London to Morocco in just 48 hours, in comfort, without flying...
This page explains how to plan & book a
journey from London to
Morocco (Tangier, Marrakech, Fez, Rabat or Casablanca) without
flying, in comfort & safety using scheduled train & ferry
services. And
what a journey! Take Eurostar to Paris, grab a beer in a Parisian café
and
board the excellent 'trainhotel' sleeper train to Madrid. Enjoy a meal
with wine in the restaurant
car and a nightcap in the bar before retiring to your sleeper for the night as the train
speeds south across France, then wake up to breakfast as the sun rises
over distant Spanish mountains. Spend a day in Madrid, visit the Prado Museum or soak up the atmosphere in the
Plaza Santa Ana before taking an afternoon express across Andalusia to Algeciras on the Straits
of Gibraltar. Next morning, take the ferry from Europe to Africa, the
Rock of Gibraltar close on the port beam and the African coast getting slowly
nearer. Once in Morocco, let the real Marrakech Express
speed you south towards the incredible High Atlas mountains...
Day 1: London to Paris by Eurostar. Travel from
London to Paris by
Eurostar,
leaving London St Pancras at 14:04 arriving in Paris Gare
du Nord at 17:26. By all means book an earlier
Eurostar if you'd like to spend some time in Paris or if
it has cheaper seats available. There are left luggage
lockers at both Paris Nord and Paris Austerlitz.
Day 1: Paris to Madrid by trainhotel. Travel
from Paris to Madrid overnight on the excellent Elipsos 'trainhotel', leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 19:47
and arriving next morning at Madrid Chamartin station at
09:10. The Paris-Madrid trainhotel
normally runs daily, but it will not run on Tuesday or Wednesday nights
from from 13 October 2009 until 17 March 2010 or from 13
October 2010 until March 2011 (but it
will run on 23 & 30 December 2009, 6 January
2010).
On the days when it's not running, don't worry,
an
alternative train service is available. The trainhotel is a special articulated sleeper train with 4-berth tourist class sleepers, 1
& 2-berth 1st class
sleepers, and 1 & 2-berth Gran Clase sleepers
with private shower & toilet. The trainhotel
has an elegant restaurant car and a vibrant café-bar, see the London
to Spain page for more information about this
train, or the excellent virtual tour at
www.elipsos.com.
Spend some time enjoying
Madrid.
Map of Madrid. There are
left luggage lockers at both
Madrid Chamartin where you arrive and Madrid Atocha from
where you depart. You can take the metro from Chamartin into the city centre,
see www.metromadrid.es,
or take a
suburban train free of charge to Atocha (show your
trainhotel ticket) and deposit your bags there. In the late
afternoon, make your way by metro to Madrid's Atocha
station, or simply walk there from the city centre, it's
about 25 minutes walk.
Day 2: Madrid to Algeciras
by Altaria train. Travel from Madrid to
Algeciras (the Spanish town across the bay from Gibraltar)
on the afternoon 'Altaria' air-conditioned 125mph train,
leaving Madrid Atocha station at 15:05 and arriving in
Algeciras at 20:33. It's a scenic ride, though the
last part may be after dark. Altaria trains have 1st
class (Preferente) and 2nd class (Turista) and a cafe-bar
with full length wooden bar and barstools. The
Preferente fare includes a complimentary aperitif of
sherry or cava then an airline-style hot meal with choice
of wines followed by coffee and chocolate.
Preferente passengers may also use the Sala Club (1st
class lounge) with complimentary coffee, juices and free
beer, in Madrid Atocha station.
It's possible to reach
Tangier the same night, by taking the 21:00 bus from
Algeciras to Tarifa arriving 21:45, then the 23:00 fast
ferry from Tarifa to Tangier, run by
www.frs.es.
