You can’t come this close and miss out….
If you are going to be traveling through the beautiful country of Spain, why not travel a short distance to see Morocco as well?
Morocco is easy to access from Spain and is definitely worth visiting if you are in the area. Most of our past clients that have gone to Morocco from Spain have ended up saying that Morocco was the highlight of their entire trip!
Here are some tips that we would like to share with you from what we have learned from our 14 years of experience! We hope this makes your trip from Spain to Morocco easy and effortless.
The first question that you’ll ask yourself: How are you going to get to Morocco?
You have two main options:
1. Fly: Your first option is to take a quick flight from Spain to Morocco. This is easy because you can fly into any airport that you want and be able to continue your journey from there. This can help you save driving time if the places you want to see in Morocco are farther from the port. Flights are also often pretty cheap, making this mode of transportation a great option.
2. Ferry: There are many different ferry options that you can choose between. You’ll want to make your choice depending on how far away you are from each port and where your desired destination is.
Main routes leave from Algeciras, Tarifa or Gibraltar and arrive in Tangier Ville, Tanger Med or Ceuta. Many tourists take the route from Tarifa to Tangier Ville, because the ferry crossing takes only about 35 minutes and they want to see the city of Tangier.
If you want to go further south in Morocco without seeing Tangier, you will want to take the route from Algeciras to Tanger Med. Depending on the ferry you take, this route could take anywhere from about half an hour to an hour and a half. Because there are so many different routes and companies offering ferries, you’ll definitely be able to find one that works for you.
If you choose the ferry, here is everything you need to know about traveling by ferry…
• The ports Tangier Ville (some say Tangier Town) and Tanger Med are different. Tanger Med is a port that is about 40 km east of Tangier, the city. Make sure you aren’t confused between the two of them, especially if you are trying to meet someone on the other end!
• We advise you not to take the ferry to Ceuta. Ceuta is a Spanish exclave that shares a border with Morocco. Some people think that they have arrived in Morocco when they get there, but then find that they have not exited Spain yet. This situation can be a problem if you are trying to meet up with one of our private drivers, because he will most likely be unable to make it into Ceuta to pick you up.
• You can leave your car at the port. You will be charged for every day that you leave it there, but it is a good option if that is your means of transportation in Spain.
• You can buy your ferry ticket ahead of time online. This is helpful if you want to compare prices between different companies.
• If you have ferry tickets pre-bought, you should arrive at the port about half an hour before your scheduled departure. If you still need to buy tickets, you should arrive a little earlier than that to make sure that you don’t get stuck in a long line.
• If you have luggage, there is a space for you to store it on the ferry. However, we suggest packing as lightly as possible so that you can keep your luggage with you and ensure that everything stays safe and secure. Once you arrive, there will be porters available, for a small fee, to help you with your luggage.
• You’ll go through passport control before getting on the ferry, but you will also need to get a disembarkation form filled out on the ferry to give to the Moroccan official who will be traveling with you.
• Don’t make your connections too tight! Allow yourself a little extra time in case your ferry leaves late or gets delayed.
And finally…here are some things you should not forget:
• Time Zones: Make sure you are aware which time zone you are traveling in! If you are meeting a driver, you’ll want to be sure you both are thinking the same time. Spain mostly uses Central European Time. Morocco is in Western European Time so is one hour behind Spain. Daylight savings is observed in Spain but not in Morocco, so be sure to factor that in when you are making a schedule.
• Make sure that your passport does not expire for at least 6 months after your last day in Morocco! You don’t need a visa if you are going to be in Morocco for less than 90 days, but current travel documents are absolutely necessary.
• Look ahead to make sure that ferries aren’t completely booked around popular traveling seasons, such as religious holidays.
Experience It Tours specializes in custom-designed private tours that desire to show you an authentic Morocco. We have lived in Morocco, love Morocco and love when other people get to see Morocco too.
