Cycling in Tunisia
You can cycle almost anywhere in Tunisia: highways included, however those with a shoulder will give you a little more sense of security than those without. Tunis is not a difficult capital city to enter or leave and although you have to watch out for a few crazy antics from taxi drivers, traffic in general is reasonably courteous. On the other hand, you will definitely have to be careful of pedestrians, since they seem to step out of nowhere without warning.

Dress code is fairly simple: you just have to take a look around you. Both men and women don't show their legs, so the lycra riding gear is probably better worn underneath a pair of baggy trousers. While the larger cities have plenty of females who choose not to wear a head scarf, they still do not show much skin at all. The countryside paints an entirely different picture: women not only cover up very modestly, but nearly all wear a head scarf. It is not necessary to especially go out and purchase a scarf, but you may come up against a situation where you feel more at ease with one. Besides, with all the wind and sand, some fabric to wrap around the head could come in handy in other ways.

Road distance signs enroute are plentiful and reasonably accurate, as is the map you can pick up from any tourist information bureau in Tunis. Two distance errors we noted were: the turnoff outside Mareth to Djorf is 49 and not 39 kilometres; and Ben Gardane to Rasjedire is 33 and not 26 kilometres.

Cities are not well signposted, especially at roundabouts, so you may find yourself stopping to ask for directions quite often. In some towns, street names are only in Arabic. Most people speak French too. Road conditions vary greatly: from perfect asphalt to bumpy uncared for surfaces; shoulders come and go but in general highways are decent. If you can steer clear of the main thoroughfares then you will have a much more pleasant ride, though heading south towards the Libyan border means this will be almost impossible, without large detours through middle-country. There are very few alternatives getting yourself from A to B in Tunisia, though this limitation means you are not likely to get yourself lost either.

Leading out of Tunis, you will encounter a few undulations but these diminish, the further south you go. Unfortunately, the likelihood of prevailing hot winds blowing from the southwest is inevitable and they can whip up quite a force. Sandstorms and poor visibility are also common.

If the wind and weather are on your side, then cycling in Tunisia can be a great exploration of diverse countryside and attractions: the deserts and earth carved dwellings of the Berber people in the south; the enchantingly laid-back life on Île de Kerkennah and Île de Jerba in the Golf de Gabes in the east; and the unspoiled marshlands of Lac de l' Ichkeul and peaceful beaches on Rass Sidi Ali El Mekki peninsula in the north. And then there are the bustling medinas and souks in the cities. Tunisia really has a lot on offer, you just have to decide what you would like to see.

Larger cities usually have an area around the medina and/or the main bus station, where a concentration of cheap to mid-range hotels can be found. In 2010, an average double room with bathroom cost between 35 and 50 Tunisian Dinars. Don't be surprised if your hotel room only has a shower and wash basin, since it is quite normal for older style buildings to have share toilets on each floor. For long term stays a discount is quite often possible.

Complimenting the building's age, the decor will undoubtedly be a little worn, but if you hunt around, you will eventually find something clean and charming enough, albeit old fashioned. A basic room will include towels, soap, toilet paper and breakfast usually consisting of white bread, a croissant type pastry, margarine, jam and your choice of coffee or tea. Only some hotels have wifi, though it is becoming more and more popular.

In between the well known cites, there are not many accommodation choices at all and it is possible that even a decent sized town will not have a single hotel on offer. If you happen to visit El Jem you will find that Hotel Julius, next to the train station is no longer in operation. Should you really do want to stay close to the town, then Hotel Club Ksar El Jem about 4 kilometres north of the city does offer accommodation.

Our personal distance charts have some hotel options we noticed on the cycle route we took from Tunis to the border town of Ras Jedire.
tourismtunisia.com: Clickable map with extensive hotel accommodation listings throughout the country arranged by a star rating

Camping in Tunisia
Campgrounds are dotted all over Tunisia, though camping in Tunisia is hardly commonplace. There are a bigger concentration of official spots found in the more frequented tourist places, especially in the southern desert area. With a good eye and timing, it is not too difficult to find somewhere to stow away in the evening, provided you are prepared to get away from the main highways, down some sandy tracks and don't mind the rivets of olive tree groves. Similarly secluded coastline can be a prime stealth spot. In the north, central areas and rural areas of Tunisia you'll more than likely be camping wild most of the time. There are few other options.

One unique city centre campground can be found in Gabes. Facilities are pretty rundown and dirty, but as a cycle tourer you are given the chance to pitch the tent smack bang in the heart of a bustling city centre. On the other side of the coin, farm owners are generally very welcoming and don't mind you setting up camp on their property for an overnight stay if you ask them.

abenteuer-urlaub.de: extensive list of Tunisian campgrounds (official & unofficial) with GPS points compiled by overlander K. Friedl (in German)
CAMPINGO.com: You could try your luck with the campground links and information on this worldwide camping guide