Are there domestic flights in Algeria?

Algeria has a functioning domestic network and you will almost certainly use it, because the country is too large to cross by road inside a normal holiday.

Air Algérie is the national carrier and runs the bulk of the network from Algiers (ALG) to Oran, Constantine, Annaba, Tlemcen, Béchar, Ghardaïa, Adrar, Timimoun, Tamanrasset and Djanet, among others. Tassili Airlines, originally the oil-industry operator, adds capacity on southern routes and is often the one flying the desert legs.

For the north, flying is optional — Algiers to Oran or Constantine is a comfortable train or a long drive, and the ground journey has its own value. For the south, it is not optional in any practical sense. Algiers to Tamanrasset is roughly two thousand kilometres of road; Djanet is further still. Every realistic Sahara itinerary flies down and starts the 4x4 travel from there.

Practical points that catch people out. Southern routes are thin — sometimes a few flights a week rather than daily — so they dictate the shape of your itinerary rather than fitting into it, and they fill in the winter desert season. Book early. Schedules can move, so avoid same-day connections onto international flights. And domestic booking from abroad is easier through an agency than on your own card, given how limited card payment is in Algeria.

Our transport guide covers the road and rail alternatives.