Advice re vehicle transport for x4 bicycles & x4 passengers: Marrakech to Imilchil
 

Hi,

Some friends and I are planning an unsupported 2 week mountain bike tour offroad, traversing the High Atlas in Morocco at end of May 2015.

(we've already had some great advice on this forum here http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ain-bike-79578)

We would start at Imilchil (see below) and ride back to Marrakech over 2 weeks.

It's a bicycle transport by vehicle (and accommodation) question ...

It being a holiday we're restricted on time (see below) plus with our precious bicycles being our transport for the following 2 weeks it would be good to get a warm comfortable feeling about their transport - it would be great if anyone here could help / advise :)

THANKS VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE! :)
Jon

INITIALLY I'd like to get an idea quite quickly on the feasibility of item (1) and the points beneath it.

Can anyone here help / point me in the direction of someone who can?

QUESTIONS:

Perhaps a good hotel could arrange (1) also? If this is possible this takes away one other thing to worry about i.e. getting in touch with the driver!

(1) Reliable and fixed price driver from Marrakech to Imilchil:
Start: Marrakech
End: Imilchil (N 32 09.300W 5 38.083)
Do journey in 1 day
~5 hour journey - Google Maps route link below
355km
One-way only
x4 mountain bicycles
x4 passengers
x4 small bags each
Cost: £50 pp max i.e. £200 max?

(bus option looks complex with x2+ changes and lots of variables around times / delays making connections)

(2) Decent hotel for min x2 possibly x4 nights
x4 people
Cost ~£50pp pn
Hotel can provide secure storage of x4 bicycle boxes (approx 6ftx3ftx1ft each) for 2 weeks
Possible pick-up / drop-off from / at airpor*for x4 bicycle boxes, x4 people, x4 small bags each

---------------------------

Route for vehicle from*Marrakech to Imilchil:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Ma...34722!2d32.155

Google Maps has not been to Morocco and doesn't have a clue when it comes to predicting journey times on main roads, let alone mountain twisties. I'd estimate 9-10 hours with stops and if there's any change left over consider yourself lucky.

The problem with transport is finding someone with the necessary wide-ranging licence to do the entire trip. You could talk to Peter Buitelaar from Bikershome at pbuitelaar@gmail.com but he would have to come from Ouarzazate so might bust your budget.

On the hotel side I'm assuming you mean within Marrakech. Although it's not as good as it once was, I think Hotel Ali on the north-west edge of Djemaa el Fna would be OK, see http://www.hotel-ali.com/

Double rooms are €35, quad rooms €55. Massive luggage room. They are good arrangers so you could ask them if they could organise the transfer to Imilchil. They could certainly fix someone for the airport run.

.

Fair points Tim, thanks for another reply :)

(feel somewhat ashamed for posting the estimated time of trip from Google Maps, especially with a work background in maps! ... should have realised it's not like driving around the M25 ... although maybe as busy / busier!)

I'll get in touch with Peter and Hotel Ali.

Thanks again
Jon