First time to Morocco, Ceuta or Tangiers?

[Paul]

with the last issue of ABR the talk about Morocco seems to be the hot topic and must do destination for 2012.
I am well on with the planning for my own adventure, plymouth to Santander ferry booked for a very reasonable £206 return, Michelin map bought and the route roughly planned.

Just about the only two things I cannot decide on are, Ceuta or Tangiers?

This is what I have read, the ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta is a lot shorter trip and cheaper, when you ride off you are still in fact in Spain and so reasonably familiar surroundings. On the down side it's a 6Km ride to the border which isn't a problem, but there is no where to buy insurance or to get your Dirahms, apparently you have to ride to a town some 20Km away and buy your insurance in a shop opposite the cinema down a back street in a town for which I cannot remember it's name at the moment, same for the ATM.

Alternitavely, catch the longer and more expensive boat from Algeciras to Tangier and jump in at the deep end, I have read that it is chaotic but you can get insurance and cash then just head south, (as fast as possible)

So that's my first dilema, bearing in mind that I am not unacustomed to crazy borders but it's my first time in Morocco.

Next it's camping or Aubgere? I have read that it's as cheap to stay in an Aubgere type place as it is to camp. I like camping and know that there are a lot of campsites in Morocco thanks to a book that I have bought "Camping Morocco" from Vicarious books.
But is it worth lugging all my camping gear there?

Your thoughts would be appreciated.....

[Peejay]

I crossed to Ceuta last time and intend to do the same again in May.

As you say its a shorter crossing. Once there the border is a lot smaller and easy enough to get through.

The insurance office has long since closed, but its only a shortish ride to Tetouan where you can buy insurance and get dirhams. There is a Credit Agrecole bank on the main road for the money exchange.

I have seen stuff posted about buying both on mainland Spain but I have no first hand experience of this.

You got a good price for the ferry as we have paid double that from Portsmouth, 3 sharing a cabin! Although we are away for 3 weeks and the return is on the June bank holidays.

As for camping last time we took all the camping gear and never used it as Hotels and Auberges are cheap enough, but we intend to take camping gear and camp in Spain as well as a couple of times in Morocco. Want to camp under the stars at Erg Chebbi B)

[PHILinFRANCE]

What Peejay said, don't worry about money !!! we forgot all about changing euro to Ds and just stopped at a hotel and changed a €100 for a 1000dr ( sholud have been 1100dr) but worth it, it kept 2 of us going for 3 or 4 days, thats fuel food and hotels !!!!
The hotels ARE cheap, but the Auberges are cheaper (€18 DxBxB for a 3 bed room on average) and the food oooohhh the food much better than tourist hotel stuff.
If you've got space take the camping gear , we did, although i only had a bash not a tent !!! never used it as the digs were so cheap !!
I'll be taking it again because i'm determined to wild camp!!!

Heres a taster ....it's at the end of Oct and over 40° in the desert
[video][/video]

[Paul]

Thanks for the info guy's, I think I would rather do Ceuta, as far as the ferry from Plymouth at first I searched on Brittany ferries, shuffling dates to compare the prices.
Then just out of interest I looked on "Directferries.com" and was surprised to see that they were a chunk of money cheaper than the actual ferry company. Can't quite work that one out!
I have just over two weeks to do the trip hopefully giving me eight days in Morocco as long as everything else lines up right.
On thing I did find out very early on, is that it's a lot cheaper to sail midweek. I started my ferry search by looking at Saturday to Saturday and it was over £600. So I have compromised, lost a few days and booked Wednesday and return on a thursday.

I think I will take a minimalist camping kit, I have a quick erect "slumit" tent that doesn't weigh much, I do like a bit of wild camping.

[dave_ac]

What dates? I'm a first timer soloing time off mid April

[Chalky]

If you want to change money ASAP, as soon as you come across the border from Ceuta you are in Fnideq. You will find quite a few shops on your right hand side and a Bureau de Change (very small sign) next to a cafe about halfway along good rates of exchange.
As far as camping goes you need to camp wild as least once while their, it's a fantastic experience.
Tetouan for insurance.

Happy travels

[Vindaloo]

Probably a fairly dim question but why the concerns about insurance ... Do most policies not cover Morocco (they used to?). I'll need to dig mine out for a read through when I get home.

[backofbeyond]

Probably a fairly dim question but why the concerns about insurance ... Do most policies not cover Morocco (they used to?). I'll need to dig mine out for a read through when I get home.

Years ago they used to but certainly for the last 20yrs I haven't been able to get an insurance company to include it on my policies - even as a pay extra add-on. I'm sure there are companies around that will do it but their rates are not competitive in the first place so I've not gone with them.

Morocco seems to fall into the middle between the "not worth the paper it's printed on" African insurance and the "a world of pain if you don't have it" EU insurance with the long term trend heading in the EU's direction so having something sorted is getting more and more important each time I go. Pity the insurance kiosk at the Ceuta border has shut, it was very easy to sort everything out at the same time.

[Vindaloo]

Interesting thanks. In fairness its about 20 years since I looked at it.

What's the going rate for cover for bike trips then?

[ipswichbiker]

Im with Carole Nash. They will add Morocco for £30