The Morocan Ambassador to Spain has just returned to Madrid after a recall that has lasted several months so, the political spat is at last calmingbier

Marseilles to TanMed Ferry booked!
 

Well myself and another T7 rider booked the Marseille to TanMed ferry for the 12th Oct yesterday!

We upgraded our cabin to have a window for €9.

Hopefully be traversing a dry river bed at Ramlia on MS6 5 days later... :mchappy:

What were the all up costs mate?

Two pilots, bikes & 1 cabin on 14 Oct 21 = €416

Fyi: I could not see a price for motos on GNV to Sete. [actually it's pops up later up top]
Maybe same as a car? ~ €130.
So I booked La Meridional to Marseille. €260 flex tariff with food and sea cabin.

Will be nice to come back into Marseille port.
Not done that since the Algie years; always a 'TFFT' moment!

Hull Soft luggage safety
 

We're boarding the GNV Sète - Nador tonight. We are packing unlockable soft luggage. Should we take all our bags with us in the cabin or could we leave some on the bikes? Is theft an issue on these ferries?

It was for me once - Spain to Nador – so best lug what you can't afford to lose up to your room for peace of mind.

Some news on the proposed Poole to Tanger Shipping service.

It sounds like the first ship has either sailed or is due to very shortly. However it is a RORO service and unaccompanied, meaning you cant travel with your vehicle, apparently this may change to accompanied in the future. But its very much aimed at freight rather than passenger service, whether it will be of use to overlanders remains to be seen.

https://www.bladi.net/premiere-exped...XdADDMi4-451zs

https://www.freshfruitportal.com/new...o-to-uk-route/

We took everything off on the way to Morocco, left the camping gear on on the way back. No problems encountered. Very few motorbikes on the ferry BTW.

Also, it is possible to get the temporary vehicle import card on the boat. Perhaps this is common knowledge already or perhaps this is a new "service" (extremely bored and rude customs guy).

H24Info has posted a report from El Confidencial Digital stating that Morocco will imminently reopen passenger sea links between Spain and will also open borders with Ceuta and Melilla.

This sounds to me nothing more than journalistic clickbait but here's the links if you fancy reading them. At least H24info had the decency to put a question mark in its headline.

H24info: https://www.h24info.ma/maroc/maroc-e...ons-maritimes/

El Confidencial Digital: https://www.elconfidencialdigital.co...101292939.html

I can guess but I can't pretend to know the Moroccan grand plan, however there were reasons for closing off the sea and land routes with Spain which happened before the Polisario leader Brahim Ghali was allowed into Spain. I can't see that Morocco has achieved anything yet, so I imagine the situation will remain.

Morocco World News is reporting that Italian shipping line GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci) is expanding its operations in Morocco and expanding its shipping routes to Morocco, however unless I am missing something in the text, there seems to be little confirmed change as far as services to Morocco are concerned.

Article: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/202...tes-to-morocco

Madar21 has a report that Spain-Morocco ferry links and also the land borders are to reopen within three months. The report references El Confidencial Digital article above but claims it has its own diplomatic sources.

'Within three months' is a pretty loose timeframe, so don't hold your breath, https://madar21.com/30641.html

Another report, this time suggesting the ferry service between Spain and Morocco will resume early November: https://www.lesiteinfo.com/maroc/rep...c-et-lespagne/

It quotes Ceuta Actualidad, but the source for the Ceuta article is in fact the Digital Confidencial referred to in post #198. Ceuta Actualidad references El Confidencial Digital saying that the border will reopen 1 November but warning there have been hoaxes before. https://www.ceutaactualidad.com/arti...817132104.html

We're approaching the end of the current SoE and also Spain last announcement about the border so we're seeing the same repeated rumours that the press have circulated all year.

All meaningless until there's an official announcment from both Spain and Morocco

ferry to morocco from spain
 

My bike is waiting for me in Malaga. I'm flying out to get it roughly mid November. I'm fully vaccinated and intend to get a ferry to Morocco. Is this possible to do? I've heard about problems between Spain and Morocco causing ferries not to run. It's very hard to find out on the net if this is correct.
Thanks to anyone who can supply me with good information.
Charlie

No ferries between Spain and Morocco or news on when they will start

Lots of good information posted on this forum as things change and also the Overlanding West Africa and Morocco group on Facebook and also the Overlanding North Africa Group.

