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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 02, 2025 12:00 AM Great Mosque, but do not trust Algerian Railways!
Constantine. In the morning I took the walk + tram (40 dinars) to the new and brilliant mosque of Emir Abdel Kader. It is one of the biggest in Africa. You can go inside, but left your shoes. You can also take discret photos... Place not to be missed!
I was walking back through the picturesque bridges...
At 3 pm I was ready to go to the station for 4 pm train. Happy, that I will skip bumpy travel on Algerian bus. On Tuesday evening I have been here, wanting to buy the ticket and the lady in the ticket winndow wrote me on the piece of paper: 2nd October departure 16.00 arrival to Jijel 18.00. When I reached the station today she said that today train departed at 14.55.
Are they crazy? Manager said: it was her error.
They send me to the bus station and now I an in the shared taxi to Jijel (3 hours -500 dinars) 140 km but the road is bad. And my luck is bad too!
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Oct 01, 2025 12:00 AM Historic Constantine
They say that Constantine has 2500 years of history. Today I had a guide - Mr Talal from Couchsurfing organization. He took me to the places not easy to find. We tried local food in the bazaars, went to the hidden palace of Ahmad Bey and climbed to the Monument of Dead People for the great view. They built a cable car over the canyon, which is worth to take. The ticket cost only 30 dinars! It was a long and lovely day - thank you Mr Talal!
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Sep 30, 2025 12:00 AM To Constantine!
Hot, sunny day... At 9 am I was already walking with my backpack to the bus station on Skikda. - No big buses to Constantine! You have a choice of Toyota minibus or yellow shared taxi. Yellow taxi! I paid 300 dinars for slightly more then 100 kms. Most of the route was on the highway with tunnels... At the destination I asked the driver to leave me at the GARE (railway station). In the station building they make me happy: Yes! The train to Jijel on the coast is departing every day at 4 pm. Lucky me! This will be next stage of my journey!
Constantine is famous for the 100 meters deep canyon. It cuts the city by half. In the old part of the city I found lovely hostel "Dortoir 25" where you can have a clean room with bath and breakfast for just 20 euro (exchanged on a free market). :)
They speak English here!
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Sep 29, 2025 12:00 AM Beaches of Skikda
Skikda has the port, but no beaches. You must board public bus waiting at abandoned rail station, pay 20 dinars and go to Stora - little fishing port just few kms away. On the way you will see first beaches along the promenade, but it is hard to say that they are nice. Stora under the high, coastal mountain with fishing boats is worth a picture. I started to climb the mountain for better views. Finally I found myself on the 100-m pass. Kiosks are selling there snacks and drinks. The paved road goes onward to the hidden in the bay cozy Plage la Carriere. View from the road is great, This beach is divided into few parts. I was walking onward. No joke! Hitchhiking is poor. Finally somebody gave me a lift to the viewpoint of Grand Plage. It is framed by coastal mountais. Grear view again. This is dead end of this road - I was forced to hitchhike back to Skikda. Great, sunny day on Algerian coast!
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Sep 28, 2025 12:00 AM 5 buses to Skikda...
Intercity bus travel in Algeria is dirty cheap, but not always convenient and comfortable. I wanted to go from Batna to Skikda on the Mediterranean coast of Algeria. To get to bus station I used two city buses. Once on the station they said that direct bus to Constantine will be only on 12.30 pm - two hours waiting, but you can go now changing bus in Ain Milila. This stretch of the route was pictureque with interesting mountains (see picture) In Milila the driver put me on the second bus - only middle, folding seat was available and so many humps on the road that my backbone suffered a lot. In Constantine minibus to Skikda was waiting but again they had for me only middle seat in the back. When we reached Skikda I wasn't feeling well... Algerian roads and Algerian buses! But whole voyage cost me less than 3 USD!
Skikda is worth the effort! It has a bus station on one end of the main street and abandoned train station (no trains, but they are in the timetable published on internet) on the other - down in the port. Skikda has strong Mediterranean character with high arcades along the main street and plenty of patisseries. Near the port there is palm- fringed square with cafes...
Local, Mr Mohammed helped me to find cheap hostel (here they use the French term "dortoire") where I pay 2000 d for the room with a/c and shared bath Dortoire de la Madina is in the old town. Baguettes (25 d), tomatoes (100 per kilo) and apples (250 per kilo) are sold just downstairs. Mosques are in the distance! Nice place, but I need a rest!
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Sep 27, 2025 12:00 AM Timgad - far from the beaten track
I was reading about Timgad many years ago and it was long time on my wish list... Romans built 2000 years ago a military colony to control caravans going in and off the Sahara. The stone city was well-planed and once has 60 thousands inhabitants. Today is the property of Algeria and UNESCO placed it on World Heritage list. It is some 45 kms from Batna.