The ferry from Tarifa takes just 35 minutes, and because
of the difference in time zones it arrives in Tangier at
21:35 or 22:35 Moroccan time, depending on the time of
year. The bus to Tarifa leaves from Algeciras main
bus station, just across the road from the rail station,
the fare is just a few euros. However, arriving in
Tangier late at night is not ideal. It's nicer to
spend the night in Algeciras and cross the Straits of
Gibraltar next morning in daylight, as suggested below
Day 2: Spend the night in Algeciras
- easily the nicest place to stay is the historic 4-star
but relatively inexpensive
Hotel Reina Cristina, set in its own grounds 10
minute's walk from both the railway station and the ferry
terminal.
Algeciras
hotels.
Map of Algeciras & Gibraltar area.
Day 3: Algeciras
to Tangier by ferry. In Algeciras, the modern
ferry passenger terminal is only a 10-minute (800 metre) walk from the
station straight ahead of you. Sail from
Algeciras to Tangier by ferry, on either a leisurely ship
taking 2½ hours or
a fast ferry taking 1
hour. There are a range of departures
throughout the day,
operated by a variety of ferry companies. The fast
ferries are more modern & quicker, but you'll be
sealed-in except for a windy observation deck at the rear
which may or may not be open. The conventional ships
are older and slower, but their open decks allow you to
enjoy the crossing and take photographs in the open air.
Whichever you choose, the ferry sails out of Algeciras
harbour in a wide arc to starboard with the Rock of
Gibraltar to port, then sails through the Straits of
Gibraltar from east to west before turning across the
shipping lane into Tangier. It's a scenic trip,
and you can see for yourself just how narrow the straits
between Europe and Africa really are, between the two
famous 'Pillars of Hercules'! There's usually a ship
leaving
at either 08:00 arriving Tangier at 08:30/09:30, or at 09:00
arriving Tangier 09:30/10:30 (arrival times vary because
the time difference between Spain & Morocco varies at
different times of year).
There's no need to book in
advance for any of the ferries, just turn up and buy your
ticket at the ticket offices at the entrance to the
passenger terminal, then go inside the terminal and
upstairs to the check-in windows. To check ferry times and fares,
see
www.trasmediterranea.es (ship & fast ferry),
www.comarit.com (ship) or
www.euroferrys.com (ship & fast ferry, also bookable
through
www.trasmediterranea.es) or
www.nautas-almaghreb.com(fast ferry).
In Tangier, it's a few
minutes walk from the ferry terminal to the town centre, old
medina & Continental Hotel.
The Seat61 Ferry Shop will
give ferry times, fares and online booking for both Nautas
and Trasmediterranea.
An alternative if you'd
prefer to
spend the night in Madrid instead of in
Algeciras: On day 2, stay the night in a hotel in Madrid,
then on the morning of day 3 take the 08:40
Altaria train from Madrid Atocha station to
Algeciras, arriving at 14:05. An afternoon ferry
from Algeciras will get you to Tangier in the evening on
day 3. Although a half day slower overall, this
option gives you a full day and evening in Madrid, and the
morning Altaria train to Algeciras will show you the
wonderful mountain scenery in southern Spain in daylight.
The
trainhotels from Paris to Madrid and Barcelona are articulated
Spanish 'Talgo' trains, jointly run by French & Spanish
railways.
Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode
with the seats folded out...
...return from dinner to find the
attendant has made up the beds...
The
trainhotel's café-bar...
The
trainhotel's elegant restaurant...
On board the Altaria train from Madrid to Algeciras...
The afternoon
train to Algeciras about to leave Madrid Atocha...
Turista (2nd class)
on Altaria...
In Preferente, passengers get a
complimentary meal with wine...
The ferry from Algeciras to Tangier...
Above:
Conventional ferries take 2½
hours, and their decks allow you to enjoy the crossing of
the Straits of Gibraltar in the open air. Here, a ferry
from Algeciras approaches Tangier...
Above: Alternatively, fast ferries
take just an hour, although you're largely sealed in.
Here, a fast ferry from Tangier arrives in Algeciras with
the Rock of Gibraltar in the background...
Why not
see Gibraltar on the way?