There are some other resources but they don't seem to have accurate information.

@chamagu: What's holding up the restart of the ferry links is very much the political situation between Morocco and Spain and whilst things are better on the surface, none of the underlying differences have been resolved, so I don't see this changing by mid November. Sorry. :(

Hi Charlie:

Welcome to the HUBB forum community.

As Tim explained in his reply above, the current suspension of ferry services between Spain and Morocco is the result of a political dispute that has nothing at all to do with COVID or vaccinations.

The political dispute is a complex one, not a single issue, and there is just no way for any of us to know when or if it will get resolved, no matter how much research we do. Heck, even the Spanish & Moroccan diplomats don't know when or how it will be resolved.

Best suggestion I can offer you is to plan to tour around Southern Spain & Southern Portugal this year. Fly down to Malaga, pick up the bike, and go riding eastward. I've done that kind of tour in the past, and it has been most enjoyable. There are some great roads in Southern Spain, and no shortage of interesting things to see. It's also a relatively cheap area so far as eating, drinking, and staying in hotels is concerned.

Michael

ferry to morocco info
 

Thank you all for your replies. Very much appreciated. It's massively disappointing as I don't know when this opportunity might arise for me again but on the very bright side it looks like some TET Spain and ACT Portugal has my name written on it!
Ride on,
Charlie

Morocco Ferries
 

Hey Tim. If you don’t mind spending a few more $$$, you can grab your bike in Malaga and drive up to Sete, France and take a ferry to Morocco from there. That’s what I am in the process of doing. Cheers.

That is a LONG (1,300 km!) and really tiring route. I've done that route once before, and at the end of it, all I wanted to do was go home, not anywhere else.

Michael

It seems to be definitely operating. I've got a quote from them for Genova-Tanger yesterday.

Now wondering how the covid testing could be managed. The ferry trip alone takes over 50 hours, and the test must not be older than 48h.
Any idea?

Peter

The answer is somewhere in this thread; did I read it's done on board?
I'd like to know for sure myself; I've booked one to Sete in a couple of weeks.

As I'm going out via France my travels docs are expanding into a dossier fit to ride down the west coast of Africa.

PCR must be under 48hrs before boarding. UK FCO says another is done on board but nobody has reported that this actually happens.

As of the weekend you will also receive an antigen test on arrival, if you test positive then you will be refused entry into Morocco

I remember posts either here or TA from people saying PCR tests were performed on board.

Also the UK Foreign Office Morocco travel advice currently reads, "For travel by ferry, you will also need to take a COVID-19 test during the journey"

I suppose that makes sense:
one to get on the boat
and another to get off at the destination port.

in this case, all these tests should/could only be antigen?
pcr results take at least 24h

No, you must have a PCR to board. I had a test done in France and had results within 7 hours. (That was in dieppe)

Thanks a lot. Then I'll have to check availability in Genova, and schedule arrival accordingly...

I remember reading an article six months or so ago about equipment being installed on the ferries to enable PCR tests to be done whilst at sea. I presume this went ahead.

GNV has also arranged discounted testing, https://www.gnv.it/en/prenota-sereno...nzione-tamponi

Ferry from Sete
 

I sailed from Sete to Tangier Port Med last week.I had a PCR test at Biomed34 Sete, 25 Rue Maurice Clavel €45. Test was taken just before 10am and results emailed by 4pm. This is outside the 48 hour window but I had been told on the phone by GNV office in Genoa that a test on Saturday would be accepted for the Monday evening sailing, as they have this problem every Monday. A French couple behind me in the check in Q, took their tests that morning and results came through as they queued. If you have a choice of sailing dates, picking one at end of the week would save this worry! Vehicle importation paperwork was done in main salon. They operated a ticket system so you could take your number and return later, saves too many people milling around. Passport control and stamp was also done here. There was no other COVID tests taken on board and I didn't see any facilities where they could be taken. I know GNV has had some bad press but I stayed mainly in the cabin, took picnic f
ood in a cold bag and now I'm here enjoying the sun, so a good result for me

