After the Tunis-Carthage Marathon: Hammamet

The Route: Tunis → Bir Bou Rekba → Hammamet → Tunis–Carthage Airport Logistics: SNCFT train from Tunis to Bir Bou Rekba station, then a taxi to Hammamet. A shared louage or a private transfer are alternatives. Marathon Month: December Duration: 1 night

Tunis ──(1 hr 10 mins SNCFT train)──> Bir Bou Rekba ──(15 mins taxi)──> Hammamet
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          Tunis–Carthage Airport (TUN) ◄──(60 to 75 mins taxi or transfer)─┘

Hammamet sits about 60 to 70 km south-east of Tunis on the Cap Bon peninsula, on a coast that fills with package-holiday hotels in summer and empties in winter. The race ends on a Sunday, so a Monday-to-Tuesday night here puts the sea air and a long lunch within reach of tired legs for the price of a single train ticket.

December in Hammamet: the sea is too cool for most swimmers and the beach clubs are shut or running reduced hours, so this is a promenade-and-spa trip rather than a beach trip. Some seafront resorts close or cut services in winter, so confirm what is open when you book. Days are mild, in the mid to high teens Celsius in most years, though conditions vary, and rain is possible.

The train is the cheap option. SNCFT trains from Tunis take about 1 hour 6 minutes to 1 hour 13 minutes to Bir Bou Rekba, the station for Hammamet, which sits about 6 km from the town. Not every train stops there, and tickets are bought at the station, so check the timetable at sncft.com.tn. From the station, taxis cover the last stretch. A shared louage from the Bab Alioua station in central Tunis is the other cheap route but runs only in daytime hours. A pre-booked private transfer from Tunis takes 60 to 75 minutes and avoids both changes.

Night One: Hammamet

The medina and kasbah are the centre of town. The old walls stand directly above the sea, and the lanes inside are narrow, white and paved, with only gentle gradients. The kasbah is the one place with steps, up onto the ramparts, and the view back along the coast is the reason to climb them. A circuit of the medina takes an hour at post-marathon pace, and the shops are small and quiet in winter.

Dar Sebastian, now the International Cultural Centre on Avenue des Nations Unies, is the other fixed point. It was built as a villa in the 1920s by the Romanian millionaire George Sebastian and has been a venue for exhibitions and concerts since. The garden is flat and sheltered. Check the opening hours and the programme before going, since both change by season.

The Roman site of Pupput lies on the coast near Hammamet. It is a modest ruin, best treated as a short stop on the way in or out. Check the opening hours and ticket price before going.

For a place to sleep, La Badira is a modern boutique-style hotel on the Hammamet coast and a good choice for an upmarket night. The Royal Azur Thalassa is a mid-range seafront hotel whose name points to a thalassotherapy spa. Confirm the spa programme and winter opening when booking, since recovery treatments are the main reason to stay on this coast.

For dinner, Restaurant La Luna on Avenue du Koweït has been listed for years by travellers as a moderately priced restaurant. A typical dinner has been quoted at 15 to 20 TND, so check that it is still trading.

Getting to Tunis–Carthage Airport (TUN)

The airport is about 70 km from Hammamet along the A1 motorway. A taxi from the airport has been quoted by travellers at roughly 50 TND, so agree the fare before setting off. A pre-booked private transfer takes about 60 to 75 minutes and has a fixed price. Allow extra time on a Monday or Tuesday morning, when traffic on the approach to Tunis is heavier.

The alternative is the train back to Tunis, then a taxi to the airport, which is 15 to 20 minutes from the city centre. It is the cheapest route but involves three separate legs.