Road network

Algeria's main driving artery is the East-West Motorway, a dual carriageway of roughly 1,200 kilometers running along the northern coast from the Tunisian border through Constantine and Algiers to Oran and the Moroccan border. The road is in good condition with regular service areas and collects tolls at booths on a per-kilometer basis. Rates are relatively low but can change, so check current prices before travel. Secondary roads through the Kabylie and Aures mountain passes are mostly paved but narrow and winding. Traffic in Algiers is heavy and driving is aggressive. The practical land entry point for foreign visitors is from Tunisia; the Moroccan border has been closed since 1994.

Speed limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on rural roads, and 120 km/h on motorways. Headlights are required at night. Winter tires are not required. The blood alcohol limit is 0.01 percent, effectively zero. The minimum driving age is 18. The emergency number is 14. An international driving permit is required alongside your national license. Police checkpoints are frequent and documents should be kept within reach. Fuel is heavily subsidized and very inexpensive, but stations become rare south of the Atlas Mountains. Anyone driving into the Sahara should carry extra fuel and water, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is necessary off paved surfaces. The most striking fact for a foreign driver is how quickly the road network thins out south of the mountains, leaving vast distances between any two points with services.