DZ Algeria: how to get around

Shared taxis, known as “taxi-libre” in Algeria, operate along fixed routes and depart once fully occupied. These taxis provide an economical way to travel and offer opportunities to interact with locals.

Most well-known ride-hailing services such as Uber don't operate in Algeria. Instead you can use:

• Heetch A French app. This is your best bet as a foreigner.
• Yassir An Algerian app

Pickups may not work as smoothly as you're used to. Invariably after accepting a ride the driver will call you to try to coordinate a pickup location (the blue GPS dot on the shared map being untrustworthy for some reason). He will only speak Algerian Arabic. Should you get lucky and manage to actually coordinate a location, be prepared for him to be driving a car entirely different from the one listed in the app. Unless you speak Algerian Arabic, much of this depends on luck, and if you are near your hotel (or frankly any hotel) you're usually better off just asking them to call you a taxi.

The road network is well developed in the north. The Algerian government has made much improvements regarding road building; new highways were built to replace the older roads. The most important highway is the 1200 km long N1 (Route est-ouest) from Annaba to Oran, almost all bigger cities in the north are connected to this highway including Algiers.

A car is not absolutely necessary because of the well run public transportation system, but could be sometimes useful to reach more remote areas. Keep in mind that the driving habits of the locals are completely different compared to those of Europeans and that driving rules and prohibitive signs are more seen as guidelines, even by the police! It would be a wise decision letting a local Algerian do the driving for you in the first few days to get an impression of the driving style. If this is not possible it's recommended to stay on the highways.

Renting a car in Algeria is straightforward. Many rental agencies, both local and international, operate in major cities like Algiers, Oran, and Constantine. It’s wise to book in advance, especially during peak travel seasons. You’ll typically need a valid driver’s license, an international driving permit (recommended), and a credit card for the deposit.

Do not try to reach the Saharan areas with a car other than a 4x4: occasional dunes on the roads and extreme temperature changes will offer a challenge for the driver and the car. Take a map with you, as GPS may not be available in rural areas.

As of 2018, fuel did not cost more than DA50 a liter.

Companies providing bus services are ETUSA and SNTR. Cost for buses between major cities vary between DA500-2,000. Local buses are not well-marked. Know that bus toilets are rare and Algerian bus drivers do not like to stop.

Algerian railways are operated by SNTF; the trains and lines are being modernised. Ten comfortable high-speed trains named Autorail were bought, and two of them are in operation. Though the website is useful for checking times etc, tickets can not be bought online, only at the train stations.

If you can, try to catch the newer trains as they are more comfortable and climate-controlled. That said, none of the trains are in great shape. If you’re expecting a romantic journey through the Tell Atlas mountains, you may be disappointed as most of the train windows are so filthy as to render them opaque. Trains in Algeria get you from A to B, and slowly at that, nothing more.

Main routes:

• Algiers to Oran, five daily departures from Agha Station, this journey takes 4-5 hours, 2nd Class: DA900-1130, 1st Class: DA1200-1530.
• Algiers to Annaba, departing each evening at 19:40 and arriving in Annaba (via Constantine) at 05:38 the following morning. 2nd Class: DA900, 1st Class: DA1270.
• Algiers to Constantine as above

Other routes:

• Algiers to Touggourt, departing daily at 18:10, arriving in Touggourt at 05:00 the following morning. 2nd Class: DA1500, 1st Class: DA2005.
• Oran to Bechar, two daily departures. A daytime train leaves Oran at 10:20, while the night-train leaves at 20:30. 2nd Class: DA975, 1st Class: DA1370.
• Annaba to Tebessa, leaving Annaba at 16:40 and arriving in Tebessa at 21:49. 2nd Class: DA255, 1st Class: DA360.