World Country Guide

Travel - International

Note
Foreign travellers are advised against all holiday and non-essential travel to Algeria, owing to the continual threat of terrorism, which is greatest in rural areas in northern Algeria and in the desert and mountainous regions of the southeast (where a group of foreign tourists were abducted in 2003). It is advised that all travellers be extra cautious with personal security arrangements throughout their stay. All travel to the southeastern provinces of Tamanrasset, Djanet and Illizi is currently advised against.
Attacks from an armed insurgency of Islamist groups have targeted security forces but have also launched indiscriminate attacks on civilians by bombs and raids on villages, and on buses and vehicles, sometimes at false vehicle checkpoints.

Air
Algeria’s national airline is Air Algrie (AH) (website: www.airalgerie.dz). Other airlines serving Algeria include Alitalia, Egyptair, Royal Air Maroc, Saudia and Tunis Air.

Approximate flight times
From Algiers to London is 2 hours 15 minutes.

International airports
Algiers (ALG) (Houari Boumedine) is 20km (12 miles) east of Algiers. Buses and trains operate to the city 0600-1900 (travel time – 30 minutes). Taxis are also available. Airport facilities include a bank and 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. Taxis are available to the city. Airport facilities include a bank, limited catering and car hire.
Annaba (AAE) (Les Salines) is 12km (7.5 miles) from the city. A bus service departs to the city every 30 minutes. Coach service is available on request and taxis are also available. Airport facilities include a restaurant, bank and car hire facilities.
Constantine (CZL) (Ain El Bey) is 9km (6 miles) from the city. There are bus and taxi links with the city and limited airport facilities.

Departure tax
None.

Sea
The main ports are Algiers, Annaba, Bjaia, Oran and Skikda. Regular shipping lines serve Algiers from Mediterranean ports. Algrie 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. A reservation is required for this route. First-class carriages are air conditioned; the train also carries a buffet car and couchettes. Another daily train runs between Algiers and Marrakech in Morocco. Stops en route are Oran, Fs, Mknes, 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.

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.