled city.
While the seventh-century mosque was architecturally stunning, it was really the carpets that caught my eye. I struck up a conversation with Mohammed and Abdesatar at Tapis Okba, right across from the mosque, and picked up a ton of insight into local weaving techniques. Naturally, I walked away with a gorgeous, bright-yellow rug for my bedroom back home.
Diana Jarvis
Day 8: Kairouan
I fell more and more in love with Kairouan; it has such a laid-back vibe, with daily life drifting gently through its colorful, narrow streets. I dropped by the Zaouia of Sidi Abid el Ghariani, a 14th-century Moorish-style mausoleum with stunning tilework that offered a cool escape from the heat. The Aghlabid Basins are well worth a quick stop, too: 9th-century cisterns celebrated for their ingenious engineering.
Diana Jarvis
Diana Jarvis
Another popular Tunisian dish you must try is Ojja, a spicy red sauce with peppers, salt, and pepper. At El Brija, set high up on the ramparts of the walled city, they served me one with merguez sausage. Accompanied by another brik, of course.
Day 9: Kairouan and back to Tunis by louage
Before my return to Tunis, I had one last stroll through the walled city’s streets and stumbled upon Go Café. Lured in by the colorful tiles and Tunisian breakfast menu, I whiled away an hour or so feasting on Tunisian-style Chakchuka; unlike other Middle Eastern shakshukas I’ve sampled, the eggs are stirred into a spiced tomato, potato, and onion sauce and topped with mint sauce.
Day 10: Back in Tunis and medina shopping before heading home
With one last day in Tunis, I revisited the medina for some treats to take home and picked up a large box of freshly made makroud for friends and family back home.
The great thing about slow travel is that, although I’m leaving Tunisia, there’s still some vacation time left as I journey home by boat and train.
Checking in at the port is just as easy as my arrival; two minutes to check in, ten minutes through security, and then onto the boat to settle into the cabin before a sunset departure.
Diana Jarvis
I head up to the top deck and, as I watch the light of day morph into night, I realize how sad I am to leave Tunisia. It’s such a fascinating country, with a rich history, frenetic contemporary culture, and warm, welcoming people. As I watch the land disappear, I make a promise to return and see more.
Day 11: Arrive in Marseille and night at Hotel Alex
I return to Marseille more relaxed and sun-kissed. With only a few hours to see one thing in the city, I opt for an evening at Friche la Belle de Mai, a multipurpose arts venue reconfigured from an old multistory parking garage and derelict rail-side land. There’s something of late-’90s Berlin vibes about it, but with a chichi French dining hall among the graffiti, street art, radio recording booth, and creative studios. Outside there’s a small skate park, kids’ play area, and even an organic veggie patch.
Diana Jarvis
Day 12: Marseille to Margate
With an early start, I’m glad Byway had booked me into Hotel Alex, right across from the train station. No sooner am I awake than I’m whizzing back through the patchwork fields and urban centers of France in the blink of an eye.
With only two stops on Paris’s metro between Gare de Lyon and the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord, I’m back within earshot of spoken English and British accents, bound for home.
Later, as I roll my suitcase along the sunny waterfront in my hometown of Margate, a warm smile creeps over my face and I stare at the sea, thinking how incredible it is that only 48 hours ago I was departing the coast of North Africa and made it there and back, all without getting on a plane.
Diana Jarvis
To book Diana's itinerary, please contact our concierge team.
For more slow travel inspiration, insights into overland routes, and insider tips, subscribe to our newsletter.
