Two American tourists expecting to land in Nice, France, instead found themselves in Tunis, Tunisia, after a misheard request at Rome’s airport sent them to North Africa rather than the French Riviera.
American tourists land in Tunis instead of Nice after misunderstanding
The confusion arose from the phrase “to Nice,” which sounds similar to “Tunis,” the capital of Tunisia. After missing their original flight to France, the women bought new tickets but were mistakenly booked onto a Tunisair flight to Tunisia.
They only realized the error midair when fellow passengers explained that they were headed to the Tunisian capital, not to the Côte d’Azur. A video they posted to TikTok shows the pair laughing as they ask crew members to confirm the destination. At one point, they admit they thought Africa was “a country.”
The story quickly spread online. Within 24 hours of being posted, their video had more than 16 million views and thousands of comments. While many TikTok users mocked their lack of geographical knowledge, others criticized them for not checking their boarding passes before boarding.
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The two tourists, both in their 20s, continued to document the ordeal in nearly 20 TikTok videos, showing conversations with airline staff, time spent waiting in Tunis, and their attempts to find another flight. Their final clips show them boarding a new plane, though they did not specify the destination.
The incident has fueled debate online about American travelers and stereotypes regarding geography. Some viewers called the mix-up “unbelievable,” while others said it was an almost predictable mistake.
The women eventually made it to Nice, but not before their detour became a viral cautionary tale about the importance of double-checking flight details.