Travel and Tourism Information

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Travel - International

AIR

Algeria's national airline is Air Algérie (AH). Other airlines serving Algeria are Balkan, Egyptair, Royal Air Maroc, Saudia, Syrian Arab Airlines and Tunis Air.

International Airports

Algiers (ALG) (Houari Boumediène) is 20km (12 miles) east of Algiers. To/from the airport: Buses and trains operate to the city from 0600-1900 (travel time – 30 minutes). Taxis are also available. Facilities: Bank, bureau de change, left luggage, shops, post office, tourist information, restaurants and car hire.
Oran (ORN) (Es Senia) is 10km (6 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the city. Facilities: Bank, limited catering and car hire.
Annaba (AAE) (Les Salines) is 12km (7.5 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: A bus service departs to the city every 30 minutes. Coach service is available on request and taxis are also available. Facilities: Restaurant, bank and car hire.
Constantine (CZL) (Ain El Bey) is 9km (6 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: There are bus and taxi links with the city. Facilities: Limited.

SEA

The Main ports: Algiers, Annaba, Béjaia, Oran and Skikda. Regular shipping lines serve Algiers from Mediterranean ports. Algérie Ferries runs passenger services connecting Algeria to Marseille (France) and Alicante (Spain) (website: www.algerieferries.com).

RAIL

There is one daily train connecting Algiers with Tunis in Tunisia via Constantine and Annaba. The train has a buffet car and couchettes and a reservation is required for this route. Another daily train runs between Algiers and Marrakech in Morocco. Stops en route are Oran, Fès, Mèknes, Rabat and Casablanca. Reservations are required and a supplement is charged. Air-conditioned coaches and light refreshments/buffet car are available. At present, services are interrupted owing to the closure of the border between Algeria and Morocco and through trains are not operatin

ROAD

Owing to border closures, land crossings between Morocco and Algeria are not possible at present. The main road entry points are Maghnia (Morocco), Souk-Ahras, Tebessa and El Kala (Tunisia), Fort Thiriet (Libya), In Guezzam (Niger) and Bordj Mokhtar (Mali). There is a good network of paved roads in the coastal regions and paved roads connect the major towns in the northern Sahara. Further south, the only substantial stretches of paved roads are on the two trans-Saharan ’highways’, one of which runs to the west through Reggane and up through Morocco to the coast, while the other runs through Tamanrasset and Djanet on its way to Ghardaia and Algiers. The precise route taken by trans-Saharan travellers often depends on the season. Please note that many desert ‘roads’ are up to 10km- (6 mile-) wide ribbons of unimproved desert and are suitable only for well-maintained 4-wheel-drive vehicles. Coach: Services are run by Altour (www.altour.com) and SNTF with international routes to Tunisia and Morocco. Documentation: International Driving Permit required

Travel - Internal

AIR

Air Algérie operates frequent services from Algiers domestic airport (adjacent to Algiers International) to the major business centres of Annaba, Constantine and Oran. Less frequent services run from Algiers, Oran, Constantine and Annaba to the other less important commercial centres and gateway oases such as Ghardaia (six hours from Algiers) and Ouargla, as well as important oil towns such as In Amenas and Hassi Messaoud. Services are generally reliable, but air travel to the far south may be subject to delay during the dry summer months because of sand storms. Despite this, air is by far the most practical means of transport to the far south for the visitor with limited resources of time; Djanet and Tamanrasset are the oasis gateways to the Tassili N’Ajjer and the Hoggar, respectively.
Note: The London office of Air Algérie (tel: (020) 7487 5903) can provide a timetable of services and prices, make reservations and issue tickets. There is an Air Algérie office in every Algerian town which is served by the airline. Reservations and itineraries can be arranged from these offices, but as some of the more isolated offices are not connected by computer, fax or telex, reservations should be confirmed well in advance. Offices are very busy in the major towns.

SEA

Government ferries service the main coastal ports. Main ports: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Béjaia, Djidjelli, Ghazaouet, Mostaganem, Oran and Skikda.

RAIL

Algerian railways are run by the Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires (SNTF). Daily - but fairly slow - services operate in the northern part of the country between Algiers and Oran, Béjaia, Skikda, Annaba and Constantine. The southern routes connect once a day from Annaba to Tebessa via Souk Ahras, Constantine with Touggourt via Biskra (twice a day) and Mohammadia with Bechar.

