Public transport in Algiers

Overview

Algiers is served by a compact but modern public-transport network built around a single metro line, a single tram line, city and suburban buses, a small regional rail network, and ferries. The Algiers Metro (Arabic: مترو الجزائر العاصمة, Mītrū al-Jazā’ir al-‘Āṣimah) is the centrepiece: it was the second metro system to open in Africa, after Cairo, and it remains Algeria's only rapid transit system. After three decades of construction, the first segment opened in 2011.

Riding end to end as a visitor is straightforward. You buy a ticket or pass at a station, tap or hand it over at the gate, ride to your stop, and exit. Announcements and signage are in Arabic and French, and the metro is air-conditioned, clean, reliable and affordable by regional standards. The metro is also more accessible than most Algerian public transport, with better facilities for passengers with reduced mobility, though accessibility across the wider network remains limited.

Plan around a few practical realities: the metro runs from roughly 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., trains are frequent (headways under two minutes at peak), and the system is small, so many trips will combine the metro with a bus, tram, taxi or a walk. Public transit in Algeria is budget-friendly but can be subject to delays and cancellations, so allow extra time for traffic congestion.

The network

Metro

The Algiers Metro consists of a single line, Line 1, running north–south through key districts. It began with the 9.2 km, ten-station section from Tafourah–Grande Poste to Haï El Badr, which opened on 1 November 2011. A 4 km, four-station extension from Haï El Badr to El Harrach Centre opened on 4 July 2015. The main line now runs from Place des Martyrs, next to the Casbah, to Haï El Badr and on to El Harrach Centre, with a branch from Haï El Badr terminating at Aïn Naâdja. The system serves 14 stations over roughly 13.5 km.

Trains are six-car sets, 108 m long, with 208 seats and a capacity of 1,216 people. They can reach 70 km/h, and the line is designed to move 41,000 passengers per hour. Daily operation is the responsibility of the RATP Group.

Tram

Algiers had one of the world's best tram systems until the 1950s, but today it has a single modern line serving the city's eastern suburbs — not typically an area of great interest to tourists. The trams are air-conditioned and accessible to people with mobility issues. Tickets are bought at a designated tram kiosk, where you can also get information. The tram uses a unified fare system with the metro.

Buses

Buses operate within the city centre and to the suburbs. Tickets are purchased on board; typically a man with a bundle of tickets approaches you when you board. Unless you speak Arabic, navigating the local bus system can be difficult. Long-distance and intercity coaches use the Gare Routière du Caroubier in Hussein Dey, and the 1 Mai station (محطة 1 مايو) serves suburban routes in the wider Algiers area, including Tipaza to the west.

Suburban and regional rail

Algeria's rail network, managed by the Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires (SNTF), dates to the colonial era and connects most northern cities. Algiers is the hub for passenger railways, with at least daily trains from most major cities. Most long-distance departures and arrivals use Agha railway station (محطة قطار آغا); Algiers railway station (محطة قطار الجزائر) sits a few hundred metres east of the Khelifa Boukhalfa metro station. A small regional network connects the suburbs with the central city and the airport — useful if you plan to visit surrounding towns, though not especially so for tourists.

Ferries

Regular ferry services reach Algiers from Marseille and Alicante. Algérie Ferries has the most destinations, and a few other shipping companies also operate. The ferry terminal is in the centre of the city, next to the railway station.

Tickets & fares

Fares are low and change over time, so treat every figure below as approximate and confirm at the station or kiosk. Carry cash in Algerian dinars (DZD); the economy is largely cash-based, and fares are fixed or semi-fixed.

Metro single trip: about DA50 (some sources cite a range of roughly DA38–50).
Metro 10-trip ticket: about DA400 (roughly DA30–40 per ride).
Metro 24-hour pass: about DA150.
Metro weekly subscription: about DA540; monthly pass: about DA1,820.
Metro + tram monthly option: about DA2,200.
Tram single ticket: about DA40 (some sources cite DA40–50); 10-journey booklet: about DA400. Weekly pass about DA540; monthly tram-only "Classic Tawasul" pass about DA1,820.
Combined metro + tram: about DA70 for a single journey, or about DA200 for a 24-hour unlimited pass across both.
Buses: most urban rides DA20–40; a booklet of 10 tickets is around DA400. Self-service ticket kiosks at major bus terminals accept local bank cards (CIB, Eddahabia), though cash still dominates.

You can buy metro tickets at the station, either from a ticket machine — which offers multiple languages but only takes coins and is frequently inoperable — or from an attendant. Tram tickets come from a designated kiosk. The metro and tram share a unified fare system, and the combined passes above let you move between them on one ticket. There is no dedicated tourist pass beyond the 24-hour and combined options described here.

From the airport

Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG) lies about 20 km south-east of the city centre and handles roughly 7.5 million passengers a year. Domestic flights operate from hall 1 and international flights from hall 4. Public-transport options into the centre include:

Bus: runs every 30 minutes in the daytime to the centre and costs DA25, paid to the bus driver. Airport buses generally cost under DA100 (roughly DA50–80), but frequencies and signage are inconsistent and are in French and Arabic only.
Commuter trains: the station is east of Terminal 1, with trains roughly once an hour to destinations within the greater Algiers region.
Taxi: available outside Terminal 2 and the new Terminal 4. Most taxis do not use meters, so negotiate the fare before starting. The ride to the centre takes around 20 minutes and costs about DA1,000–1,500; going from the centre to the airport is cheaper, about DA600. Reported airport-to-centre taxi fares range widely, from about DA800 to DA2,000 (official average around DA1,200), with flat tourist quotes reaching DA2,000–3,000.
Ride-hailing: apps such as Yassir and Heetch are recommended by locals for their transparency and reliability compared with traditional taxis. You can view the fare upfront, and drivers often speak some English. Payment is cash only.

Note that the planned metro extension to Houari Boumediene International Airport is not yet open, so the metro does not currently reach the airport.

Etiquette & customs

Queuing: boarding can be assertive, especially at busy stations. Keep your place calmly and let passengers exit before you board.
Escalators: stand on the right and walk on the left, as is common in most metro systems.
Priority seating: give up seats to the elderly, pregnant passengers and those with reduced mobility. The metro is more accessible than other Algerian transport, but buses and trains often lack ramps and elevators.
Eating and drinking: keep food and drink off the trains and platforms; it is not customary and can attract attention.
Rush hour: trains are frequent (headways under two minutes) but crowded at peak times. Keep bags in front of you and watch for pickpockets in crowds.
Platform staff: at some stations, staff blow whistles to enforce order — notably at Place des Martyrs. Stand clear of the whistle-blower if you value your hearing.
Safety: the metro, tram and official buses are considered safe by day, though pickpocketing is possible in crowds. Walking is safe during the daytime thanks to a heavy police presence, but watch for pickpockets in the Casbah.

Official links

Survival terms

Subway/metro: مترو (mītrū)
Ticket: تذكرة (tadhkira)
Line: خط (khaṭṭ)
Entrance: مدخل (madkhal)
Exit: مخرج (makhraj)
Transfer: تحويل (taḥwīl)
Single fare: تذكرة ذهاب فقط (tadhkira dhahāb faqaṭ)
Day pass: تذكرة يومية (tadhkira yawmiyya)

Buy your ticket before you reach the gate, keep small change handy for the machines, and allow extra time for traffic when connecting to buses or taxis.