Morocco in October, anyone fancy it?

[Paul]

Last time i went i used the tunnel and did non stop driving through france and spain. (36 hours each way) then camped in Gibraltar for a couple of nights, very nice place
If adding in the toll roads and extra fuel it is cheaper than going by ferry to Spain but the idea of a mini cruise and the relaxation time seems a little more attractive.

 

[BlackWidow]

Last time i went i used the tunnel and did non stop driving through france and spain. (36 hours each way) then camped in Gibraltar for a couple of nights, very nice place
If adding in the toll roads and extra fuel it is cheaper than going by ferry to Spain but the idea of a mini cruise and the relaxation time seems a little more attractive.

Paul,

just a word of warning that little cruise that you mention is not as romantic and relaxing as the brochures make it out to be. In a nut shell it is a ferry not a cruise ship and full of English lager louts that drink from the moment the ship leaves the port till it docks in Bilbao. The food is ferry standard not cruise ship standard, the entertainment is your standard Butlins type. The food was over priced and plastic, the duty free was expensive (in fact it is cheaper to buy what you wanted in the port of Bilbao which the Spanish think is expensive).

I have used it once and will never use it again.

Having said all that I have heard that the Pride of Bilbao has been sold and is being operated by a new company so things may have changed in the last couple of months.

Steve

 

[Graham]

I have some loose plans, and when I say loose, I mean some 'hair brain' ideas.
I was looking to buy another caravan, after I sold my last one 3 years ago.
I was looking for a decent size, twin axle to tow down to Gibralter - Algeciras, over a 3 - 4 week relaxed drive.

Dover - Calais (ferry), Reims, Dijion, Geneve, Charmonix Mont Blank, Courmayeur, Milan, Savona, Monaco, and then the normal coast road down through Barcelona, and Valencia until reach Gibralter and Algeciras.

Then unhitch the caravan, and we leave it on a store, or cheap camp site for a week or two.
Then we have a trip over to Morocco, with just the Land Cruiser.
Then once again, a long slow trip back to Blighty, up through Portugal,Bilbao, Pamplona, Bayonne, Bordeaux, Paris, Calais.
I did this a few years ago, and enjojed it very much.

So with tha added flavour of Morocco, I am sure it could be far better.

Graham

 

[Rob]

Last time i went i used the tunnel and did non stop driving through france and spain. (36 hours each way) then camped in Gibraltar for a couple of nights, very nice place
If adding in the toll roads and extra fuel it is cheaper than going by ferry to Spain but the idea of a mini cruise and the relaxation time seems a little more attractive.

Paul,

just a word of warning that little cruise that you mention is not as romantic and relaxing as the brochures make it out to be. In a nut shell it is a ferry not a cruise ship and full of English lager louts that drink from the moment the ship leaves the port till it docks in Bilbao. The food is ferry standard not cruise ship standard, the entertainment is your standard Butlins type. The food was over priced and plastic, the duty free was expensive (in fact it is cheaper to buy what you wanted in the port of Bilbao which the Spanish think is expensive).

I have used it once and will never use it again.

Having said all that I have heard that the Pride of Bilbao has been sold and is being operated by a new company so things may have changed in the last couple of months.

Steve

and 10 years ago the cinema (which you had to pay for) was a vcr hooked up to projector and the screen was no even flat you can only imagine how sh!t that looked

 

[Mal Eade]

Morocco

Ben There Done That

Summed up as Sh*t, Sand and Flies.

I will stick to France and Spain thanks


Mal

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Morocco

Ben There Done That

Summed up as Sh*t, Sand and Flies.

I will stick to France and Spain thanks


Mal

You weren't impressed then Mal

 

[Mal Eade]

LETS PUT IT THIS WAY

I don't want to ever go back there are so many other places to go.

If you do go make sure you stock up with food and beer in Spain as getting beer is a problem and the food is all crap.

Best thing was the Ferry back to Spain.

This is only my opinion and others may have enjoyed it.

Mal

 

[Chas]

LETS PUT IT THIS WAY

I don't want to ever go back there are so many other places to go.

