- Important points
- Choosing wings
- Hotel or apartment
- Transport subtleties
- Nightingales are not fed with fables
- Useful details
- The perfect trip to Algeria
The vast majority of the territory of Algeria is covered by the sands of the Sahara, which is called their homeland by numerous tribes of North African Berbers. Free male nomads, the Berbers generously share their customs and culture with the brave men who ventured on an exciting journey to Algeria - the very heart of the greatest desert on the planet.
The gray-haired ruins of the times of the Phoenicians and Byzintians, the triumphal arches of the ancient Romans and the mosques erected by pirates are also worthy of attention of the guests. Tassili National Park contains petroglyphs dating back to the seventh millennium BC and protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage of Humanity.
Important points
- The visa required to travel to Algeria is issued at the country's embassy in Moscow. An indispensable condition for obtaining it is an invitation from the tourist operator of Algeria with detailed information about the duration of the stay, the program of excursions and the name of the hotel where the tourist will stay during the trip. The issue price is 40 euros. Israeli passport stamps are a 100% guarantee that a visa will be refused.
- Credit cards are accepted in major European-style hotels and restaurants. ATM machines are everywhere.
- Car rental is allowed for holders of an international license. Give preference to world-renowned rental offices and do not try to go to the Sahara without a local guide.
Choosing wings
The cheapest flight from Moscow to Algeria will cost with a connection in one of the European capitals or Istanbul:
- The French airline Air France is ready to deliver its passengers from Russia to Algeria for $ 330 and a little over 6 hours excluding the transfer in Paris.
- A flight with the German airline Lufthansa will cost about the same. Without taking into account the transfer in Frankfurt, the journey will take almost 6 hours.
- Traditionally, Turkish Airlines carry passengers cheaper than others. For $ 290, you can be in Algeria using the long connection to the advantage. Turkish Airlines are eager to offer their transit passengers free sightseeing tours around Istanbul.
Hotel or apartment
The choice of European-style hotels in Algeria is not very rich. The reason for this is considered to be not too high popularity in the tourist market of North Africa. The other countries of the Maghreb have left Algeria far behind in this sense.
Available in the country "five" belong to world chains and a day in a Marriott hotel will cost fans of European comfort and service, on average, legal $ 150. The very beautiful and expensive Renaissance Tlemcen is full of oriental Arabic charm and charm, but it costs $ 190 or more per night in its luxurious rooms.
Algerian "four" in the capital are not much inferior in price to hotels with five stars on the facade. A room in such a hotel will cost $ 150, and guests will have their own bathroom, a magnificent view of the sea from the window and wireless Internet at their disposal. Breakfast will be served at the hotel's restaurant, and you can park your rental car at the free parking.
Inexpensive "kopeck piece" apartments in Algeria will cost $ 40-$ 50 per day. Breakfast is usually included in the price.
Transport subtleties
The largest country in Africa, Algeria is 80 percent desert and the main transport used to cover long distances is domestic aviation. Algeria has several large airports located close to the main cities and regional centers.
Domestic flights are operated by the national airline Air Algerie and are not cheap. For example, a round trip ticket from the capital to the southern city of Tamanrasset will cost nearly $ 300. You will have to spend about 4.5 hours in the sky.
The northern part of the state has a well-established intercity bus service, while in the south, road transport is represented by four-wheel drive pickups and SUVs due to frequent sandstorms and not very good and reliable roads.
Taxis can be found both in the capital and in other large cities. For your own safety, do not get out of an unmarked car. It is best to entrust the order of the car to the hotel receptionist or restaurant administrator. Agree on the price in advance.
Nightingales are not fed with fables
The cuisine of the Maghreb countries is widely represented in Algeria. Local dishes are based on lamb, couscous, vegetables, chicken and beef. You can have lunch at a local street cafe for $ 2 -3 $, drink a checker of coffee with oriental sweets half the price, and have a bite of a cheburek for a penny.
In restaurants with a "French bias", of which there is a great variety in Algeria, prices are slightly higher, and a dinner with wine and a hot dish will cost two people $ 25 -30.
It is worth buying food from street vendors only if it has undergone thermal treatment. Feel free to try tortillas and shawarma, grilled meats and baklava. But it is better to refrain from buying juices and cut fruits.
Useful details
- Upon entering the country, a cash declaration form is drawn up, in which the entire amount of cash available with you must be entered. The first exchange is best done at the bank branch of the airport in order to get a mark in the declaration. Paper will be required when leaving the country. All other receipts for exchanging currency for dinars should also be kept.
- Credit card scams are common in the country, so it is best to have an adequate supply of cash with you.
- For trips inland, it is better to use four-wheel drive vehicles. Sandstorms in the Sahara often happen in defiance of all favorable weather forecasts.
- In Algeria, French is spoken and even residents of large cities hardly speak English. Bring a small Russian-French phrasebook with you to make communication easier in your hotel, restaurant or market.
- It is important to book excursions to the Sahara only from a tour operator registered with the National Tourism Office. It is forbidden to travel to the desert on your own and it is very dangerous.
- Use only bottled or boiled water for drinking, brushing your teeth and washing fruit.
- Bring warm clothes on your desert safari. At night in the Sahara, temperatures can drop to very low values.
The perfect trip to Algeria
The northern part of the country is located in the classic Mediterranean climate zone with hot dry summers and warm but rainy winters. The air temperature on the beaches of the Mediterranean coast rises to + 30 ° С in summer, and in winter the northern territories cool down to + 10 ° С - + 12 ° С.
In the Sahara, it is unbearably hot in summer and thermometers often exceed + 45 ° C and above. In winter, the air temperature fluctuates sharply from + 20 ° С during the day, to zero and even minus values at night.
The best time to relax on the beaches of Algeria is the end of spring and the first half of summer, although in July-August it is quite comfortable here due to low humidity. It is best to go on excursions to the Sahara and the ancient cities of Algeria in the first half of spring or in the middle of autumn, when the thermometers stop at a comfortable + 24 ° С - + 26 ° С.
