Arrival of the first passenger ferry from Algeria to Marseille since the start of the health crisis
It is a relaxation for the thousands of travelers who still find it difficult to connect Algeria to Marseille today. The first passenger ferry since the start of the crisis Covid arrives this Tuesday morning in the port of Marseille at 11 a.m., after having left the day before at 4 p.m. from Algiers. The Marseille-Algiers line, by Algeria Ferries, reopened on November 1 after more than a year and a half of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic (since March 20, 2020).
A new luxury vessel
It was on October 12 that the Algerian Ministry of Transport announced the resumption of maritime links. A new ship is making this first crossing to France, arriving in Marseille this Tuesday, November 2. the Badji Mokhtar III is the new boat of the Algerian public company Ferries ENTMV-Algeria. This luxury vessel can carry 1,800 passengers and 600 vehicles. Restaurants and a gym are planned on board and the crossing now lasts 19 hours, instead of 24 hours previously.
For now, only one trip per week is planned to France, bound for Marseille with Algeria Ferries. Algiers is the only destination currently served. Corsica Linea ships could resume their crossings from next week between Marseille and Algiers.
Few plane connections, soaring prices
This situation is not satisfactory for many travelers who were used to a much wider choice to reach Algeria, since there were several connections per week before the crisis, whether by boat or plane. Currently, air connections have resumed, but at much lower frequencies than before: only a few connections per week against several per day before the crisis. With the law of supply and demand, the prices of plane tickets have also skyrocketed: 1,500 euros for a return trip the weekend of November 11. The round trip is announced at 316 euros by boat with Algeria-Ferries.