If you do go make sure you stock up with food and beer in Spain as getting beer is a problem and the food is all crap.

Best thing was the Ferry back to Spain.

This is only my opinion and others may have enjoyed it.

Mal

I enjoyed Morocco, but some of the tracks were very rough. Beer was no problem in the big supermarkets, I got some loverly stuff called Casablanca and some VERY cheap brandy on the ferry back (bought 5ltr's, but don't tell customs)

 

[Paul]

I loved it there which is why i want to go back, this time i want to go more remote and do some dune bashing which i didn't do last time as i was one vehicle and solo.

 

[Chas]

I enjoyed Morocco a lot, but some of the tracks were very rough (in the Western Sahara there were more rocks than sand ) . Beer was no problem in the big supermarkets, I got some loverly stuff called Casablanca and some VERY cheap brandy on the ferry back (bought 5ltr's, but don't tell customs)

 

[Bat21]

Morocco

Ben There Done That

Summed up as Sh*t, Sand and Flies.

I will stick to France and Spain thanks


Mal

Sand in Morocco no schit Sherlock

.... just a word of warning that little cruise that you mention is not as romantic and relaxing as the brochures make it out to be....

The Pride of Bilbao, AKA the Butlins boat to Bilbao, makes its last trip in September of this year.

As Steve quite rightly says, it can be a bit rowdy on there. We used that crossing 2 years ago and it was full of fat loudmouth drunken women from South Wales.

What many people don't realise is, Morocco is a very poor country... in some areas I would say it is verging on being almost Third world.

If you go there expecting 5* luxury then you are going to be disappointed but, if you go there with an open mind, looking for adventure and are prepared to embrace the life style and culture then you will love the place.

This year will be our 5th trip, we first went there on 2 wheels in 2002. One of the guys in our group was a fairly streetwise 43 year old. Not long after crossing the border we couldn't work out why he was riding so slow. We got him to pull over and I went over to talk to him. The guy was in tears and I asked what was wrong, his reply was "I can't believe what I am seeing"... in a nutshell he just wasn't prepared for the culture shock that hit him squarely in the face.

Don't expect to find supermarkets or folk to wipe your arse FFS Morocco is an adventure and one I would certainly recommend.

 

[Bat21]

I forgot to say, for more information than you will ever need on Morocco, have a look at *this*.

 

[Chas]

....

Don't expect to find supermarkets or folk to wipe your arse FFS Morocco is an adventure and one I would certainly recommend.

[/quote]
There are supermarkets, I shopped in one! mind you I didn't look for anyone to wipe my arse.

 

[Bat21]

There are supermarkets, I shopped in one! mind you I didn't look for anyone to wipe my arse.

Did you notice the word supermarket was in italics

 

[Paul]

Last time i just bought from the shops on the road and the campsites normally had a little market nearby that they would recommend, no worries with buying beer and the local wine was nice too.

But back on track..........

A mate from work is now going in his LC or Hilux or Disco

 

[Chas]

There are supermarkets, I shopped in one! mind you I didn't look for anyone to wipe my arse.

Did you notice the word supermarket was in italics

Yes I did, but what was I supposed to infer from that, that they weren't really supermarkets? perhaps I was lucky and found the only one.

 

[Mal Eade]

SUPER you are havin a laugh

Never found one that could be used with the word SUPER.

I Looked and Looked for a M+S or a Waitrose.

And Paul there was lots and Lots of Sand. I Think most of it traveled back with me in the truck.

Oh and the Cheap fuel it knocks your power down by 25% because it diluted with camel piss.

No I am not bitter and twisted

 

[Paul]

Hey silver, am i missing some kind of private joke here?
If not then i get the point that you don't like it there, i happen to love it there and the more remote the better, i know others share my opinion.

2nd attempt to get it back on track.............

Anyone that is actually interested in GOING?

 

[Rob]

paul, i would like to do Morocco but i cant commit to a date yet, need to find a job first and then i can think about travelling...

 

[Paul]

When are you off to Mongolia then? Thought it was soon.