Buses (bus
M-120) link Algeciras bus
station (across the road from the station) with La
Linea, the frontier with Gibraltar, every 30-45 minutes, taking about
45 minutes,
fare about 2.05 euros. You then walk 250m from La
Linea across the frontier into Gibraltar town centre in
about 10 minutes. The walk takes you across
Gibraltar Airport's main runway, but don't worry, they
stop the cars and pedestrians when a plane comes in to
land! The bus operator website is
www.ctmcg.com.
Alternatively, a taxi from Algeciras railway station all
the way to Gibraltar costs around 24 euros.
A fast ferry occasionally operates
from Gibraltar to Tangier (the operator is
www.frs.es)
but there were no sailings at all in 2007 and only Friday & Sunday evening crossings
in 2008, so after visiting
Gibraltar just return to Algeciras for the regular
ferries from there.
Day 2, morning: Travel
from Algeciras to Madrid by high-speed Altaria train.
You
leave Algeciras at 08:30 and arrive in Madrid Atocha at
13:57. Altaria trains have
air-conditioned 2nd class (Turista), 1st class
(Preferente) and a cafe-bar. The Preferente fare
includes an at-seat meal with aperitif and selection of
wines. Make your way by metro or suburban
train to Madrid Chamartin.
An alternative if you'd
prefer a day and night in Madrid: On day 1, leave
Tangier on a lunchtime ferry around 10:00 or 11:00 arriving Algeciras, see www.trasmediterranea.es,
www.comarit.com or
www.euroferrys.com to check sailing times and fares.
Then take the afternoon Altaria train from Algeciras
(departing at 15:15) to Madrid (arriving Madrid Atocha at
20:50), and
spend the night in Madrid.
Day 2, evening: Travel
from Madrid to Paris on the excellent overnight
trainhotel, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 19:00 and arriving
in Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 08:31 next morning. The Madrid-Paris trainhotel
normally runs daily, but it will not run on Monday
or Tuesday nights from 12 October 2009 to 16 March 2010
or from 12 October 2010 until March 2011.
On the days when it's not running, don't worry,
an
alternative train service is available. Sleepers,
bar, restaurant are available. Trainhotel passengers in Preferente and
Gran Clase sleepers may use the Sala Club (1st class
lounge) at Madrid Chamartin near platform 14, with
complimentary tea, coffee, juices and free beer. On
arrival in Paris,
take the metro to the Gare du Nord:
Metro line 5 links Paris Nord & Paris Austerlitz, just
follow the signs 'M5 direction Bobigny Pablo Picasso'.
Day 3, morning: Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at
11:13
and arriving in London
at 12:29.
£56 each way. You must occupy the whole compartment.
* Special fares: In Tourist Class the £66
fare (£81 in summer) is called 'Prems', book at least 14 days in advance, non-refundable,
non-changeable. In 1st Class
&
Gran Clase 2 people must
travel together & either the lower (Mini
à Deux) or higher
(Duo) price will be available on a given date.
Mini is non-refundable, non-changeable, limited
availability. Duo is refundable, exchangeable,
usually available.
** Child = 4-11 years old;
Youth = 12-25 years old; Senior = anyone over 60.
***
Fare includes breakfast. **** Fare includes
evening meal with wine in the restaurant & breakfast.
Children under 4 go free, as long
as the parents have sole use of a compartment.
10%-22% higher fares apply
mid-June to mid-September & at Easter (e.g.
£66 becomes £81).
3. Madrid to Algeciras
by Altaria train:
2nd class (Turista):
Cheap 'Web' fare booked in advance at
www.renfe.es:
24 euros (£17) one-way.
Cheap 'Estrella' fare if you book in advance: 37 euros
(£26) one-way.
Madrid: A day in Spain's wonderful capital is
a bonus when you travel by train to Morocco. This is the
Puerta del Sol right at the city's heart...
Don Quixote country: The sun is low in the
sky as the afternoon train from Madrid to Algeciras snakes
across the Andalusian plateau on its way south to the
Straits of Gibraltar...
The Slow Boat to Africa... Next day, aboard the
ferry from Algeciras to Tangier with the Rock of Gibraltar
on the port beam...
