UK To Morocco - Family Road Trip
Discussion
pistonuser said:
Considering travelling all the way to Morocco with the Kids for 4 weeks ,hoping to do eastern spain (coast) before entering Morocco, anyone recommend any routes or advice... much appreciated
It’s an absolute sh*thole, plenty to see in Spain and Portugal. Or go Italy, Croatia etc A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
What are you wanting to see? I’ve driven there twice, love it. Will go again one day. It’s the nearest place you can go and feel properly abroad, different culture etc. I’m not one for cities, but love the remote areas, High Atlas, down to Merzouga, driven the dunes at Erg Chebbi etc. it’s an adventure playground if you have a 4x4. The people have always been great with us. Many are very poor, so they are always trying to be helpful in the hope of earning a few Dirhams. This bothers some people, but they don’t take offence if you politely decline, so to me it’s all part of the experience.
We crossed from Algeciras to Ceuta. The first time you drive across the frontier it really does feel like an adventure, seems like chaos everywhere, but not in a bad way. There are a lot of Europeans, especially motor homes, so you won’t be alone in that respect.
On a practical note, we bought insurance at the boarder, couldn’t find anyone here that would do us a green card. There are offices on the Moroccan side. It’s not expensive, but it’s probably only third party (I couldn’t read the French/Arabic small print) and even then I’ve no idea what would happen in the event of making a claim.
Same with money, you can’t get Dirham before you go, so first port of call is a bank to change your pounds or Euros then buy your Insurance with your new cash. Make sure you cross during business hours otherwise you’ll be stuck.
No insurance breakdown cover is available from a UK vendor as far as I could tell. If you run into mechanical issues you’ll need to use the locals.
I don’t drink much, but for info Alcohol is perfectly legal, but not widely sold, so buy what you need in Spain/Ceuta before you cross the boarder.
Do not drink the tap water or eat uncooked food like salads! It’s easy to drop your guard. I speak from experience
We crossed from Algeciras to Ceuta. The first time you drive across the frontier it really does feel like an adventure, seems like chaos everywhere, but not in a bad way. There are a lot of Europeans, especially motor homes, so you won’t be alone in that respect.
On a practical note, we bought insurance at the boarder, couldn’t find anyone here that would do us a green card. There are offices on the Moroccan side. It’s not expensive, but it’s probably only third party (I couldn’t read the French/Arabic small print) and even then I’ve no idea what would happen in the event of making a claim.
Same with money, you can’t get Dirham before you go, so first port of call is a bank to change your pounds or Euros then buy your Insurance with your new cash. Make sure you cross during business hours otherwise you’ll be stuck.
No insurance breakdown cover is available from a UK vendor as far as I could tell. If you run into mechanical issues you’ll need to use the locals.
I don’t drink much, but for info Alcohol is perfectly legal, but not widely sold, so buy what you need in Spain/Ceuta before you cross the boarder.
Do not drink the tap water or eat uncooked food like salads! It’s easy to drop your guard. I speak from experience
bennno said:
It’s an absolute sh*thole, plenty to see in Spain and Portugal. Or go Italy, Croatia etc
A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
Don’t judge the country by Marrakesh, although I believe the authorities are clamping down on tourist intimidation there.A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
The Atlas Mountains are amazing, Fez medina is remarkable, and the traders pride themselves in not hassling people. watching the sunrise in the big dunes in the Sahara is a once in a lifetime experience, Essaouira is a great place to kick back and enjoy a bit of beach time.
My daughter travelled there for 2 weeks on her own, she was hassled twice, once by a French bloke and the other by a local, who was quickly put in his place by a Moroccan couple.
We’re planning a road trip next year
gareth h said:
bennno said:
It’s an absolute sh*thole, plenty to see in Spain and Portugal. Or go Italy, Croatia etc
A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
Don’t judge the country by Marrakesh, although I believe the authorities are clamping down on tourist intimidation there.A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
The Atlas Mountains are amazing, Fez medina is remarkable, and the traders pride themselves in not hassling people. watching the sunrise in the big dunes in the Sahara is a once in a lifetime experience, Essaouira is a great place to kick back and enjoy a bit of beach time.
My daughter travelled there for 2 weeks on her own, she was hassled twice, once by a French bloke and the other by a local, who was quickly put in his place by a Moroccan couple.
We’re planning a road trip next year
simons123 said:
gareth h said:
bennno said:
It’s an absolute sh*thole, plenty to see in Spain and Portugal. Or go Italy, Croatia etc
A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
Don’t judge the country by Marrakesh, although I believe the authorities are clamping down on tourist intimidation there.A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
The Atlas Mountains are amazing, Fez medina is remarkable, and the traders pride themselves in not hassling people. watching the sunrise in the big dunes in the Sahara is a once in a lifetime experience, Essaouira is a great place to kick back and enjoy a bit of beach time.
My daughter travelled there for 2 weeks on her own, she was hassled twice, once by a French bloke and the other by a local, who was quickly put in his place by a Moroccan couple.
We’re planning a road trip next year
(might also want to ask how old his daughter was, and also consider how "dangerous" being "hassled" is).Griffith4ever said:
simons123 said:
gareth h said:
bennno said:
It’s an absolute sh*thole, plenty to see in Spain and Portugal. Or go Italy, Croatia etc
A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
Don’t judge the country by Marrakesh, although I believe the authorities are clamping down on tourist intimidation there.A female friend was grabbed in bundled in to a van as a child, another was attacked and spat at, we felt on edge in Marrakesh - always one scam or another afoot - need to be on your guard.
The Atlas Mountains are amazing, Fez medina is remarkable, and the traders pride themselves in not hassling people. watching the sunrise in the big dunes in the Sahara is a once in a lifetime experience, Essaouira is a great place to kick back and enjoy a bit of beach time.
My daughter travelled there for 2 weeks on her own, she was hassled twice, once by a French bloke and the other by a local, who was quickly put in his place by a Moroccan couple.
We’re planning a road trip next year
(might also want to ask how old his daughter was, and also consider how "dangerous" being "hassled" is).Her inspiration for the region was a famliy holiday in Morocco where we visited all of the above.
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