Thanks Doe.

It is very easy to go 'off topic' when we get talking on here and one query sometimes leads to another which is in no way related.

I have just been asked about mobile phones in Tunisia and the first thing to say is it can be very expensive to use a UK mobile. For many years there were only two phone companies in Tunisia but now Orange have joined the party so if you are with them there is a possibility it might be slightly cheaper. As a regular visitor I've had a Tunisiana sim for many years and it has saved me a lot.

If you just want to phone home to check everything is OK you are best to use the local Taxi Phones which are everywhere and remarkably cheap. Whatever you do don't go through your hotel switchboard unless you've got cash to waste.

Aslemma do u get the Tunisian simm cards only in tunsisa? as I think I might need 1

If you are likely to continue being a regular visitor I do think they are worth getting. As far as I know you can only get them in Tunisia. There are now 3 companies, Tunisiana (which I have), Orange (fairly new out there) and another company whose name escapes me. I should imagine all the companies work in the same way but for Tunisiana you need to produce a photocopy of your passport (very bureaucratic the Tunisians) and the cost is around 10 dinar (under £4). Remember you need to have an unlocked mobile. Do not let a local persuade you that he can do it for your more easily, as not only will it cost you more, but the card will be registered in his name. This won't actually be a problem unless you manage to lose it, when you will need to provide identity to get a new sim with the same number.

If you top the card up with 10 dinar it will preserve your number for 6 months, (5 dinar for 3 months) - the credit does not expire. I got my original sim in the big Tunisiana offices in Sousse but I'm sure there are plenty more places you can get them from and top-up cards are available everywhere. I usually bring at least 1 10 dinar card back with me in case I'm not out there again within the six months.

I'm not very impressed with Thomas Cook Airlines. A friend is taking me to visit the SOS Children's Village in Akouda on my forthcoming trip so I want to take a few things out for them, including children's clothes and probably a few toys. When I took stuff out for the Tunisian Red Crescent at the time of the Libyan uprising BA were fantastic and gave me a free 20kg extra luggage allowance, though I wasn't actually able to carry that amount of extra luggage. On contacting TC I was told I could pay for extra luggage (obviously) or could ring their office to see if they would offer me a free allowance. I did so and explained where the stuff was for but they want an official e-mail from the charity before they will consider it. It's really not worth jumping through hoops for the amount I'd be able to carry and I'm certainly not prepared to pay TC more than the £44 they've already got from me for 20kg of luggage so the charity will only get what I can fit into my allowance.

Aslemma wrote:

I'm not very impressed with Thomas Cook Airlines. A friend is taking me to visit the SOS Children's Village in Akouda on my forthcoming trip so I want to take a few things out for them, including children's clothes and probably a few toys. When I took stuff out for the Tunisian Red Crescent at the time of the Libyan uprising BA were fantastic and gave me a free 20kg extra luggage allowance, though I wasn't actually able to carry that amount of extra luggage. On contacting TC I was told I could pay for extra luggage (obviously) or could ring their office to see if they would offer me a free allowance. I did so and explained where the stuff was for but they want an official e-mail from the charity before they will consider it. It's really not worth jumping through hoops for the amount I'd be able to carry and I'm certainly not prepared to pay TC more than the £44 they've already got from me for 20kg of luggage so the charity will only get what I can fit into my allowance. :cry:

that's a shame, ud think seeing it was for a good cause they would wave the fee and let u bring a another case for charity, but like u say they get enuff money of u as it is, without getting more, I know when we went to india,( now rem it was my 1st time, but hubbies 14th time,.......... he went before with his 1st wife n kids) the clothes he came with and half of mine we left to the staff members at hotel. all his t/shirts was bout 14 of them jeans trainers. and the like. as he said these people have nothing I can always buy new stuff back home, the smile on the guys face is still etched in my head the morning hubbie give him his jacket of his back to keep.

When I was there the same time as you Pat I got an extra 20 kgs free off Thomas Cook for the Red Crescent.
I was on a Thomson holiday and after you told me BA had given the extra allowance I asked in the Thomson shop and was surprised when TC agreed.
Maybe if you ask in a TC shop they may give you the allowance.