Can I stop off on the way?
Of course.
The Eurostar, the trainhotel and the Altaria train are ticketed as
three separate journeys, so feel free to book each leg of the
journey on whatever dates you like, spending however long you
like in Paris or
Madrid on the way. The Altaria trains all stop at Ronda
on the way to and from Algeciras, a wonderful town to visit.
Left
luggage facilities in Paris & Madrid.
Step 2, book
the train from Madrid to Algeciras & back. There are
two ways to do this. Option 1, painless but usually
more expensive, is to stay with
www.raileurope.co.uk,
click 'continue shopping' and book it along with your
London-Paris-Madrid tickets as one transaction. Remember that the outward date
will be the day after your departure from
London. If it refuses to book a return, try
booking as two one-ways. However,
www.raileurope.co.uk
can only sell the normal flexible fare between Madrid &
Algeciras, it can't sell the cheap 'Web' or 'Estrella'
fares. So option 2 is to book the Madrid-Algeciras &
Algeciras-Madrid trains using the Spanish
Railways website
www.renfe.es, looking for these cheap deals.
Before trying to use www.renfe.es,
please read these step-by step instructions.
Step 3, tickets for the ferry can easily be bought at the ferry
terminal when you get to Algeciras, as there are always
places available, no pre-booking necessary. Alternatively, you can pre-book using the
Seat61 Ferry Shop, which will
book either Trasmediterranea (ship or fast ferry) or Nautas
(fast ferry).
You may prefer to
book by phone. To book train
travel all the way from
London to Algeciras, call
www.spanish-rail.co.uk on
020 7224 0345 (lines open 09:30-17:30 Monday-Friday),
or Rail
Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 09:00-21:00
Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, no longer open on
Sundays). There is no need to book the Algeciras-Tangier ferry in
advance, just buy a ticket at the ferry terminal when you get to
Algeciras. See the 'how to buy tickets' section on the
Europe page for more info about how
to book European trains.
Other options...
Alternative journey London ► Morocco
This
means more time on trains and less time in Madrid, but you can
leave London a couple of hours later, and it can be handy if
the trainhotel is fully-booked, or (as on Mondays & Tuesdays
in January & February) the trainhotel isn't running.
Railpass holders may also find this option cheaper: InterRail or railpass
holders need to pay a £59 sleeper supplement or £27 reclining
seat supplement to travel on
the Paris-Madrid trainhotel in each direction- the following option only requires a £18 couchette
supplement plus a £8-£10 InterCity or Talgo
supplement.
Day 1
afternoon, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at
17:55 (17:25 on Saturdays) and
arriving in Paris Gare du Nord at 21:17 (20:53 on Saturdays).
Cross Paris by métro
to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
Day 1
evening, travel
from Paris to Irun on the Spanish frontier overnight leaving Paris Austerlitz at 23:10 and
arriving 07:36 next morning. This Corail Lunéa train
has 6-berth 2nd class couchettes & 4-berth 1st class couchettes,
but no longer any sleeping-car.
What
are Corail Lunéa trains like?
Day 2
morning, take a connecting air-conditioned Alvia train
leaving Irun at 08:15 and arriving Madrid Chamartin at 13:57.
Day 2 evening, travel from Madrid
(Atocha station) to
Algeciras by Altaria train, leaving Madrid at 15:05
arriving Algeciras at 20:33. Spend the night there.
Day 3 morning, take a ferry to Tangier as
shown above.
Alternative
journey Morocco ► London
Day 1
morning, take a ferry from Tangier to Algeciras around
10:00,
a 2½ hour crossing, see www.trasmediterranea.es
for ferry times.
Day 1 afternoon, travel
from Algeciras to Madrid by Altaria train as shown above,
leaving Algeciras at 15:15 and arrives at
Madrid Atocha at 20:50. Spend the night in
Madrid.
Day 2, travel from Madrid to Hendaye on the French frontier on
an air-conditioned 'Altaria' train leaving Madrid Atocha
at 16:10 arriving Hendaye at 22:03 (double-check times
at www.renfe.es).
