Hyundai i20 car rental in Tozeur

Tozeur is the gateway to the Tunisian Sahara, and this is a place where a rental car changes everything: the region's most spectacular sights — the mountain oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Midès, the Chott el-Jérid salt lake, the palm groves of Nefta — are scattered 30 to 60 kilometres from town, with no practical public transport between them.

What you can do in a rental car

The road to Chebika and Tamerza is fully paved and fine in a small car, as is the crossing of the Chott el-Jérid towards Douz — an other-worldly drive with designated stopping points along the causeway. The old town of Ouled el-Hadef, with its famous brickwork, is an easy walk from the centre.

The sandy desert tracks, on the other hand — such as the one to Ong Jemel and the Star Wars film sets — are not for a normal rental car: most agencies exclude off-road driving. Book a local 4x4 excursion for that part of the trip.

When to go

The season runs from October to April, which is also festival season. In summer, temperatures regularly pass 45°C: drive early, check the air conditioning, and fill up before every excursion — petrol stations thin out quickly outside town.

The mountain oasis loop, hour by hour

This is the itinerary that justifies the rental on its own. Leave Tozeur early, climb to Chebika — about an hour — and walk up to the waterfall before the sun is high. Tamerza follows twenty minutes further on, with the abandoned village below the road; Mides and its gorge close the loop, right by the Algerian border. Come back down through Redeyef and Metlaoui: the full circuit is around 150 kilometres and fits in a day, provided you set off before nine.

Nefta, Degache and the chott

Nefta is twenty minutes west: the Corbeille and its sunken palm grove are best late in the day, when the light is at its finest. Eastwards, Degache and Kriz open onto the Chott el-Jerid crossing towards Kebili and Douz — an hour and a half of straight road on a causeway through the salt, without a single petrol station between the two shores. Fill up in Tozeur before committing to it.

What the car will not do

Everything above is comfortable in an economy car. The Ong Jemel track to the Star Wars sets, however, and the sandy approaches to Nefta's Corbeille, are not passable in a passenger car and fall outside most rental agreements. Take a local 4x4 excursion for that part. Finally, watch for sand blown across the carriageway on the Nefta road after a windy spell: it is slippery under braking.

The Hyundai i20 is one of the most complete superminis of its generation: modern styling, generous tech and the build quality behind the brand's recent reputation. It drives easily, parks anywhere and stays frugal day to day.

The cabin seats four adults comfortably and the boot keeps up for a trip of two or three. It's the no-obvious-compromise rental: neither the cheapest nor the biggest, but one of the most balanced in the segment.