It mightn't be feasible for you, Aslemma, but I have found that the check-in staff for Thomas Cook can actually be more accommodating than the back room staff. On my last trip to Cuba I was taking quite a lot of stuff out on what was my first post-hurricane visit and I did pay for taking two checked in bags on the outbound flight so it could all be packed up in a separate bag. Admittedly, because it was longhaul I could use the night before check-in so it was very quiet and when I explained what I was doing and showed him, the young man just checked the lot in even though I was well over my weight allowance. And I mean well over the checked in allowance I'd actually paid for.

I did have the advantage that if he hadn't been prepared to overlook all the excess weight, I could have just left it with the friends I was staying overnight with but if someone is dropping you off at the airport perhaps it is worth taking the chance and whoever drops you off could take the excess weight home with them if the check-in staff are sticklers for the rules? Going to Cuba I really miss Cubana - on one trip when I had loads of kids books for one of the local schools and ESOL books for the local English language teachers to take with me - they let me take nearly 50kgs in total!

SM

I remember how good both BA and TC were when we went out in the middle of the Libyan crisis Jean, but it seems TC are simply not interested now without a load of bureaucracy. I'm travelling alone and one of my sons is dropping me off at the next town to catch the bus to Stansted so I really can't afford to risk it, so I'll just see if I can manage to get a few bits and pieces in with my normal luggage. As it happens I've only just been asked if I want to visit the village and unfortunately my d.i.l. has just passed a load of my little granddaughter's things on to a friend, and it was her things that I was most keen to take out for the children. I'll pick up a few bits and bobs which I'm sure will be welcome, though the friend who is taking me says the people there are simply happy to see visitors from abroad.

I can actually sort of understand why TC are asking for this, too many people now could just use the charity thing as an excuse to take more weight for themselves and avoid paying for it, unfortunately a sign of the times and how a few selfish people have made life harder for others.

It shouldn't be hard to get the charity to send you an email confirming the information and for you to forward it to TC and hopefully it will be sorted quickly and very easily.

Thomson did the same with me and a quick email sorted it all out and a free charity allowance was provided when we went to Kenya.

Did you try using this TC official charity request email address tchdpretraveladmin@thomascook.com email them and be sure to add the name and address of the charity and importantly their charity number.

UK Office Details

SOS Children's Villages
Terrington House
13-15 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 1NL

Phone: +44 (0) 1223 365589

Email: info@soschildrensvillages.org.uk

Charity Commission registered number 1069204

Thanks for the info Graham. I've made a note of it for my next visit but decided not to bother this time and simply take a few bits and pieces which I can fit in my luggage. There really isn't enough time now to try and source children's clothes, so I'll just make a quick trip to the local market etc. for some toys, crayons, colouring books etc.

When I got the extra allowance off Thomas Cook they said it had to be in a separate bag/case and clearly marked with the Red Crescent name on it.
Its a shame folk would use this to increase their allowance.

I agree Jean. BA didn't actually give me any special instructions, though I did put the things in a separate bag with a label saying it was for the Red Crescent.

It was a strange day when we took the bag to St Felix church in Sousse.
Afterwards we walked up to the Kasbar and went up the tower.
We then walked just inside the city walls hoping to get back to the Soula centre but ended up in the Red Light district which I may add seemed to be doing a roaring trade on that Sunday morning.

I remember that story Jean. In all my years of visiting Sousse I've never discovered the red light district nor climbed the tower, I've also never visited St Felix Church as I dropped my things off at the Red Crescent place near the post office, where a young lady was sorting through piles of clothes/food/blankets and other assorted donations. Luckilly I was with a Scottish friend who spoke fluent French, as I don't think the young lady spoke any English.

For those of you who remember Dorra who used to be a regular on the Tunisia forum, I thought you might like to know that she got married in Australia a couple of months ago and will be relocating there at the end of May. She is in the UK at present, selling her house and getting organised for the move. She has managed to fit in a quick trip back to Tunisia before then but unfortunately we will miss one another by a day, as she arrives the day I leave.

I don't know the lady but wish her and her husband a long happy life

wont be long now for you Aslemma, I am getting very excited now, bags packed in hall. do I need to put a code in front of the number u sent me to txt u on sunday ?

Dogs bathed, glasses in freezer for kindly neighbour who takes care of them while I am away (there are also a bottle of bubbles, bottle of red wine, beers etc in the fridge and steak and prawns in the freezer!).

Just need to pack the bags and wait for the taxi! 3am pick up on Wednesday !

Aslemma, will pm my mobile number as I have just realised I didn't do that before!

Hope you all have a safe journey and a wonderful time in Tunisia!