This connects with the
overnight Corail Lunéa train to Paris, leaving Hendaye at 22:18 and
arriving in Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at
07:11. 2nd class 6-bunk couchettes & 1st class
4-bunk couchettes are available.
What
are Corail Lunéa trains like?
Day 3 morning, a Eurostar leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 09:13 arriving back in London
St Pancras at 10:34.
South of France
to Morocco by sea...
If you prefer a longer sea voyage, there
are regular passenger ships from Sète in the South of
France to Tangier, run by Comanav (Compagnie Maroccaine de Navigation).
See
www.southernferries.co.uk/comanav_ferries.htm
for sailing dates and fares. It's easy to get from
London to Sète by train - use
http://bahn.hafas.de
for train times.
Using a
railpasses...
If you
just want to travel to and from Morocco, just buy normal tickets as a railpass is unlikely
to save any money. In fact, it will probably cost a lot
more. For example, if you have a
railpass you have to pay a £65 supplement to travel on the
Paris-Madrid trainhotel in a 4-berth sleeper, but you can find
a £65 special fare if you book in advance without a
railpass, so why bother with the pass?! However, if you already have a
railpass or InterRail card, or if you want to make other trips
in France, Spain or Morocco so that a railpass becomes
worthwhile, here are approximate supplements which railpass holders
need to pay on this route:
A 2-zone
InterRail pass giving
unlimited travel for a month in France, Spain and Morocco.
See the railpass page to check
prices & buy online.
You will need to add at least £59 return for the Eurostar
from London to Paris as railpasses do not cover Eurostar.
You will need
to budget for supplements: Railpass holder
supplement for Paris-Madrid trainhotel is £65 in 4-berth
sleeper, £99 in a 2-bed sleeper. Supplement for
Altaria train Madrid-Algeciras around £9.
In Tangier, easily
the most interesting place to stay is the Continental Hotel,
whatever your budget. As you walk into town from the
ferry, you'll easily spot it on your right high up on the edge
of the Medina overlooking the port. Opened in 1888 and
used by many famous people including (allegedly) Winston
Churchill and Queen Victoria's son, it's now a travellers'
favourite, with classic Moroccan décor and an atmosphere
straight out of Agatha Christie. In spite of all this
history, it's cheap, a single room with shower & toilet costs around
460 dirhams (£37) per night including a light breakfast, a
double room with shower & toilet around 560 dirhams (£46)
including breakfast. Ask for a room on the first floor with
a balcony overlooking the port and new
town.
Rooms are small and fairly basic, but have clean en suite showers
&
toilets, the hotel is handy for the port,
well-located inside the old medina walls and
a stone's throw from the old town centre, Petit Socco & Grand
Socco. The hotel has a good and cheap restaurant, too.
Rooms can't be booked
online and they don't accept credit cards, but email them at
hcontinental@iam.net.ma or
hcontinental@menara.ma
or just turn up. The address is 36, Dar Baroud
(Medina), Tangier, tel +212 39 93 10 24.
Above:
The Continental Hotel, Tangier. In the middle
picture, the passenger port is in the background, that's
how close it is...
Things to see in
Tangier...
Tangier sometimes
gets a bad press from travellers who are hassled
by a few touts at the port, who then hurry through without
seeing it and tell everyone else to do the same.
This is very short-sighted, as Tangier is the intriguing
and atmospheric city where
Europe meets Africa. Indeed, fans of the film
'Casablanca' will find it a far more plausible setting
for Rick, Elsa, Captain Renault and Major Strasser than the
big and unremarkable city to the south. Tangier was an
international zone from 1923 until its incorporation with
Morocco in 1956, and it really was awash with spies from both
sides in world war 2. It retains a faint air of mystery
and intrigue even today, although I've always felt very safe
there! It's a wonderful and
fascinating place
to spend a day or two, so make sure you include it in your
itinerary. Make sure you see the medina (old
town), kasbah (fort), the Petit Socco (small square) and Grand
Socco (large square), the English Church, and
Tangier American
Legation museum (the first bit of overseas territory ever
acquired by the United States). For more information on
Tangier, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangier.
