Maritime connections to Tunisia
To get to the capital of Tunisia by ship, you can leave from Italy or France. The port of disembarkation is that of La Goulette, the name of the coastal town that once functioned as an outpost of the capital (from which it is about ten kilometers away), located at the mouth of a canal, which made the capital itself a port city, which connects Lake Tunis with the Mediterranean Sea.
The ports connected with the Tunisian port are the Italian ones of Civitavecchia, Palermo, Genoa and Salerno, and the French one of Marseille. In the following paragraphs we put under the magnifying glass the active routes, the shipping companies that run them, the ferries that are used and the travel times, but especially dates, departure times and ticket prices, which can be consulted at the links.
Civitavecchia-Tunis ferries
The Civitavecchia ➜ Tunis line is navigated by both Grimaldi Lines and GNV units. With Grimaldi Lines we leave with the ship Catania, once a week, in the evening. The duration of the navigation can vary from seventeen hours and thirty minutes to eighteen hours and thirty minutes. The trip can be spent in deck passage, in a reclining chair or in comfortable cabins of different types; restaurants, self-service and bars, areas equipped for children and a shop are also available on board. With GNV, on the other hand, once a week, there is the Fantastic carrier, equipped with armchairs, cabins and suites, an à la carte and self-service restaurant, pizzeria, snack bar and lounge bar, cinema, chapel, shop and children’s room. The travel time is twenty-eight hours with an intermediate stopover in Palermo.
Palermo-Tunis ferries
The Palermo ➜ Tunis line is also covered by the shipping companies Grimaldi Lines and Grandi Navi Veloci. The first does it twice a week, with a duration of the journey, which begins in the evening, which varies between ten and a half hours and eleven and a half hours. On the Cruise Smeralda carrier there are deck, armchairs, cabins with four bunk beds with or without portholes, Superior cabins, self-service restaurant, cafes, shop and spaces for children. If you choose GNV, you can leave, once a week, for a journey of about twelve hours, with the Fantastic ship, described in the previous paragraph, or Majestic, which offers armchairs, cabins, suites, restaurants, pizzeria, bars, cinemas, chapel, shop, party room and children’s room.
Genoa-Tunis ferries
The Genoa ➜ Tunis course is carried out by GNV twice a week. The duration of the crossing can vary between twenty-one hours and forty-five minutes and twenty-six hours. The ships that travel the route are the Majestic and La Superba, with the possibility of an armchair, cabin or suite, restaurants, bars, cinemas, chapel, shops, rooms for parties and for children. The CTN Ferries company (Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation) is also active on the route to Genoa, which takes between twenty-one and twenty-three hours with the Tanit and Carthage ships. The armchair, a shared or exclusive cabin, suite can be booked. Furthermore, full board or half board treatments are available in the various restaurants on board. There is also a video game room, children’s area, shopping center and hospital.
Salerno-Tunis ferries
The Salerno ➜ Tunis route is operated by Grimaldi Lines twice a week, with a crossing that can last from twenty-two to twenty-four hours and fifteen minutes; it is carried out with the Cruise Smeralda carrier.
Marseille-Tunis ferries
The Marseille ➜ Tunis route is operated by the Tunisian Shipping Company, with several trips per week. The travel time varies between nineteen and twenty-three hours. The naval unit that is used is the Tanit, previously described.
