Advice please travelling to morroco (1 Viewer)

[Wheelie]

Hi all
I would like some advice on getting me and my 5th wheeler down to morocco, best route, ferries and some sort of cost involved. If any body has any previous experience i would be grateful for the info.

Thanks

Neil

 

[scotjimland]

Hi Neil ..
there are several Fun members who have visited Morocco , at least three with RVs including myself , however, the very best person to give advice is VWAlan who has a truck articulated camper .. but he's no longer an active member on the forum .. however he can be found on Link Removed , our sister site ..
AFAIK he is touring Morocco at the present , not sure when he his back in the UK ..

I was there in Jan 2007 and went withLink Removed, Ray the owner is also a Fun member and is probably the most knowledgeable person to talk to .. you could contact him regarding ferries etc.

A Google Map of our trip http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=207590977793691629247.0004713e8d13a3d6d589b&z=6

 

[pappajohn]

turn right at calais....


sorry, couldnt resist :Blush:

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[Wheelie]

turn right at calais....


sorry, couldnt resist :Blush:

Well pappajohn your are obviously the comedian around here

Scotjimland thanks for the tip i will try and track vwalan down :thumb:

 

[Carol]

Google Desert Detours loads of info on there even if you are not going with them, I am sure if Ray (Detourer) comes on line he will help you, a real mine of information.

 

[Griffs]

morocco

Hi.

I can-not give any advice on ferry fares but Morocco is a lovely country ,I travelled there in the late sixties and early seventies , and I have been told there are motorways down the coast and even up from Agadir to Marakech a shame because there is so much to see up in the mountains.

I would not worry about going it alone there is always other travellers to team up with but do not expect the old Morroco as the locals have moved out of the kasbars of Marrakech and a lot of changes in the country ie macdonalds etc,but still worth going to have a look .

happy travels.

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[Detourer]

Hi
May be wrong, but I am assuming that you will be heading towards Agadir....... If not take extra care on the some of the inland roads, practically in the earlier months [probable snow on most Atlas crossings etc etc......]

So if it’s Agadir your best route in via Tangier-Med. It is then motorway all the way along the coast .......look on a map for some great coastal locations..... motorway turns towards and bypasses Marrakech and then onward.

Stop at Marrakech and perhaps some of the other Imperial and ancient cities. Yes, modern life is catching up [they, the Moroccans, also have a “life”] but you will find some amazing sites. Every town and city will have untouched Medina and great Souks..... look hard and you may even spot the odd McDonalds in the newer areas.

Safe and stunning, but go with an open mind and you will have a great time.

Get in touch if you want latest info............

Ray [Desert Detours]
PS.......No, before anyone says......not after a client, we don’t take 5th Wheeler’s

 

[Pammy]

Hi Neil

We travelled in 2008 in our RV. This was a Fun meet done through Ray which was excellent. There were 3 RV's and 2 Euros on this trip.

We drove down to Plymouth and got on the Plymouth to Santander ferry. Because we considered this a trip of a lifetime we had the overnight stop in one of the cabins. It was an excellent crossing both ways and cost us £1k for us and the RV (36 ft).

We then took a leisurely 5 days to travel through Spain taking in some camp sites each evening. We were fortunate to go with Marc and Linda (thefman) as he knows Spain very well so took us on some beautiful Spanish roads through wonderful countryside.

Eventually we met up with the other parties in the group and Ray who then led us down to the Ferry port for sailing to Morocco. This unfortunately was not the best part of the holiday as all vehicles had to reverse on to the Ferry - this is not a roll on roll off type so you need to take advice from Ray on that score. On the way back we did collect some damage as they helped a lorry to reverse into one of our side mirrors - they pack you in very tightly. They packed Forestboy in so tight they couldn't get out of their habitation door, they had to climb out of their front passenger window.

Apart from that we all had a fantastic time - I'm not sure but I think there are some photos in an album on this forum. I would definitely go again and we plan to when we retire. Next time we will probably go it alone and do the West Coast - we missed out on that side due to lack of time. Having said that for anyone travelling there the for the first time I would definitely advise to go with Ray as he lets you know all the ins/outs/dos and dont's.

Hope this helps
Pammy

 

[fixitjohn]

morocco

Hi there, get down to palmones, nr gibraltar, look out for lidl supermarket there everyone and their dog can stay a couple of nights in the car park as long as they shop! it will be the last place to get BEER and supermarket stuff that the wife loves before moroc, get the ferry tickets in palmones before leaving, algeciras to ceuta, fill in the many forms don`t do it at the border! get moroc dirhams also beforehand, at least £40 worth to pay for tolls an fuel. best take pounds £ to change in moroc when you get to a bank to use during the holiday, (to save changing twice) the rock (gib) is fun but not cheap for elecrical goods fuel is & spirits, beer, ect but food is not cheap even though it is morrisons! remember you cannot stay overnight on the rock! but it is a lovely visit.
the ferry:,at ceuta you are still in spanish territory so just follow the signs to the border be prepared to allow some dodgy looking guy to assist you through the immigration they are recognised and necessary to speed up the process, once you are through drive with all eyes peeled for folk crossing the roads (including tolls!) and for that reason never drive after dark.
you will enjoy the country, have a great time We only went once and that was to agadir. enjoy. also don`t forget the green card. :thumb:

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[hilldweller]

Hi there,

Some of that sounds as out of date as the advice we got and ended up with loads of useless UK cash and Euros.