Where to go next?
Modern
air-conditioned trains are waiting to whisk you south to the
rest of Morocco. Rabat is the country's capital and well
worth a stop; Casablanca is certainly a name to conjure with
(you have to say you've been there!) but in reality it's just
a large city. Marrakech is the obvious destination, and
a worthy (if touristy) one. Why not hire a car for a few
days and explore the country south of Marrakech? Meknès
& Fez are amazing places, as good or better than Marrakech an
with fewer tourists, so don't miss them!
The
trains in Morocco are some of the best in Africa, and they're the ideal
choice for getting around between cities. Fast,
modern, air-conditioned 'trains rapides climatisés' link Tangier,
Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Meknès, Fez & Oujda, see the route map above. Regular
trains link Casablanca airport with the city
centre. Agadir and Essaouira have no railway station,
but are linked to Marrakech by
connecting bus.
Above: A
Moroccan train at Sidi Kacem...
Above: The
11:00 express from Tangier has just arrived in Fes...
How to check train times & fares...
You can
easily check Moroccan train times & fares at the Moroccan
Railways (ONCF) website, www.oncf.ma,
which now has an English language button at top left.
Fares are very cheap, see fare examples below.
How to buy tickets...
There is
no easy way to book trains from outside Morocco, and you don't
generally need to book in advance anyway. Just buy your ticket at the station on the
day, or perhaps the day before. In 2nd class, seat
reservation isn't even possible, you just buy a ticket and
hop on, so the train cannot be 'full', at least in 2nd class. Seats can be reserved in 1st class, up to a
month in advance. In Morocco, you can also book by phone on 090 20 30 40,
but this number is not accessible from overseas.
Sleeping-berths (4-berth couchettes) on the convenient
Tangier-Marrakech overnight train can be reserved up to 2
months in advance. These can sometimes get fully-booked, so book as
soon as you reach Morocco if you can,
but it's reportedly sometimes possible to find berths
available on the day of
travel.
One seat61 correspondent suggests arranging couchette tickets
on this train through local travel agency Travel
Link (www.travellink.ma, 83 Rue de la
Liberté (next to the El Minza Hotel), Tanger, call +212 39 93 58
77 or email
nait@travellink.ma), though reports about this agency
have been mixed, see below.
Tangier's new station...
The old
station in Tangier near the port & medina was closed a few
years ago, but an impressive new Tanger Ville station has now
been completed just inland from the far end of the sea front.
Walking from the port, the medina or the Continental Hotel to
the new station takes around 30-35 minutes, so take a petit
taxi as this only costs 20 dirhams or so (about £1.30).
Above:
Tangier's new station
Above:
Inside Tangier station, showing ticket windows
Taking the train South from Tangier...
Here
is the complete train timetable from Tangier to the rest of
Morocco. Tangier is on a branch line from a junction
station called Sidi Kacem, located on the main line
linking Fez,
Meknès, Sidi Kacem, Rabat, Casablanca &
Marrakech. Most trains run Tangier-Sidi
Kacem-Casablanca, so you must change at Sidi Kacem for Meknès
& Fez. However, a couple of trains run Tangier-Sidi
Kacem-Fez, and on these you change at Sidi Kacem for
Casablanca. Trains now run every hour or so on the main
line between Casablanca, Rabat, Meknès & Fez, see www.oncf.ma
for a complete timetable. Look for the 'Les horairies dans la
poche' link at the bottom of the ONCF home page to print out a
complete pocket timetable to take with you.
Tangier ► Marrakech / Fez
See note:
A
A
A
A
A
X
A
A = Air-conditioned
rapide, 1st & 2nd class, refreshment trolley.
This timetable shows all trains to and from Tangier, but there are lots of other trains on the
mainline linking
Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknès and Fez.
You can check train times
at www.oncf.ma,
in French 'horaires' = timetables, 'tarifs' =
fares.
