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Voykit pocket guide · Tunisia
Metlaoui
Skip Metlaoui as a base; day-trip from Tozeur for the Lezard Rouge train ride (1h45min, 25 DT). One hour is enough in the town itself.
Metlaoui is a dusty phosphate-mining town in southern Tunisia. Its only draw is the Lezard Rouge, a vintage tourist train that runs through dramatic canyons. Most travellers visit as a half-day trip from Tozeur, 45 minutes away by louage or bus. The town has no other sights worth stopping for.
- Country
- Tunisia
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (extreme heat)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TND
- Money
- Currency is the Tunisian dinar (TND). Cards work in larger hotels and some restaurants; louages, taxis, markets and cafés are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget 30–50 TND (day-trip from Tozeur) · Mid 60–100 TND · High 120+ TND (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Ooredoo, Orange and Tunisie Telecom sell SIMs at airports and shops with a passport; 10–20 GB for about TND 20–40 — check.
- Emergency
- Police 197 · Ambulance (SAMU) 190 · Fire 198
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · European plugs.
- Tipping
- Café: Leave small coins.; Restaurant: About 10%.; Guide, full day: TND 20–40.; Porter: TND 2–5.
- Water
- Tap water is treated but tastes of chlorine; most drink bottled.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels; squat in older cafés; carry tissue.
Get in
By air
- TOE · Tozeur–Nefta International Airport
- About 45 min by taxi or louage
Typical fares
- Louage Tozeur → Metlaoui
- 3–5 TND, about 45 min
- Lezard Rouge ticket
- 25 DT adults, 15 DT children 2–12
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Louage (shared taxi) from Tozeur to Metlaoui, about 45 min, 3–5 DT. The Lezard Rouge departs from the Metlaoui train station.
See and do
Known for
- Lezard Rouge tourist train
- Phosphate mining landscape
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tozeur | Louage or taxi, about 45 min | 45 min |
| Nefta | Louage via Tozeur, about 1 h | 1 h |
| Douz | Louage or taxi, about 2 h | 2 h |
| Gafsa | Louage, about 1 h | 1 h |
Sleep
- Tozeur
- Better accommodation and dining options; 45 min away by louage or taxi.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | السلام عليكمas-salamu alaykum |
| Thank you | شكراshukran |
| How much? | قداش؟qaddesh? |
| To the train station, please | إلى محطة القطار، من فضلكila mahattat al-qitar, min fadlik |
| I don't understand | ما فهمتma fhemt |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'aslema' or 'bonjour'; avoid: Kissing on the cheek unless offered
- Dress: Covered shoulders and knees in towns; avoid: Swimwear off the beach
- Bargaining: Friendly haggling in souks; avoid: Haggling in fixed-price shops
- Photos: Ask first; avoid: Police and military
Scams and watch-outs
- Lezard Rouge runs only on certain days; check the schedule and arrive early as tour groups fill the train.
- Metlaoui has no notable restaurants or cafés; eat before or after in Tozeur.
- The town is dusty and industrial; not a place to walk around for leisure.
Metlaoui is safe but dusty; watch for traffic on the main road. The Lezard Rouge train is well-run and safe.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Metlaoui yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lezard Rouge tourist train
- Phosphate mining landscape
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Metlaoui, revision 5179426 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5179426
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/metlaoui). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.