Everyday practical information for Tunisia

Power

• 230 V, 50 Hz, sockets type C and E - the same round two-pin as France, so a European plug fits.
• UK and US plugs need an adapter.

Language

• Arabic is the official language and Tunisian Arabic is what is spoken.
• French is the working second language, on signs, menus and in offices, far more than English.
• English is common in the tourist belt and rare outside it. A little French goes further here than it does in most of North Africa.

The week

• Friday is the day the rhythm changes: the midday prayer empties offices for a while, and supermarkets stop selling alcohol.
• Ramadan reshapes the day, with restaurants shut in daylight outside resorts and everything happening after sunset.
• Public holidays follow both the Gregorian and Islamic calendars, so dates move year to year.

Climate

• The north has hot dry summers and rainy winters; the south is semi-arid.
• October to May is the northern rainy season. In the south it barely rains at all.
• Severe multi-year droughts happen and can put water supplies under pressure.