Children aged 0-3
travel free, children aged 4-10 travel at half fare, children
aged 11 and over pay the adult fare.
Holders of InterRail passes
must
pay a small air-conditioning supplement before boarding the
train.
On board the
trains...
The long distance 'rapides
climatisés' have 1st & 2nd class air-conditioned smooth-riding
coaches, with a trolley service of inexpensive tea, coffee,
sandwiches and snacks.
Above: 1st
class is very comfortable, with plush carpeted 6-seat
air-conditioned compartments. It's still
cheap, and well worth the extra over 2nd class.
First class tickets include a specific reserved
seat.
Above: 2nd
class has 8-seat air-conditioned compartments with
basic padded plastic seats. The 2nd class
coaches now look a bit tatty, but they're still perfectly
adequate & incredibly cheap. 2nd class seats
aren't reserved, you find an empty one & sit down...
Above: The
refreshment trolley sells excellent hot sweet
coffee!
The
overnight train is a popular way to travel from
Tangier to Marrakech, sleeping in a couchette and saving a night in a hotel. One couchette car is
attached to this train, with 1st class 4-berth
compartments, each berth provided with pillow, sheet and light blanket.
The car is air-conditioned, although it may be a while
before the air-con kicks in if the car has been standing
in the sidings all day..! The compartment doors
lock securely, and it is a safe, comfortable and time-effective way
to travel. As there is only one couchette car, berths
can get sold out, so book ahead
if you can.
However, it's not
impossible to find berths available even if you book at
the station on the
day of travel, so give it a try. How to book
the Tangier-Marrakech couchette train from outside
Morocco: There's no easy way
of booking this train from outside Morocco, but one
seat61 correspondent suggests arranging it through local
Tangier travel agency Travel
Link (www.travellink.ma, 83 Rue de la Liberte
(next to the El Minza Hotel), Tanger, call +212 39 93 58
77 or email
officetanger@travellink.ma, said_zenith@yahoo.com).
Travellink charge a 500 dirham (£30) booking fee on top
of the train ticket cost, but it can be worth it if
catching this train the day you arrive in Tangier is
mission-critical. Travellink have been highly recommended by
four separate
correspondents, but two other travellers say the agency
seems to have bought their couchette tickets on the day
of travel anyway (which defeats the whole point of using
them, and in one case, they then found the
couchettes full), and one other traveller reports poor
service.
Feedback
if you book this train through Travel Link is always
welcome.
Above: An upper berth
in a 4-berth couchette compartment on the Tangier
to Marrakech overnight train... There are upper &
lower bunks on each side of the compartment. Photo
courtesy of Patti White.
Above: The 1st class 4-berth couchette car attached
to the Tangier - Marrakech overnight train.
Photo
courtesy of Dave Turner.
New double-deck
air-conditioned trains linking Rabat & Casablanca...
These smart
new double-deck air-conditioned trains are now entering
service on the hourly Rabat-Casablanca fast shuttle service (TNR
or 'Train Navette Rapide' and a few
Fez-Meknès-Rabat-Casablanca express trains.
Double-decker
train at Fez... Photo courtesy of Marie Javins
First class
seats on the new Moroccan double decker train.
Photo courtesy of Marie Javins
Buses
from Marrakech to Agadir & Essaouira are run by Supratours, a subsidiary of
Moroccan railways, and depart from the Supratours
terminal next to Marrakech railway station. You can
check bus times at
www.oncf.ma.
Marrakech - Essaouira costs about 55 dirhams (£5 or $7).
Luggage must be checked in, and a small fee is payable for
this in addition to your fare. You can buy combined train+bus tickets from any Moroccan railway station to Agadir and
Essaouira via Marrakech - ask for a 'billet rail et route'.
Make sure you take a good guidebook.
Easily the best guidebooks for
the independent traveller are Lonely Planets and Rough Guides. Both
provide an excellent level of practical information and
historical background. You won't regret buying one
of these!
My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe
based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and
is available from Amazon.co.uk.