Instead of taking an expensive taxi I took in tje morning city bus for 25 dinars to the long dostance bus station. Minibus charging 70 dinars was waiting there to fill-up. It took us around 1 hour in the traffic to get to the ruins of Timgad. They charge 130 dinars entry fee and the same amount for the little museum with the mosaics and heads inside... But I wanted to see my dream... The cobbled with huge stones main street took me to the world of columns, arches, baths. In front of the forum I turned right to the Arch of Trajan - the best presedved and visible from the distance. Then I went to the Capitol with two 14-m columns remained. Far in the south Bizantine fort did not impressed me, so I went back to the theatre. Her, on the upper seats is probably the best observation point. I was sitting and enjoying sun on the ruins. Few visitors only, no crowds or nasty guides, but like in Djemila - prepare for zero info. One more travel dream came true!
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Sep 26, 2025 12:00 AM In the rain to Batna
It is strange country. Even city maps are not available (Top secret!) and this creates the problems for newcomer. Google maps for this region offers a outdated garbage. What I can recommend now is mapy.com - still not perfect, but better than nothing... In the morning I left a hotel in Setif and took a tram to gare routiere. On Fridays regular buses do not operate, so the only solution was yellow shared taxi - I paid dirty 400 dinars for 2-hours trip to Batna. It was raining all the way. In Batna driver left us on the peripheral bus station. No city bus on holy Friday! Taxi costs hefty 300. There is hotel worth to recommend: Hayat is opposite city theatre. Clean room with bath and breakfast for 3500 dinars (14 euro on the free market). One recepcionist ,Elas speaks fluent English. Batna has little to offer. But I am here for famous Timgad - I hope that tomorrow the weather will be clear!
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Sep 25, 2025 12:00 AM The beauty of Djemila
Expecting storm in the afternoon I wanted go fast to the UNESCO-listed roman ruins of Djemila (some 70 kms). I used local Uber-Yassir, the driver confirmed, price was good, and gthen he wanted almost twice more. Shame!. I went to the bus station an using two consecutive buses (40 dinars to El Eulma and 60 dinars to Djemila)
Entre fee they charge is 130 dinars (65 for seniors). You pay extra 120 if you want to enter small museum.
I spent there 2 hours wondering between basilica, theatre, column-fringed streets and forumns. I saw there no more than 10 other tourists. Landscape with hills around is fantastic, but zero info so bring your maps and guide-book with you. Bring also your passport - police at the gate required it. Sneakers will give more comfort? :). I had fantastic day!
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Sep 24, 2025 12:00 AM Back in Algeria after 46 years!
Yesterday in the evening I took the flight from Lyon to Setif in Algeria. Already on the plane I found Algerian friends. After long paperwork inn imigration control they helped me to find acommodation, change money on free market rate and organize a transport to the town (taxi costs 1000 dinars).
Today the sun is shinning and I had a chance to adjust to the new conditions, take a walk in the center (they have even tram line!) to visit museum and the main mosque. People are nice but most ladies still wear traditional Arab "costumes". After some trials I also managed to install a local SIM card with internet package. Only ooredoo operator offers such a service to foreigners! It cost me 1500 dinars for 40 GB. I am back in Africa on the level about 900 m above the sea - relaxing and enjoying!
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Sep 23, 2025 12:00 AM Marseille - transit only. And then Lyon...
In the morning I disembarked the ship. It is about 1 km from the pier to the port gate where free shuttle bus is waiting (departures every 35 min). It took to the Place Joilliet. From here it is still about 2 km walk (uphill) to St Chales railway Station. I was on time for 11.54 TGV train to Lyon. It is really fast - non-stop. Wow! Booking well ahead I paid just 10 euro for 1,5 h high speed travel. TGV stops in Lyon not in the city center but st the modern airport only. Flying off only in the evening I wanted to leave my pack in the locker and visit the city. Forget it! Shame on you LYS airport. In both terminals they don't have any lockers or left luggage room! I eas forced visit Lyon with my backpack!
They have fast tram from aorport to the city, but they charge hefty 16 euro each way. I'll tel you the secret: you can do the same for 2.30 euro taking local bus E200 or 47 to to Mayzieu ZI tram station and boarding there silver tram T3. It goes, like airport express to Part Dieu station in Lyon.
Lyon have old city between two rivers: Rhone and Saone. Interestin Notre Dame basilica is visible on the hill aboer the bridges. Nice city!
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