ROAD

Road surfaces are reasonably good. All vehicles travelling in the desert should be in good mechanical condition, as breakdown facilities are virtually non-existent. Travellers must carry full supplies of water and petrol. Traffic drives on the right. Travel by road (outside Algiers) in northern Algeria should be avoided, especially after dark. Coach: Relatively inexpensive coaches, run by the SNTF, link major towns. Services are regular but this mode of travel is not recommended for long journeys, such as travel to the south from the coastal strip. Services leave from the coach stations close to the centres of Algiers and Oran. Car hire: Can be arranged at the airport on arrival or in most towns. Many hotels can also arrange car hire. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. A carnet de passage may be required. Cars are allowed entry for three months without duty. Insurance must be purchased at the border. Proof of ownership is essential.

URBAN

Municipal bus and tram services operate in Algiers, its suburbs and the coastal area. 10-journey carnets and daily, weekly or longer duration passes are available. There are also two public lifts and a funicular which lead up to the hill overlooking the old souk in Algiers. An underground system is planned (still several years from completion), plus a new tramway with a multi-route system projected to carry upwards of 200,000 daily passenger trips. Taxi: It is advised not to use public transport other than taxis recommended by established hotels. All taxis are metered and are plentiful in most cities and major towns, though busy during the early evening in the main cities as many people use them to return home after work. The habit of sharing a taxi is widespread. The amount on the meter is the correct fare, but there are surcharges after dark. Travellers are advised not to use unlicensed taxis, as these are likely to be uninsured.

Resort & Excursions

The North

For the purposes of this section, the country has been divided into two regions. The North includes the 1200km-long (750 miles) coastal strip, along which Algiers and Oran are situated, and the highlands of the Hauts Plateaux, immediately to the south. The second half of this guide covers the Sahara, which accounts for the largest part of Algeria's territory.

ALGIERS

The capital has been a port since Roman times and many impressive ruins can still be seen, such as those at Djemila, Timgad and especially Tipasa (see below), which are all in good condition because of the dry desert climate. Algiers was commercialised by the French in the mid-19th century and much of the fabric of the city dates from this time. However, it still has a Maghreb feel to it, with many zig-zag alleyways, mosques, a casbah, medersas (study houses) and the beautiful Turkish houses and palaces much admired by Le Corbusier. The Bardo Ethnographic and Local Art Museum and the National Museum of Fine Arts are amongst the finest in North Africa.

Excursions

Within easy reach of Algiers along the coast lie some fine resorts. Zeralda is a beach resort with a holiday village and a replica nomad village. Tipasa has exceptional Roman, Punic and Christian ruins, and a Numidian mausoleum. The Chiffa Gorges and Kabylia in the mountains provide more rural scenery. Fig and olive groves in summer become ski resorts in the winter.
To the east of Algiers, the Turquoise Coast offers rocky coves and long beaches within easy reach of the city, equipped with sports, cruise and watersports facilities. The Sidi Fredj peninsula has a marina, an open- air theatre and complete amenities including sporting facilities.

ORAN

The western coast around Algeria's second city has a similar range of beaches, historic remains and mosques. Along the coast from Oran, which is primarily a business centre and an oil depot, there are a number of resorts,many with well-equipped hotels. Notable beaches include Ain El Turk, Les Andalouses, Canastel, Kristel, Mostaganem and Sablettes. Les Andalouses is the most developed and offers all types of watersports facilities and nightclub entertainment as well as first-class accommodation.

THE HAUTS PLATEAUX

Tlemcen was an important imperial city from the 12th to 16th centuries. It stands in the wooded foothills of the Tellian Atlas and is a pleasant retreat from the stifling heat of high summer. Sights include the Grand Mosque, the Mansourah Fortress and the Almohad ramparts.
Constantine, to the east, is a natural citadel lying across the River Rhumnel. Founded by the Carthaginians, who called it Cirta, it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Algeria. Sights include the Ahmed Bey Palace (one of the most picturesque in the Maghreb) and the Djamma el-Kebir Mosque.