Thomas Cook Timetables
There
are two truly remarkable books that are a 'must' for
serious overland travellers and an inspiration for
armchair travellers:
This is probably the most adventurous timetable ever
produced. It has train, bus & ferry times for every country in
Asia, Africa, North and South America and Australasia,
including non-European Russia, Asian Turkey, Mongolia, China and the
Trans-Siberian Railway. It costs £13.99 from any branch of Thomas
Cook or you can buy it online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com.
Alternatively, buy the
independent traveller's edition at Amazon.co.uk,
Overseas Timetable summer 2009 edition.
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe...
This is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at Amazon.co.uk with worldwide delivery. See an extract from the map
Hotels in Algeciras, Tangier, Marrakech, Fez & elsewhere in
Morocco...
A Lonely Planet or
Rough Guides guidebook will point you at some good hotels
Morocco when you get there. Alternatively, you
can pre-book hotels (budget, mid-range and upmarket) in most
Moroccan cities through
www.hotelscombined.com using the search box
below. It's not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms,
Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to
find the cheapest hotel rates on the net. It's an amazing system and probably the best place to
start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.
In Tangier, the
wonderfully atmospheric and central
Continental Hotel is the top choice, and very inexpensive.
Ideally located for both port and old medina, and with its own
restaurant too. It's not bookable online,
see the section above.
In Marrakech, the
Hotel Islane is a good mid-range choice at around 35-45
euros (£26-£31) per room per night, with an excellent
central location just round the corner from the Jemaa el Fnaa,
the main market square. It also has a good rooftop
restaurant. The most
famous hotel in Marrakech is of course
La Mamounia Hotel, if you can (a) afford it and (b) get a room!
In Algeciras: For Algeciras hotels,
click here. The Reina Cristina is easily the best hotel in
Algeciras as well as the most historic, set in its own grounds just
10 minutes walk from either rail station or ferry passenger
terminal. It costs only about 53 euros per night for
a single, 68 euros for a double.
Hotel Reina Cristina, Algeciras...
The classic Hotel Reina Cristina
is easily the best place to stay in Algeciras between train &
ferry...
Hiring a car might
not be the first thing you think of doing in Morocco, but if
you've a few days to spare in Marrakech I'd highly recommend
hiring a car and driving over the High Atlas Mountains via the
incredible Tizi n Tichka Pass, perhaps the most amazing road
I've ever driven. Stay the night at the Kasbah at
Tifletout (now a hotel) and visit the Gorge du Dadès,
Todra Gorge, and the remarkable mud-built town of Aït
ben Haddou. Driving isn't difficult, indeed the roads
are far less crowded than in the UK or Europe, making it a
very pleasant way to get around. Instead of searching
multiple websites to sort out your car, try this search engine which compares
different hire companies' prices.
Travel insurance, health card, SIM card
Get travel insurance..
Never go abroad without travel insurance from a
reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
I've used
Direct Line myself and on one occasion, successfully
claimed back the cost of non-refundable Eurostar & trainhotel
tickets to Spain when we cancelled the trip because my mother
fell ill.
Feedback from
using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome!
If you're a
UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free
European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or
reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in
many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with
the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from
www.ehic.org.uk. It doesn't remove the need for
travel insurance, though.
Get an international SIM card...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, but if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85%. It
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also allows cheap data access for laptops
& PDAs. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
If you want a holiday to Morocco
without flying, with all the legwork done for you, travelling with a group of fellow
travellers and a professional tour manager, one company (and
as far as I know there's only one) offers a remarkable escorted
tour overland
from the UK to Morocco by train from £2,395. Check out
Great Rail Journey's Marrakech Express tour from the UK to
Spain & Morocco, with
1st class train travel and 4* or 5* hotels. Stopovers include
Madrid, Ronda, Seville, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech, Casablanca. Check the details
online, then call 01904 527120 to
book or use their
online
booking form. Seat61 gets some commission to support
the site if you book your holiday through this link or phone
number.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, see
If you live in the USA or Canada, see
