Short Trip to Morocco
 

Hi All,

We are currently planning a short trip to Morocco, leaving from Ireland thro the UK down thro France and Spain before entering Morocco, looking at doing a lap from Tanger to Fes to Marrakech over to Casablanca and back up to Tanger via the coast....all depending on cost etc

There will be two people on the trip each riding a Yamaha XT600 E, leaving Ireland/UK in July August going to allow about 2 weeks at the moment just started our research, we were curious to know had many other people done a trip like this, we have come across a few links on the HUBB, our main concern would be cost and time, we dont mind camping all the way as it will be the summer and the weather should be fine

Do you need a carnet for Morocco

How long do Visas usually take to arrange for Morocco

What kind of Insurance would cover us in Morocco for the bikes and for ourselfs

Many of the links we have found explain a lot about the fuel costs and time taken

Would two weeks be enough or will we have to shorten the trip to suit, what kind of milage could you expect to cover for each country ie France Spain Morocco

What modifications should we consider for the bikes

Anyone have any idea of the cost of a trip like this, a rough range would do

Thanks in advance for any help/advice

ATWR

No, you don't need a carnet. UK residents don't need a Visa, presume the same for Eire? Your own insurance company may provide you with a 'green card' insurance certificate which will cover your trip to Morocco for not too much expense. Otherwise insurance can be purchsed at the border. Be careful when organising travel insurance for yourselves, many companies won't cover 'motorcycle touring' : read the small print carefully.

Morocco is a great place for biking but IMHO it gets better away from the cities. People are more interested in you and less in your wallet. Chris Scott's book 'Sahara Overland' is the bible for riding down there. It has lots of awesome routes and great advice for riding in the region.

The XT - great bike for the trip. The only mods I'd consider would be: big tank (not vital). Luggage (obviously), hard if you are riding around towns (more secure), soft if you're mostly off-roading. Sump gaurd if doing lots of off-road (Dave Lambeth does a doozy). Would def. buy aftermarket handlebars, the standard ones are made of old cheese. Renthals are great.

Tyres- Continental Twinduros are a good compromise between on road and sand performance.

Accom: note that cheap hotels are not excessively more expensive than campsites. They vary greatly in quality though.

One tip to rule them all: RIDE LIGHT!

Have fun.

Matt :)

Mr. Scott's tome:

Sahara Overland ~ the book and online resource

Cheers for that info Matt, if the insurance companies wont cover motorcycle travel what kind of insurance do you reccommend for self cover, i doubt my health plan would cover it, ormaybe it would, thats good about the visas, less paperwork, any idea of costs for a trip like this ?

August
 

Hi, you'll melt in the heat in summer. In southern France, north of the Spanish border near the Med is unbearably hot. I believe Andalucia is known as the frying pan of Europe. If you possibly can go at another time. If you must then try to stay at altitude or on Atlantic coast where there'll be wind. Linzi.

I can't remember which company I went with last time (it was 2006). It may have been STA. I had to go with their 'Gold Cover' to ensure they covered me for motorcycle touring. You have to be really careful. Some of the companies will cover you for 'motorcycle touring' but state in the small print that it can't make up more than 20% of the total trip or that you are not covered for bikes over 125 etc. etc.

In terms of costs, that's really difficult to put a figure on. It is so dependent on how many miles you do, where you stay, what you eat, whether you drink or not, how much you spend on carpets etc.

I'd suggest that while it's a good deal cheaper than Western Europe, it's not that much cheaper than Eastern Europe. Again, the prices get lower the further you get from the cities. I went there in 2006 as part of a much longer trip, so can't really tell you how much it cost with any great accuracy and I've a terrible memory for prices. Maybe someone else will be able to give you a better idea, sorry.

I would reccommend it without hesitation however. Riding over the Tizi-n Tazazert pass, cresting the summit at 7000 feet and looking south to the dunes of the Sahara, the unbroken blue dome of the african sky above, has to be one of my all time favourite travel experiences.

Matt :)

Matt, are you aware of any good aftermarket racks for carrying carpets??

Wouldn't mind heading down there myself but fear my crappy 2 weeks hols might be a bit tight.

Some of the basic stuff is covered in the Morocco GS Knowledgebase. You will also benefit by completing your temporary import forms online.

As Linzi points out it can be hot, in which case stick to the mountains and the coast as much as possible. If it's hot you should start at first light then park up somewhere with a pool for the night at 2pm or so. And drink loads of water.

You'd be better off staying in budget hotels than camping.

Your major costs will be fuel and ferries. Two weeks is a bit rushed given that you will be using three days each way through France and Spain.

Your route within Morocco is predictable, it's the sort of tarmac pounding that most others do. Personally I'd be less ambitious and spend more time on side roads. You've not mentioned pistes, are you planning to stay on the blacktop?

Tim

Bascailly we were looking for a short break / trip for about 2 weeks to try out the bikes etc get a feel for life on the road, 2 weeks sounds a bit tight for time and the time of year sounds a little warm and its the main tourist season in Morocco July August so it will be quite busy aswell, I wounder would the Nordcapp be a better option for a two week bike trip weather might be a little cooler aswell

Try out first
 

Hi, best leave Morocco for a warm rather than oven hot time and a little longer time to tour. I only know about Nordkapp from watching threads but search HUBB for ferry info---it's not so easy. Best advice I can offer is go for a one day rideout to gauge what distance you'll want to do day in day out. Personally I tour for the stops not the distances between! Can I suggest thinking of the route as the target rather than of thinking of what point to aim for? A big loop is a good idea. Scotland isn't too bad I've heard!!!Strong Euros aren't used there either. Linzi.

More ideas
 

After more thought-you're on trail bikes. What about a ferry to northern Spain? The Picos de Europa mountains and Galicia, the Pyrenees. Could do a LOT worse than that if you don't mind the time and cost of ferry. Linzi.