Social ConventionsCourtesy should be adopted with new acquaintances. The provision and acceptance of hospitality are as important a part of Algerian culture as elsewhere in the Arab world. In the main cities, the urban population lives at a frantic pace much akin to European urban dwellers, but in the south and in rural areas people are much more open and friendly. Algerian women are expected to dress modestly in rural areas but this is not necessary in Algiers. Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by imprisonment. Tourist visits should be avoided during Ramadan.
Photography: Military installations
and personnel should not be photographed. Visitors are advised to make sure there is nothing that could be of a governmental or military nature around their prospective photographic subject.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline is
Air Algérie (AH) (website:
www.airalgerie.dz).
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsAlgiers (ALG) (Houari Boumediène) is 20km (12 miles) east of Algiers.
To/from the airport: Buses and trains operate to the city from 0600-1900 (journey 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.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Algiers,
Annaba,
Béjaia,
Oran and
Skikda.
Regular shipping lines serve Algiers from Mediterranean ports.
Algérie Ferries (website:
www.algerieferries.com) runs passenger services connecting Algeria to Marseille (France) and Alicante (Spain).
Getting There by RailThere 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 operating.
Getting There by RoadOwing 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 travelers 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.
OverviewThe following goods may be imported into Algeria by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 400g of tobacco;
1l of alcoholic beverages;
500ml of Eau de Cologne or 150ml of perfume in opened bottles.
Prohibited ImportsGold, firearms, ammunition and narcotics may not be imported or exported. Jewelry, gold and firearms may not be exported.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirAir Algérie operates frequent services from Algiers domestic airport (adjacent to Algiers International) to the major business centers of Annaba, Constantine and Oran. Less frequent services run from Algiers, Oran, Constantine and Annaba to the other less important commercial centers 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 sandstorms. 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 or fax reservations should be confirmed well in advance. Offices are very busy in the major towns.
Getting Around by WaterMain ports:
Algiers,
Annaba,
Arzew,
Béjaia,
Djidjelli,
Ghazaouet,
Mostaganem,
Oran and
Skikda.
Government ferries service the main coastal ports.
Getting Around by RailAlgerian 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.
Getting Around by RoadTraffic drives on the right. Road surfaces are reasonably good. All vehicles traveling in the desert should be in good mechanical condition, as breakdown facilities are virtually non-existent. Travelers
must carry full supplies of water and petrol. 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 centers 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.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesMunicipal
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. Travelers are advised not to use unlicensed taxis, as these are likely to be uninsured.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Algiers to other major cities/towns in Algeria.
| Air | Road |
| Constantine | 0.45 | 4.00 |
| Ghardaia | 0.55 | 6.00 |
| Oran | 0.50 | 4.00 |
| Tlemcen | 1.00 | 6.00 |
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