I took an 11-hour ferry to Tunisia! [#vanlife]

Join me on this vanlife adventure as I get the 11-hour ferry from Palermo in Sicily to Tunis in Tunisia.

Would I be able to negotiate the boarding procedures in Italy? What would the conditions, fellow passengers and food options be like on board? And how on earth would immigration and customs work in Tunisia?

This was one of the longest days of my travel life – come along to see how it worked out!

I took the ferry from Palermo to Tunis aboard the Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) ship GNV Spirit.

I expected a fairly standard Mediterranean ferry crossing.

What I got was a day of confusion, patience training, soggy sandwiches, dolphins, unexpected naps, and a surprisingly smooth (if slightly chaotic) entry into Tunisia with a vehicle.

Arriving Far Too Early at Palermo Port

My ticket wasn’t clear whether check-in closed 2 hours or 4 hours before departure… so I arrived 5 hours early at 7:30 AM.

After paying an extra port tax I already half-knew about, I found the check-in area and was told, essentially, that I was very early.

Two hours later, I was still waiting around for something to happen.

Eventually:

• Passport check ✔️
• Customs check ✔️
• A lot of “hurry up and wait” ✔️

It became clear that 2 hours before departure is the realistic latest check-in time.

Boarding: A Free-for-All That Makes No Difference

When boarding started, it felt like a race. Drivers seemed desperate to be first on, assuming that meant first off in Tunis.

It doesn’t.

Despite boarding relatively early, I ended up second from last on the car deck. Pure luck of the draw.

The car deck itself:

• Strong fuel and exhaust smells
• Cars absolutely packed with belongings — many people clearly moving home
• Lots of passengers heading upstairs immediately to claim sleeping spots

First Impressions of the Ferry Facilities

Once upstairs, I went exploring.

The ship had everything you’d expect:

• Bars
• Cafés
• Restaurants
• Rows and rows of cabins
• Even a (derelict) swimming pool

For a daytime crossing, I didn’t think a cabin was worth the price. Instead, my ticket included a reserved lounge chair, which turned out to be a great decision later.

Food on Board: Expensive and Slightly Chaotic

My first attempt at food was a tuna and tomato sandwich and a coffee.

• The sandwich was completely soggy, but it was actually delicious
• It cost €10.40

Later, I planned to eat at the proper onboard restaurant for dinner… only to discover it only opens at lunchtime.

By early evening, food options were running out:

• No pizza
• No paninis
• Eventually settled for a €7.50 ham and cheese “maxi toast”
• Took forever to arrive despite the kitchen clearly making other food, but once more was delicious

Patience was required. Again.

Dolphins, Sea Views, and an Accidental Nap

About halfway through the 11-hour journey, I went out on deck to admire the coastline and spotted dolphins briefly surfacing beside the ship.

I then went to find my reserved seat on Deck 8.

I sat down… and unexpectedly fell asleep for quite a while.

Early Arrival into Tunis (Very Early)

We:

• Left 20 minutes early
• Arrived 2 hours 20 minutes ahead of schedule
• Docked after 9 hours total journey time

I expected to be stuck on the boat for ages waiting to disembark.

Instead, within 5 minutes of being called down, the car deck was nearly empty. People moved fast.

And then the real adventure began: entering Tunisia with a van.

Tunis Port: No Signs, Just Follow the Person in Front

Once off the ferry at the port in Tunis, there was almost no signage.

The method was simple:

Follow the person in front and hope they know where they’re going.

First stop: passport control.

This felt chaotic and stressful:

• Multiple document checks
• Scanners
• Repeated questions
• Van searched at customs
• Aggressive officer (which was a terrible first impression of Tunisians – my experience for the rest of the trip was that Tunisians are generally lovely, friendly folk)

Then came the tricky part: insurance and vehicle paperwork.

The Insurance and Paperwork Process in Tunis

I was handed a form entirely in Arabic and directed to a man who spoke only French. My French was not up to the task.

Google Translate’s camera function saved me here.

Key things to know:

• You can pre-register some vehicle info online, which will give you a QR code (saves a little time)
• You must buy local insurance (if you haven’t already arranged it)
• Insurance is cash only — 80 Tunisian dinars (~£20) for 15 days
• There is an ATM right there in the port
• Multiple signatures are required from different officials
• A lot of waiting for the “right person” to appear

At one point, I was parked with commercial vehicles being unloaded and thought I was in completely the wrong place.

Then a very friendly official who spoke good English arrived, quickly got all my paperwork signed, and personally walked me back to the road.

That moment sped everything up massively.

Total Time from Docking to Driving Away

• Docked: 08:10
• Cleared everything and driving away: 10:55

Under 3 hours from boat to road, including insurance, paperwork, customs, and confusion.

First Stop in Tunisia: La Marsa

From the port, it was about a 20-minute drive to La Marsa, a seaside town just outside Tunis, where I planned to park up and finally relax after a very long day.

A cold beer was top of the priority list, which I acquired from the wonderful La Dokkana. The local brew – Celtia – is a lovely drop!

Key Tips If You’re Taking This Ferry with a Vehicle

From my experience on the Palermo → Tunis crossing:

• The latest check-in time is 2 hours before departure, but check your ticket and get there in plenty of time
• Expect strong fumes on the car deck
• Bring snacks; onboard food is expensive and limited later in the day
• Wifi is available onboard, but it is very expensive
• A reserved lounge seat is absolutely worth it
• Watch for dolphins mid-crossing
• In Tunis port, follow others — signage is minimal
• Use Google Translate camera for forms
• Bring cash for insurance (ATM available)
• Be patient — the right official can make everything suddenly easy

This crossing wasn’t stressful because anything went wrong.

It was stressful because nothing is particularly clear — and you just have to trust the process.