Thank you
 

Good to have some conjecture rather than...! Well done you.
and for those of us who love sat navs (and can change tyres :whistling: [standing by for an imminent sense of humour failure...])
here are the co-ords and phone of Biomed34 to save looking them up.
43.40406 3.69765
Dog'bone +33467183340
Bookings can be made via the doctolib.fr site
Have a wonderful time out there '26 :thumbup1:

p.s Garmin Express version 7.10.0.0 is out :innocent:

In this case, how did you have your <48h PCR to enter Morocco?

It's needs to be done within 48hrs of boarding not arrival

Posts #212 and #213 don't agree with this.
Are you positively sure?
So you leave the ferry, and at the Moroccan border post, they don't ask for test/vaccination/etc?

100% positive based on the official info and reports from people who have travelled recently. Early r on they said another test would be preformed in board but I don't think this has ever happened.

With the latest changes you will also have to do an antigen test on arrival.

I

Thanks.
Our departure is planned for early January, let's hope that it won't get any worse by then...

For your information: I crossed a few days ago(arrived 15/11).
GNV from Genua to Tanger Med.
In Genua: have to show EU green pass. Quick look (no scan), but they do check the name and type of vaccine (and number of jabs?)

On boat:
-police checks EU green pass again when you go for your passport stamp. Same quick look, no scan.
-When leaving the boat, there is a guy checking your temperature with a those cheap IR temp scanners (on skin). And there is also a fancy looking IR camera operated by police checking for temperatures. To make everybody do the temperature check they force you to wait in a huge crowd...

In Tanger med: just a quick check of your documents (that were all handled on the boat), no further checks for covid stuff.

Boat stopped in Barcelona, but people only got off, no people boarded there.

No PCR tests needed. (I am from A list country)

live is good here..

I'd booked my ticket for early January a few days ago, and now, I read in the news that Morocco has closed all its air and sea borders...
I've only paid 10% as a presale booking, but should pay the rest in a week.
Don't know what to do now :(

I believe that, apart from direct flight suspensions like UK, NL and DE, other links are only stopped for 2 weeks until Mk decides what the new variant is doing.
I got the last one on Saturday to Sete but I am pretty sure they will be running again before January.
Maybe the rules will be stricter, but you already need a PCR as you get on the boat/to enter Morocco. I can't see what more they can ask.

Here is some info:
https://www.gnv.it/en/alert-coronavirus/info

The suspension is for two weeks...but who knows?

dum spiro spero :innocent:

Things happened fast last week.

2 critical issues re the ferries

1 - suspension of links with France from the 28th November due to the deteriorating situation in France. No time limit on this one, it could be 2 weeks or much longer.

2- suspension of all other travel from the 29th due to Omicron variant. Currently 2 weeks but could be extended

We could see the Italy ferries restart before France as a consequence.

I had GNV on the phone now, they said they would provide a full reimbursement in case the border stays closed...

GNV have informed customers no ferries out until the 5th January 2022, and they are charging €156 to customers with tickets to rebook

Where did you get this info? I do have tickets, but haven't been informed, and on their website, there is this text:

Lines to/from Morocco (Italy & France)

Friends currently in Morocco. Their original return ferry was cancelled after the closures and GNV rebooked it for today.

Yesterday that was cancelled and they could only get a ferry on the 5th of they paid the extra. Alternative was ferries after the 15th Jan 2022.

GNV have a pretty dire record since the first lockdown with price hikes and poor communication.

Unlike previously, with this latest closure there has been no organisation of repatriation ferries by any country

Bad news... :(
Now I really don't know how to proceed..
I have a ticket for Jan 08...cancel it now, and try to buy a new one if the ferry starts again, or keep it, and hope for the best?

I had GNV on the phone again, right now.
They said, they still haven't received any official information from the Moroccan authorities about the ferries in January, so the ferry Jan 8 is still planned, not cancelled, tickets valid....seems to me a bit weird 3 days from the end of the December deadline...
She told me, in case it gets cancelled, we have two possibilities: reimbursement total, or change of date free of administrative charges, but with paying the eventual difference between the booked and the actual price.

