Automatic car rental in Tunisia is harder to find than most visitors expect: the majority of local agencies rent manual cars first, and their few automatics are gone early in high season. At VIPCAR, founded in 2001 with 250+ vehicles and three offices (Tunis Lac 2, Gabès and Djerba airport), automatic transmission runs across the whole range: from the Kia Picanto to the 7-seat Mercedes V-Class, by way of the Toyota Corolla hybrid, Volkswagen Golf 8, Toyota RAV4 hybrid and Mercedes E-Class. Every car is delivered free at Tunis-Carthage, Enfidha-Hammamet and Djerba-Zarzis airports, with 300 km per day, basic insurance and a refundable deposit that stays your maximum liability. This page sets out the models by budget, who benefits most, the conditions and how to book.
Why automatics are rare at Tunisian rental agencies
In Tunisia, the typical rental car is still a manual city car: cheaper to buy, simple to maintain, and what most local customers drive. As a result, many agencies keep only a handful of automatics, booked weeks ahead in summer, and it is not unusual for a customer who asked for an automatic to be offered a manual at the counter.
At VIPCAR, automatic is not the exception: most models in the fleet have an automatic gearbox, from the city car to the 7-seat SUV. Only the Hyundai i20, Seat Ibiza, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Hilux and Peugeot Traveller are manual. When you ask for automatic transmission car hire at Tunis airport or in the city, the written quote names the model and its transmission, so the car delivered matches the car you booked.
VIPCAR automatic cars, from budget to premium
Here are the automatic models in the fleet, from the most affordable to the most premium. Today's rate, in TND with a EUR conversion, is shown on each car page and on our pricing page; that is the figure your quote is based on. From the T-Cross up to the V-Class, these models also come with a chauffeur, on quote only.
- Budget: Kia Picanto, a 4-seat automatic city car, ideal in town and for a couple.
- Sedans: Suzuki Ciaz with its large boot, and Toyota Corolla hybrid, quiet and economical on the motorway.
- Compact and small SUV: Volkswagen Golf 8 and Volkswagen T-Cross, well equipped and comfortable anywhere.
- Hybrid SUVs: Toyota RAV4 hybrid and BYD Song Plus hybrid, for space and long drives.
- Mercedes: A-Class, E-Class 180 and E 350e hybrid, for comfort and business meetings.
- 7 seats: Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2023 and 2025, and Mercedes V-Class 250 (up to 6 bags).
Who needs an automatic car in Tunisia?
Automatic car rental in Tunisia is not essential for everyone, but it changes the trip for several kinds of driver:
If you drive a manual every day and the lowest price is your priority, the fleet also has economical manual models; our cheap car rental page compares the options.
- Visitors used to automatics: many drivers from the Gulf, North America and Europe no longer change gear day to day. The exit of an airport is not the place to relearn the clutch.
- Tunis city traffic: rush-hour jams, roundabouts and frequent stops in the centre and the suburbs are far less tiring with an automatic.
- Long drives: from Tunis to Gabès or Djerba, hours on the road are more relaxed in an automatic, especially a hybrid.
- Families and occasional drivers: fewer movements to manage, more attention for the road, the signs and the GPS.
Automatic and hybrid: Corolla, RAV4, BYD, Mercedes E 350e
Part of the VIPCAR automatic range is hybrid: the Toyota Corolla, Toyota RAV4, BYD Song Plus and Mercedes E 350e. Each combines a petrol engine with an electric motor, and an automatic gearbox handles the switch between them on its own. In town, at low speed, the electric side often takes over, which makes driving quiet and smooth in Tunis traffic jams.
In practice, the rule is the same as for the whole fleet: full-to-full fuel, so you return the car with the same level as delivered and fill up at the pump, with nothing to prepay. The Corolla suits a couple or a small family, the RAV4 and BYD add SUV space for luggage, and the E 350e brings together hybrid drive and Mercedes comfort for business travel.
Families and groups: automatic 7-seaters
For a large family or a small group, an automatic 7-seater is often impossible to find for rent in Tunisia. VIPCAR offers three: the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2023, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2025 and the Mercedes V-Class 250, which carries up to 6 bags.
The Prado is a large, robust SUV, as comfortable on the motorway as on the southern roads to Gabès and Djerba. The V-Class is a premium people carrier, designed for families with suitcases and for welcoming guests. For more than 7 people, the 9-seat Peugeot Traveller (6 bags) is available, but it has a manual gearbox. If you would rather not drive, the Prados and the V-Class can also be booked with a chauffeur, on quote only, depending on date, time and route.
Conditions to rent an automatic car
The conditions are the same for an automatic as for a manual, with no extra paperwork or admin fee:
Free cancellation and modification up to 24 hours before pick-up. Extras (child seat, additional driver, GPS) are on request and confirmed at booking.
- Minimum age 21, driving licence held for at least 2 years.
- Passport or ID card, driving licence and a bank card (credit or debit card accepted).
- International Driving Permit recommended if your licence is not written in the Latin alphabet.
- Minimum rental period: 3 days.
- 300 km per day included, cumulative over the whole rental.
- Full-to-full fuel; basic third-party insurance included, no insurance package sold.
- Driving outside Tunisia is not permitted, no exceptions.
- One-way rentals possible, for example pick-up in Tunis and return in Djerba or Gabès: €70–100 depending on the route.
Automatic car delivered at Tunis-Carthage airport
The most common request: an automatic car at Tunis airport, ready the moment you land. Delivery and collection are free at Tunis-Carthage (TUN), Enfidha-Hammamet (NBE) and Djerba-Zarzis (DJE), day or night, with no airport fee. You send us your flight number; an agent waits for you in arrivals with a name sign and hands over the car at the exit, after a walk-round of the vehicle and a document check.
An automatic car delivered in arrivals costs the same daily rate as at the office. In Djerba, our office is at the airport itself; in Tunis, the Lac 2 office is also a pick-up point. On the way home we meet you at departures at the agreed time, tank full, and the deposit is released once the car has been checked. All practical details are on our car rental at Tunis airport page.
Deposit and insurance by category
Every rental includes basic third-party insurance. VIPCAR sells no CDW and no excess reduction: a refundable deposit, held on a credit or debit card for the rental, is your maximum liability. Whatever happens, nothing is ever charged beyond it, and it is returned in full when the car comes back in good condition.
The exact amount is shown on each car page. A deposit always applies, on every automatic and manual model we rent: it replaces the insurance packages we do not sell, and it is released as soon as the car has been checked on return.
- Economy (for example Kia Picanto, Suzuki Ciaz): 1,500–3,000 TND.
- Standard: 5,000 TND.
- Luxury: 6,000–8,000 TND.
Booking your automatic car: quote and payment
Automatics are the first cars to go in summer and during school holidays, so it pays to book early. Message us on WhatsApp at +216 55 771 077, or use the online booking form: your dates, the delivery point (airport, office, hotel), the model you want or simply "automatic, cheapest available", and your flight number. The quote is free and without commitment, in TND with a EUR conversion, and names the model booked.
For a booking more than 7 days ahead, a 10% reservation deposit (20% for luxury) confirms the car; within 7 days it is optional or subject to availability. The balance is paid in cash, by card, bank transfer, PayPal, Revolut or secure payment link, in TND, EUR, USD, GBP or SAR. Inside 24 hours of pick-up, the reservation deposit is not refunded and a 20% fee applies. We reply 24/7, in English and French.