The Sahara

The Sahara is the most striking and also most forbidding feature of the country. Relatively uninhabited, the area is drawing increasing numbers of winter tourists. Accommodation, though generally good value, is often scarce in oasis regions, and during the season it is advisable to book in advance. Air Algérie operates frequent flights from Algiers to Ghardaia, Djanet and Tamanrasset, as well as to several smaller towns, oases and oil settlements, but services can be delayed in high summer owing to adverse weather conditions. Roads are much improved, although summer sand storms and winter rains can make all but the major routes hazardous.
The best way to enter the south is to cross the El Kautara Gorges to the south of Constantine. The sudden glimpse of the Sahara through the El Kautara Gorges is breathtaking. These gorges are said to separate the winter areas from the land of everlasting summer and are called Fouur Es Sahra ('the Sahara's mouth') by the inhabitants. Further down, most Algerian oases generally defy the European cliché of a small patch of palms forever threatened by encroaching dunes: they are often fairly large towns with highly organised, walled-in gardens with date palms, and mosques, shops and monuments.
Favourite starting places for exploring the Sahara are Laghouat, a town with a geometric plan, or the M'Zab Valley, which has seven typical holy towns and is inhabited by a Muslim fundamentalist sect called the Mozabites. Each town is distinguished by a minaret with four spires, a striking characteristic of all Mozabite towns. The most famous among them is Ghardaia, coiled within a group of bare, ochre rocks. The streets, made of clay or paving stones, curl up through the blue and beige buildings towards the white obelisk of the minaret. Not far from Ghardaia, situated on a hill, is the holy town of Beni-Isguen, the four gates of which are constantly guarded. The special feature of this town is its permanent auction market. In the east of the M'Zab region is Ouargla, referred to as 'the golden key to the desert'. This town is well worth visiting for its malekite (an Islamic sect) minaret overlooking an expansive landscape. At the foot of the minaret lies the market square, the porticos of the souks and the terraced house roofs of the inhabitants. Further on is an oasis surrounded by palm trees and beyond that lie the beaches of the Sebkha. Deeper into the south lies the town of El Goléa, referred to as 'the pearl of the desert' or 'the enchanted oasis' because of its luxuriant vegetation and abundant water. The town is dominated by an old ksar (fort) whose ruins are well-preserved. Moving ever further south one comes to the Hoggar Mountains, an impressive, jagged range reaching as far as Libya and surrounded by desert on all sides. It consists of a plateau made of volcanic rock. Eroded cliffs and granite needles form fascinating shapes in pink, blue or black basalt. At the top of the Assekreu nestles the famous refuge of Charles de Foucault at 2800m (9259ft). Mount Tahat, which belongs to the Atakor Massif, can be seen in the distance, reaching 3000m (9921ft) at its highest point. The picturesque capital, Tamanrasset, situated at the heart of the Hoggar Mountains, is full of life and character and is an important stopping place for commercial traffic travelling to and from West Africa. Being a large town with many hotels and restaurants, tourists often stay in 'Tam' (as it is sometimes called) and use it as a base for touring the Hoggar Mountains (the Assekreu and Charles de Foucault's hermitage) or hiking in the open desert to the south and west in the company of camel drivers who carry their luggage. It is also a popular winter holiday resort and a centre for oil exploration and exploitation. It is visited regularly by the camel caravans of les hommes bleus, blue-robed Touaregs, who are the ancient nomadic inhabitants of this wide region. They make their way around the inscrutable desert through an ancient knowledge of landmarks passed on from father to son. These nomads have a fair complexion, a blue veil over the lower half of their faces and are often very tall. The tiny oasis of Djanet, another watering hole for commercial traffic and trans-Saharan expeditions, can be found in the Tassili N'Ajjer, or 'Plateau of Chasms'. This is a vast volcanic plateau crossed by massive gorges gouged out by rivers which have long since dried out or gone underground. The Tassili conceals a whole group of entirely unique rupestrian paintings (rock paintings), which go back at least as far as the neolithic age. The paintings, depicting daily life, hunting scenes and herds of animals, have a striking beauty and reveal ways of life several thousand years old. They spread out over a 130,000 sq km surface (50,000 sq miles) and form an extraordinary open-air museum which has been miraculously conserved, owing to the pure quality of the air. Tours of the Tassili Plateau and the rupestrian paintings, as well as long-distance car treks in the Ténéré are available, lasting from one day to two weeks. These visits are organised by private agencies run by the Tuareg and most of them offer a high-quality service. Tourists are collected at the airport (either Djanet or Tamanrasset) and the agency provides them with transportation (usually in four-wheel-drive vehicles), mattresses and food, although travellers must bring their own sleeping bags.