BTW, the Budapest-Bamako rally, end of Jan, has been cancelled ie. postponed too.

I had a long conversation with the Rally guys before they decided to cancel the January event and postpone it until March.

Morocco announced the extension of border closures on the 23rd. Its not unusual that they aren't completely up to date with their information though, unless they know something that we don't.

Theres a group of French stuck in Morocco compiling info on people trapped they so they can put some pressure on the Embassy and authorities to geta repatriation ferry arranged.

The oddest thing, on their website, you can still book (and pay) for GNV ferries in January, and even on the phone, they persist the Jan ferries are not (yet) cancelled...
Details:
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hu...-16#post625103

Friends who were booked with GNV for next week have been told no ferries until February now

me too...changed the ticket for February, had to pay the price difference.

According to FRS website, Algeciras to Ceuta ferries are running ??

Border
 

Yes, but the border from cueta (spain) to maroc is closed.

They never stopped.

The problem is the border between Ceuta and Morocco has been closed since March 2020

Showing my ignorance there

French Embassy has arranged a Repatriation ferry for Europeans.

More details on their website and social media

Another ferry arranged for the 24th. If you have already registered theres no need to register again.

Details available from the French embassy and Le Meridionale Ferries

Slightly ominous but a 3rd repatriation ferry has been arranged but dates not confirmed yet!!

Next ferry out looks like it will be the 2nd Feb

Third repatriation ferry
 

Had confirmation from Partage et Voyage that ferry is Wednesday 2nd February.... I'm apparently on the list but now need to wait for the phone call to book it!!

Morocco 2022 reopening when?
 

Thanks Chris et al, What's the latest predictions on when Morocco will reopen post-Omicron. The flights to Marrakech are cheap for the first week in March 2022. Also where to rent a small enduro bike with a 21 inch front wheel for a couple of weeks touring? (Last rental of crashed CRF250L with M 2 R whose office was under a tree was a complete disaster.)

By "out" you mean which direction? To or from M?

Out = Away from Morocco

Government meets tomorrow to discuss borders etc, expect an announcement sometime. I expect the border closure will be extended for another month, the State of Emergency will definitely be extended.

As for opening, who knows exactly, could be tomorrow, next month or whenever. Much depends on the situation both in Morocco and Europe.

Thanks TheWarden, Tim et al for any future insights/reports about the possibility of flying in for some rental riding in southern Morocco in March 2022.

GNV
 

In the Partages et Voyages group, there are screenshots showing the cancellation of the 1 Febr. Sete->Tanger ferry.

As you can see, Overlander, flights will resume next week so March may look good, depending on Covid regs.
Not surprised to hear M2R ended badly. I only ever used them once, too.
A decent small 21" is hard to find.
See here; https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hu...-morocco-63064

Official: maritime traffic suspended until 6 Feb. 23:59

GNV still says, the 5 Feb. Genova->Tanger will be OK. True, it would arrive in Tanger well after the deadline...

Todays official statement gives the government the option to extend the suspension past midnight on the 6th and confirms that ferries remain suspended.

Flights will definitely restart the 7th. I think it's improbable, that they let the flights go, but extend the ban on the ferries...but in theory, it's possible.
And what happens, if the GNV ferry leaves Genova the 5th in the afternoon, and the 6th at 23:59, they extend the suspension? It would turn back?? :innocent:

But for sure, it's all speculation, the lack of official information and their handling of the whole situation is...no comment.

For the whole duration GNV have been entirely unreliable on the information they have published about ferries and routinely sold tickets for ferries that didn't run.

You would have to be very brave to spend money on a ticket for a ferry that departs for Morocco before any confirmation from the authorities that it has permission to run. Looking on the GNV website they don't list any sailing from Genoa before the 10th Feb, so I guess that sailing on the 5th is already cancelled.

Official info is out there, just not as easy to find as the often poor reporting from the media.

The official statements since last Thursday use quite different language
Flights will definitely resume on the 7th
Ferries are definitely suspended until the 7th

Of course it makes no sense to keep the ferries from running, but similarly it makes no sense to allow the Spanish ferries to run for freight only for the last 2 years

GNV
 

Got SMS and email from GNV a few minutes ago: Genova->Tanger on the 5th cancelled.
Refund or postpone, that's the question...

Le Meridional have posted today stating despite the news stories they have not received official confirmation that ferries will resume on the 7th. As a result they are offering refunds or rebookings for tickets

Yes, yesterday, they've officially announced that the sea borders stay closed even after the 6th.

Ferries(Or Not) from Spain
 

El Mundo are today running an article that reports ferries from France and Italy will open up on 7 Feb but,that ferries from Spain are still banned due to the political problem over WS.:frown:

That would surprise me...look at the official announcement:
(But they still have a day to cancel the cancellation of the opening...)
https://medias24.com/content/uploads...x-7-2-2022.jpg

Time and time again its been proved that the media aren't the most reliable source of any info around Morocco and the travel situation. Both Moroccan and Spanish press only report what suits their particular view on the ongoing suspension of ferries

I'm still amazed that people rush out and buy tickets before theres any official news from the authorities.

Whatever happens, I abandon my plans for now, and postpone the trip to the next season, ie. dec'22 or jan'23, with fingers crossed.

Hi all. We are Travis and Chantil Gill (www.viajarMOTO.com) and have been looking forward to riding in Morocco for the last three years but have not been able to make it happen. We will try again after 1 Mar 22 with the hopes that the ferries from Spain will be running by then. We’ll keep you all posted on what we find out directly. Fingers crossed!

If you read the previous posts you will see that that is exceedingly unlikely.
Far better to plan on taking the longer crossings from Italy or France, which were running as recently as last November and may well resume by March 2022.

Apparently the reason the ferries haven’t resumed yet is because the haven’t got the testing facilities in place yet now they test passengers on arrival.

(I also don’t think we will see the Spain ferries restart for quite a while yet)

Thanks for the reply Chris. I read them, but still feel optimistic that things will improve by March, especially with Morocco opening up to flights and ferries from France and Italy. We’ll continue to be optimistic and see how things go over the next three weeks. If the ferries from Spain are not open in March, we’ll ride up to France and catch one from Séte. Morocco seems like it’s worth the hassle to visit.

Thanks to all the folks who are sharing first-hand knowledge of their experiences. We plan to do the same.,,

Ummmm the flights restarting isnt exactly correct I'm afraid......my wife works at Gatwick and monitors flights . Agadir has been cancelled quite alot as has Casa......so er are still not out of the woods yet

Flightradar24 is showing flights in and out of Morocco throughout today. Some airlines haven't resumed flights just yet or are on a limited schedule

sete - Nador / tangier ferry sleeping arrangements.
 

Good Afternoon,

Has anyone taken the long ferry route (40H) from Sete / Marseille - Moroc as I am wandering about the sleeping / conditions.

It looks like you get a reserved seat for two probably very uncomfortable sleepless nights. The cabin options come up as £1822 for a two berth, which seems wrong and I have already enquired about the correct costs.

But I am wandering just what are the sleep arrangements, ie: are passengers on matts all over the floors regardless or is it quite strict ?

Thanks in advance.

Martin

Hi Martin, I did it in November – the last one – and loads of Moroccans were sleeping anywhere there was space.
Nearly 2 grand with a bike sounds staggering – a return I take it.
Iirc mine was <400£ one-way.
But then I've heard of recent Paris to RAK Ryanairs at insane prices too. Maybe they are trying to claw back what they've lost.
Get at least 50€ of pre-paid food vouchers; it will be a highlight.

40hrs is at worst; my one left 5 hours late but got in 4 hours early (36hrs at sea). I suppose that is '40 hours' if you count from the time it was supposed to have embarked. I've never been on an overnight Med ferry that left anywhere near on time.

Hi Chris,

I thought that it would be a little bit like that with mats everywhere.

Awaiting a response from Balearia to confirm their advertised cabin prices, doesn't seem right to me.

It is one way this time, for added flexibility, as I have managed to get three months off work. I am hopeful that the usual ferry routes should be OK by my July return date.

