Best way to get to Morocco?

Off to Morocco in August, was wondering what the best way to get there is?

1. I can ship the car there in a container and fly out to meet it, which is £800 each way - seems bloody expensive to me.

2. Drive to Portsmouth, ferry to Santander, drive the length of Spain. Ferry is £1,000 return, fuel approx £250 each way for UK and Spain legs (unless they have LPG in Spain?)

3. Any cheaper/easier alternative I should consider? I am short on time, so the less travel days either end of the actual trip, the better - hence driving through France is not an option, have done it a million times before and have no desire to do it espeically for this trip!

Cheers!

time vs. $$$

dont ship it, it will cause a headache.

Ferry vs drive it - roughly the same time and I worked it out as roughly the same money but that was in October when then ferry was £600. If I had to do it again I would drive it, I got very bored on the ferry, but that depends on the type of person. I also spent a boat load (no pun...) of money on that thing, drinking, gambling, shopping, eating

how much time have you allocated to the whole trip?

G

Well the trip is 14 days and if I can get away with a couple of days either end I'll be happy. It's an organised trip with Trailmasters, so the Morocco element is a fixed 14 days, I've just got to get to Algericas in the most timely and cost efficient way possible!

Being in a V8 (albeit on LPG) I think the ferry may swing my way financially, plus I don't see the point on putting all those extra miles on the vehicles, particularly fully laden with a rooftent just sat on a motorway.

Does anyone know if LPG is available in Spain? Also, any idea how much the Spanish tolls will be? I know from the Alps to Calais is a similar distance and about 80 Euros, would it be similar?

Cheers!

pm sent

bmp42 said:

pm sent

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pm replied! ;-)

Have you looked at putting it on a truck(car carrier) to say Malaga, and then easy jet ?

so what is the best way to morocco then??

lr110 said:

so what is the best way to morocco then??

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Flight to Marrakech I imagine, but I'm driving to Portsmouth, sailing to Santander and then driving the length of Spain from there

flight would be a very bad idea, my landy would still be in england!

lr110 said:

so what is the best way to morocco then??

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On the Marrakech Express

Nash & Crosby Marrakesh Express - YouTube

G

V8SE did you enquire car carrier price from UK to Malaga ? pretty busy route both ways .

Hi Mike,

I still think it's cheaper and quicker to Dover ---> Calais
Then hit the free A75 almost all the way to Spain / France border. via Millau is only 750 miles toll free, and fast.
Then another 800 miles to Algeciras via Madrid, toll free almost all the way.
I guess at 20 mpg, or is 20 mpg a little optimistic ? your looking Calais to Algeciras would set you back £350.

Or maybe get a mate to drive it to Malaga the week before you go? pay his Ryanair fare and beer money?
And you and him meet in Malaga airport.
Malaga is only 2 hours to Algeciras.

vette

tacr2man said:

V8SE did you enquire car carrier price from UK to Malaga ? pretty busy route both ways .

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I was quoted £800 each way to ship the car there and back.

uk_vette said:

Hi Mike,

I still think it's cheaper and quicker to Dover ---> Calais
Then hit the free A75 almost all the way to Spain / France border. via Millau is only 750 miles toll free, and fast.
Then another 800 miles to Algeciras via Madrid, toll free almost all the way.
I guess at 20 mpg, or is 20 mpg a little optimistic ? your looking Calais to Algeciras would set you back £350.

Or maybe get a mate to drive it to Malaga the week before you go? pay his Ryanair fare and beer money?
And you and him meet in Malaga airport.
Malaga is only 2 hours to Algeciras.

vette

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We paid £1,000 for the ferry, which is overnight each way, Portsmouth - Bilbao outbound and Santander - Portsmouth coming back. So works out £250 each, each way - which isn't bad.

To be honest, I didn't see the point of sticking another 1,500 miles on the car and driving through France (quite boring on the autoroutes). If on LPG an 'equivalent' 24mpg (prob 20-22mpg with the roof tent) is achievable, if not LPG then the 'genuine' cost is around 15-18mpg (maybe 12-14mpg with roof tent)?

Fair play.. I did Maroc on my bike in 2010, PM-Santander, but returned St-Malo, purely so I could detour over the Pyreneese, and visit Oradour sur glane on the way back.
I wouldn't drive the length of France as well as Spain again, unless I was sightseeing, more time in maroc I say..
May bump into you over there, as plan on taking 4 wheels over there this time, instead of two, and roughly about the same time this year too.

What trip are you doing around Morroco? You know that you could save some time and money if you fly with Easyjet, rent a Land Rover in Malaga and take the ferry from Algerciras - it is only a two hour crossing from there. I have used those guys before and am sure they would sort out a competitive deal for you, and they don't usually have a problem taking it out of the country. It might be a viable alternative for you?