Tunis Travel Forum

i will be on holiday in mahida in may, and i would like to visit my father's
grave in blida,algiers. can anyone give me advice how to get there safely.
thank you, john.

I think flying into Algiers would be the safest and best choice.

Hmm...it would be quite a long journey! From mahdia, you'd have to go first to Tunis (about three or four hours), where there are louages (shared taxis) across the border to Constantine or Annaba in eastern Algeria. From there, I'm told by my Algerian friend that the train is the best way to go, although Lonely Planet cite problems in the Kabylie region and suggest flying between Annaba and Algiers to avoid the trouble spots. They also don't recommend going to Blida at the moment.

Alternatively, fly from Tunis to Algiers.

Getting a visa for Algeria is the difficult part. You need to plan this in advance, as most nationalities need some sort of invitation. Algeria doesn't encourage independent tourists, so unless you go on an organised tour, or have an Algerian friend who can send you an invitation letter, visas are hard to obtain. Ask your nearest Algerian Embassy what documents you need.