No on-board hot tray food for me for the trip I am afraid, I get really really bad sea sickness, unless I am horizontal in a bed (or a mat) throughout the voyage just drinking water, then I am OK, its as bad as that.

Thanks for speedy reply info & glad that you have your bike back.

Martin

I did the GNV ferry to Sete at the end of the 2020 lockdown. Ferry was average I guess. I had a cabin and paid a little bit more than Chris but I had a 4x4.

The chair accommodation looked pretty grim in my opinion and I was glad I booked a cabin. Mindsbyou this was June 20 so covid panic always at its height and pre vaccinations so I was glad to hide in my own space.

Valeria’s prices seems insane, the recent repay ferries weren’t charging that for people with campervans.

There’s still no official news on the ferries restarting. Rumours about the end of Feb but nothing concrete yet.

That price is totally insane or erroneous...I'd had my GNV ticket (one way) from Genova to Tanger for 3 people, cabin and a 4x4 for less than 800EUR!

Imho, the food served on the GNVs is not so famous..so we usually bring our own.

Booked from Sète to Tangier
 

Just got off the phone with a booking agent from GNV. She was very friendly with great English. She mentioned that no ferries are expected to get into Morocco until after the 17th of Feb.

We booked a one-way ferry from Sète to Tangier for the 13th of March. The cost for two people, two bikes (G650GS), a cabin with a sea view, and cancel insurance was 586.40€. Fingers crossed that it sails on the 13th of March from Sete and that we can get all the requirements to board and enter Morocco without too much hassle. We’ve been looking to discover Morocco for a long time now.

We’ll continue to update this forum as we progress…

Latest news about the Spanish border:
https://atalayar.com/content/prorrog...nales-de-marzo

Sent from my ZX Spectrum 48K

GNV have cancelled all sailings for passengers until the 15th March.

Their website mentions a date for the Spanish routes, but that keeps changing the whole way through the COVID situation, so don't believe it.

My ferry booking with GNV, Barcelona to Tangiers on the 14th, has been cancelled.

Oh well [emoji2368]



Rachel

Sete/Tangeri Ferry for 13 March Cancelled
 

Just received this notice today as well:
“Valued customer, GNV informs you that travel to/from Morocco is suspended by provisions of the Moroccan government authorities. The Sete/Tangeri trip on 03/13/2022 has been cancelled. To change your ticket without change fees for a travel date until 09/30/22 or for a refund, you can contact us on +39 0102094599.”

Ugh. Frustrating. I rebooked for the 21st of March. Fingers crossed. We’ll see…

Wow. Just called to rebook for a later date. Decided to spend a couple of weeks, going Barcelona - Tangier 1st to 15th May.
They let me move the booking for no cost. So I’ve ended up with the return ferry including a cabin each way, in May, for 220EUR. Bargain!



Rachel

Just received this notice: “Valued customer, GNV informs you that travel to/from Morocco is suspended by provisions of the Moroccan government authorities. The Sete/Tangeri trip on 03/21/2022 has been cancelled.”

Does anyone have any inside knowledge on when ferries will be able to return to Morocco from France or Italy?

UPDATE: We’ve decided to give up on Morocco. With a limited time to travel Schengen Europe (90 days of the last 180) we just can’t wait around for a resolution. We’ve decided to enjoy Italy in April and Greece in May. GNV provided a full refund of both the scheduled ferries (13 Mar and 21 Mar).

No inside knowledge but they are being super flexible on rearranging dates.
If you can go later, do.



Rachel

There is no news on ferries resuming as the Moroccan gov haven’t made any decisions yet.

There is hope that the France and a Italy routes might reopen before Ramadan next month but if a decision isn’t made soon it may be too late. It’s looking unlikely that the Spain routes will open soon after the latest issues with Spain and the Polisario.

Some of the people I was stuck with during the first lockdown in 2020 are still fighting GNV for their money back for cancelled ferries

I was hoping to go at the beginning of April, and have been sitting, hoping, but have pulled my plans simply cos it is too unknown, and with no info coming out, trying to re-plan anything is just too difficult at the moment.