From Spain, Tanger or Marrakech to Dakar - how to get a car?
 

Hello,

I'm planning a trip (4 guys) to Senegal or Guinea (depends on time). We would like to start in Marrakech or Tanger.

I was in Dakhla by car last year so I know what to expect in Western Sahara and I read a lot about Mauritanian borders so I know that it could be little bit time (and money) consuming and know about safety concerns in Mauritania.

Questions:

What do you think - how long would it take from Marrakech to Dakar by car (not 4wd)? Google says 35 hours straight so let's say 60 (reserve) / 8 hours a day driving ~ from 5 to 8 days?

The biggiest problem is a car. I don't expect that normal car rental company would let us go to Senegal. Are there any options I don't know about? My only idea is to find some Morrocan on Internet and make a deal that they sell us the car and then, on the way back, we sell them back the car for the lower price but we won't have a huge budget, maybe 1000 - 2000 EUR we can pay for car if most of them will be paid back then.

I'm open to any advices and experiences.

EDIT: I heard that you can't buy car in Morocco unless you are citizen. So maybe the option is to buy/rent a car in Algeciras or Madrid.

Thank you,
Milan

Buy one in Spain.

Getting someone to rent you one in Morocco is going to be fraught with problems and you could open up a nasty can of worms ... not to mention the papers won't be in your name, you'll need to buy insurance on the Mauri & Senegalese borders.

I drove to the Mauri border in 3 days, then ...
1. Tanger Med - Tiznit
2. Tiznit to just south of Laayoune
3. South of Laayoune to Bir Gondouz (80km from border)
4. Bir Gondouz to Nouakchott (2h+ faffing around on Moroccan border due to customs)
5. Nouakchott to Mouit, St Louis (with 5 hours wasted on the border due to customs)
6. Mouit to Dakar (about 5h)

Enjoy!

It's all asphalt these days. Buy a banger in Spain and drive it to Dakar. