Just drove from Europe to Mali and obviously found a different, much tougher situation, compared to my last trip 7 years ago.

Trip report here: Driving through Westsahara. Mauritania, Mali (Dec 2013) - Gentleman Adventurer

In a nutshell:

Mauritania visa on arrival (50 Euro) now available again at border (since Nov 2013)

Morocco-Mauritania border opens at 08h00 (in reality 09h00) and closes at 18h00, on weekends possibly earlier (14h30 ?)

Car insurance for Mauretania (25 Euro) and - separately - most of West Africa (Brown Card, 75 Euro) available at Mauri border

Mali visa usually available at border, but advise to obtain it beforehand (at Rabat embassy within ca. 1 hour, 60 Euro), because of potential refusal at Mauri-Mali border in the current war turmoil

Mauri-Mali border opens at 08h00 and closes at 18h00 (or 20h00 ?)

Compulsory military escort (soldier in car with AK 47 and 2 magazines; cost 10 Euro) from Mauri-Mali border to Nioro du Sahel and another soldier (50 Euro) from there to Bamako, because of current reflaming of Tuareg rebellion and several AQMI & Ansar Dine incursions and kidnappings in that area

Corrupt chief of brigade at "Douanes" customs office in Nioro du Sahel(Mali) tries to enforce an additional rip-off customs escort on transit travellers (so called T1 carnet), all the way through the country. Avoid this at all cost and insist you enter as a tourist !!! Otherwise you have a customs guard in your car (at 75 - 100 Euro cost, starting in Kati/Bamako) who keeps your passport and car papers and decides your Bamako hotel and the immediate onward drive out of the country.

For Westsahara, Mauritania and Mali you need to prepare a total of 50 (!) "Fiche d'Etat Civile" photocopies to hand out at the many control posts.