Thinking of doin morocco - egypt overland - buses, hitchike etc..advice, come with??

[vicks9985]

Hi all.

I know this is supposed to primarily be a site for motorcycle/4x4 etc trekking travel, but I am contemplating a trip in late 2009 backpacking across the sahara via any means of transportation i can find (bus/hitchin/whatever). Would make it a good three month or so trip...and I know people on this site have some good experience...

Any advice/anyone possibly interested???

As of now everything is on a 'possible' factor, but my idea was something like fly into dakar, senegal then go by land up through mauritania and into morocco (that part I've done once before) then from morocco - algeria - tunisia - libya - egypt....and see how I feel after that (fly home or keep on travellin...)
I know people in senegal and ghana and through a friend could get some contact in egypt...

Any advice on the possibility of this??
How would it work if I wanted to do some short trips via camel..??

Would appreciate the advice...
Thanks,
Victoria

[markharf]

This is one of those topics that just won't die. The border between Morocco and Algeria is closed. Start thinking about alternatives (which are limitless).

Hope that helps.

Mark

[Chris Scott]

For Vikki and the like see:
http://www.sahara-overland.com/routes
which gets updated every once in a while.

The red borders on the map you cannot cross.

Ch

[vicks9985]

Sorry I forgot about that part for a second. I was gonna do the whole up to spain from morocco and then ferry from spain down to algeria thing. from what i've hear it can be done/is possible??

[vicks9985]

I just took a look at the map. There's a lot of red lineage - or so it seems - but they also mark some good possible border crossings with the black diamonds that, so long as those work out, I could go with? I suppose ppl try this ...and then if it doesnt work out just head south to niger and chad etc?

[Chris Scott]

North Algeria may be tricky. Another big bomb today:
BBC NEWS | Africa | Bombing kills dozens in Algeria
They are unlikely to grant you a visa to wander around unescorted escort.

Tunisia eastwards is relatively simple and safe.

Ch

[northin09]

Thinking of doing similar backpacking to you Victoria, second half of ’09, but Moroc – Mauri – Senegal – Mali – Niger – Algeria – Tunisia – Libya – Egypt. Again it’s just “possibly” at the moment and dependent on whether I can con a friend into it!

Was thinking of doing some camelling in Niger but looks like that won’t happen these days! But you never know!

Re Algeria: I was under the impression that you could get a visa to travel in Algeria (including the south) without an escort if you were backpacking, i.e. didn't have a car or bike and were travelling as Victoria suggests??
Also, latest bombings seem to be happening in N.East. What are people's thoughts on safety in regards travel west of Algiers (Oran etc.) then getting a train from Algiers to Tunis??
Anyone travelled across the north? How'd you find it?
Lachie.

[Chris Scott]

Re Algeria: I was under the impression that you could get a visa to travel in Algeria (including the south) without an escort if you were backpacking,

Never heard of this one and it sounds very unlikely.

You are right the northeast is where it all happens; rarely on the Oran side but you won't get through a checkpoint these days without an escort. If you think about it, Algeria is less bomb-ridden than Pakistan and it's easy to get a visa and travel there, but Alg govt control is much much tighter. They don't really want tourists there walking around doing their own thing.

Ch