Flights to Algiers with Air France from CAD 905*

Algiers, Algeria's capital, largest city in the Maghreb.

You would like to take a flight for Algiers, “the White”. Algeria's capital is the largest city in the Maghreb (Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria), with a population of over 2.3 million.

Located in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast, Algiers is a city with a rich history, including the Kasbah (”.he Citadel”., historical center, which today is on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Built on a hill that slopes to the sea, the city still has its citadel, palaces, mosques, mausoleums and hammams. It is a maze of picturesque houses and streets.

However, the physical appearance of Algier's Kasbah drastically changed after French colonization which lasted over a century, from 1848 to 1962. The French demolished the old city walls in Algiers to build Haussmann-style buildings and avenues. They tore down a portion of the Lower Kasbah to erect the current Place de Martyrs.

The seafood restaurants along the Rampe de la Pêcherie, below the Kasbah, are famous for their grilled sardines.

Downtown Algiers, located to the north of the Kasbah, also has a European look with large buildings constructed in 1940: court house, government buildings, national assembly, national council and ministries. Today the seafront is an elegant walkway lined with arcades.

The rue Mourad-Didouche crosses downtown Algiers, with its elegant shops and fancy restaurants.

How to go to Algiers with Air France

Air France has several cheap flights per week departing from Canada to Algiers, particularly from Montreal and Toronto airports and flights have a stopover in Paris. There are about fifteen hours of travel time in all. If you depart from other Canadian airports, such as Calgary, Halifax or Ottawa, you will stopover in Amsterdam, Toronto or Paris. There are five daily flights from Paris to Algiers.

There is a six-hour time difference between eastern Canada and Algiers, and 9 hours between Vancouver and Algiers. Since you will be heading east, you will take off from Montreal at 9 AM and it will already be 3 PM in Algiers.

Once you have arrived at Algiers' international airport - Houari-Boumédiène, you can take the ETUSA bus number 100 that connects to downtown Algiers in 30 minutes. By 2020, the subway should be ready to provide shuttle service. By car, you will need to use Algiers' ring roads.

Travel to Algiers: practical information

Canadians traveling to Algiers should have a passport that is valid until at least six months beyond the date of expected departure from that country, whether you are a tourist or on business. If you plan to drive in Algeria, you should have an international driver's license.

If you remain in the Algerian capital, you should not worry about health services since Algiers has good private clinics. However, it is recommended to only drink bottled water.

Algeria's local currency is the Algerian dinar. It cannot be exchanged. You must exchange all currency before leaving Algeria.