2009: We found ATM machines everywhere.

Beer, wine freely available. Proper supermarkets.

Get into Cueta with low tanks, fuel is the cheapest you will ever see.

We got the impression Morocco was becoming westernised at an alarming rate. Such as teenage girls in mini skirts, high heels and no helmets blasting through traffic on scooters. Low rise developments spreading like weeds. Only in the hills was *real* Morocco.

If we go again, first long stop would be Essouria.

What aren't westernised are the campsites and toilets, some toilets not even fit to dump the cassette in. Nicest site was Todra.

Altogether a good experience, but no-where as "different" as we imagined and scenery no better than on offer in Europe.

 

[Loddy]

I went with Ray last year in my RV (hello Ray) and it was brilliant, I will return someday so much to see and so relaxed

Loddy :Cool:

 

[Snowbird]

Morocco used to be on many motorhomers wish list,and rightly so,its a beutifull country but as some have said its becoming westernised at an alarming rate.
First time I went was for 3 months in 2003 and again the following year for 6 months.Could not believe the change in 1 year,so am thinking its much different now.I was lucky to have gone when I did as it was still possible to wildcamp anywhere,not so now.
The world is becoming a smaller place, I have a friend that for several years has been traveling down as far as the Gambia,which not so long ago was impossible,not easy now but sertainly possible.

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[bambi 2]

Hi we are in Morocco now, first we went to Los Palomes and bought our tickets 180€ we went Algaceras to Tangier with Tangier Med at the new ferry port, no trouble at the customs we gave them our papers, they asked if we had anything to declare we said no they gave back our papers and we headed straight to the new motorway, the first day we drove 151 miles to Kinetra, the second day we drove 211 miles to Marakesh where we stayed for a couple of nights at the lovely new camp site with free WIFI, then we drove to Agadir 164 miles, we spent 456 dirhams on the motorway which made it a much better trip than when we have driven on bad roads and visited places like essuara, we have seen those towns before, so no need to go there again. the weather has been glorious 31deg today and we are really happy to be here, there are not many Brits around but the ones on this site Camping Atlantica D'Imourane are all great and we have a good time together
Your English dongle will not work here for the internet, we went to Margane and bought a moroc one for 200 dirhams, about 20 euros. Good Luck bambi 2

 

[bambi 2]

Sorry I forgot to say, we have friends here in large R.Vs the biggest is 40 foot and towing a car, they all payed 180 euros for the ferry, some of them get extensions to stay for 6 months. bambi 2

 

[Wheelie]

WOW thanks for all the info, i will sift through and digest later thanks again

Neil

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[Snowbird]

My RV is 33ft and have towed the toad out there,have traveled with a friend who had a 40ft Discovery and though we had some strange looks,we never had a problem.
Juan Carlos Galtiares"not sure about spelling"was the man we used to use for tickets,he is just behing the Carrafore supermarket.
There was a German with a big fifth wheel on the beach towing with a F350 dualy so cant see a problem only now they have stopped a lot of the wild camping so you are at the mercy of campsites,whether they will let you on or not.

 

[scotjimland]

A picture tells a thousand words

This is what Morocco is all about ... you won't find this in Europe !

Our Georgieboy with our friends Winnie , sunrise in the desert !

The ruins in the background are over a mile away !

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Crossing the High Atlas

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[Snowbird]

Nice pics Jim,am trying to get mine from a friend that I used to travel with.
lost the lot when laptop crashed over a year ago,didnt know then about backups....Arrrrg.
When we were all on 35mm we didnt think about the loss...was devastated.
We hopefully live and learn.

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[scotjimland]

Nice pics Jim,am trying to get mine from a friend that I used to travel with.
lost the lot when laptop crashed over a year ago,didnt know then about backups....Arrrrg.
When we were all on 35mm we didnt think about the loss...was devastated.
We hopefully live and learn.

ohhh dear what a loss.. hopefully your friend has them..

I'm paranoid about losing pics. I lost a bunch from a holiday in Switzerland :Angry: .. so now I use belt and braces; back up drives x 2 ; DVD; on-line with Picasa, which makes it easy to post them on threads .. and I print a fair few of the best ones ..


PS

Did you spot the FACTS flag on the antenna .. :Blush::Blush:

 

[Snowbird]

Yep....thought it quite funny.

 

[Carol]

Jim thanks great pictures, brings back some good memories, I still have not sorted out how to put pictures on.

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[Snowbird]

The one of the tents reminds me of a wedding feast that was set up in the desert...about 50 tents set up in the middle of nowhere...how the hell the guests found there way there remains a mystery to this day.

 

[Detourer]

Great pics Jim........Brings back some memories. That was the tour you did with us [Jan/Feb I think] that had us sunbathing in the Cedra Forest and as shown crossing the Atlas in snow and brilliant desert...... Yes, it's what Morocco is about [Europe??].

Road that were not that bad then have improved and got even better......A huge amount of investment has and is going on, so suitable for larger i.e. RV's with normal care. In fact one of the best tours we ever did was the MHfun group that was mostly RV's.....

As has been mentioned, mush is changing in Morocco so be aware and careful of out well meaning of date info.......... Wowwww, girls riding scooters, whatever next!

You don't have to go on a tour with us to get info...... just ask.

Ray

 

[hilldweller]

This is what Morocco is all about ... you won't find this in Europe !

Not the desert but mountains yes.

The desert is the one place I regret going. There is still sand in every hidden nook and cranny, it almost destroyed two bikes and I hate to think where it's got in the mechanics of the MH. The experience was good but on balance the risk of damage was probably not.

At least we did not fall for the desert experiences others moaned a lot about. One poor, elderly naturally, couple thought their last day had come with the antics of the 4x4 driver, it was a 4x4 experience they never envisaged.

For me Morocco was about seeing mud bricks being made, making the housing out of them. The mud block houses with a satellite dish on them. The Mosques everywhere there were humans, even if on one or two in the middle of nowhere. Little kids, 3, 4, 5 YO, walking on a main road 5 miles from anywhere. Time seems different there, people were seen walking 10,20 miles from anywhere, they spend all day just walking for some reason. The people. The markets. The culture. I saw sand as a kid in Blackpool.

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[hilldweller]

Wowwww, girls riding scooters, whatever next!
Ray

Don't take it out of context. Here we are in a Muslim country, just out of the sticks where lots of women are in Burkas. Then all of a sudden two pretty little teenage girls, in mini-skirts, designer shades, eating ice cream cones on a scooter winging it's way through traffic.

That is one shock to the system. Nothing could epitomise old and new Morocco more.

A country of extremes, everywhere we saw the old man on the donkey with a few meagre possession with a hot new Range Rover Sport blasting past.

Funnily enough I was just thinking that the price of the sea crossings to Morocco is about the same as a package holiday to Agadir, we may do that bit we missed the easy, cheap way.

 

[scotjimland]

Not the desert but mountains yes.

The desert is the one place I regret going.

Amazing how we all differ Brian ..

For me the dessert was the highlight .. nay, my main reason for going to Morocco.. and it was awe inspiring ..

We ( my son and I ) camped out for one night in a small two man tent on top of a dune..( and it was freezing, quite literally ). To watch the sun rise was quite breathtaking .. it's hard to describe, but as I sat there i had a tear in my eye .. I was soooo quiet, i could hear my heart beat. Paul and I sat there for ages just drinking it in .. there is a beauty and tranquility that can only be experienced in a desert.. Three years later and Paul still talks about it ..

I was not interested in gallivanting on a 4x4 .. I'm not into 'men toys', or doing the touristy markets and being fleeced into buying cheap souvenirs,.. I went to see something you cannot experience anywhere else.. for that alone it was worth cost and the drive.

Re sand in motorhome... yes, that was bad, I guess it was still there when we sold it .. I had to jet wash the radiator when we got back to Spain as it was almost blocked.. Unlike front engined vans, pushers suck dirt off of the road from under the engine and blow it out the back through the radiator, but to my way of thinking... The RV was a tool to do a job, not a status symbol or to be treated as 'precious' , .. and it did it admirably .. even with sand in every nook and cranny..

PS
apologies for photo width .. I too hate having to scroll across threads ..

I blame Picasa oh:

 

[Detourer]

Hi Hilldweller

That why most go to Morocco, too witness and experience the extremes in both culture and environment.

We once had someone else who came with us to Morocco and where amazed [and disliked] the sand......Errrr, Morocco-Sahara –Sand............Only 22% of Morocco is turned over to agriculture, forest and mountains take up a lot of land, but with desert the major part .

You will love Agadir...........it’s got a beach like Blackpool

..

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[Snowbird]

One experiance that did shock me was one day I was in the middle of nowhere,the terain was completly flat with no buildings in sight,only a few shrubs and argon trees to be seen.
I pulled off thr road and thought it a good place to empty the gray tank in the ditch at the side of the road.
I had no sooner pulled the lever on the graytank when I heard a voice shout from behind me MISTER, I almost had a heart attack,I turned and saw 2 small boys standing behind me,to this day I dont know how they got there,as there was nothing or no one for miles.
Reminds me of the tale that was told years before where an old truck driver said they are like weeds,pup up out of the ground when water hits it

 

[hilldweller]

I dont know how they got there,as there was nothing or no one for miles.

That was one tiresome feature, going over the Atlas, whenever we stopped for a magnificent view, within seconds a local would appear trying to sell us some fake rocks. "This is rare red quartz mister". "Yeh right, that is RAL 6753 red spray paint as used on Fiat Puntos".

We passed one guy and a bit further on we saw "magnificent", stopped looked then looked back. The guy was charging up hill like an Olympic sprinter, it took a heroic effort on our part to get in, start the engine and move before he go to us.

 

[hilldweller]

You will love Agadir...........it’s got a beach like Blackpool

..

That good ?

Bet it's not got a tower.

I'll bet the donkeys have humps.

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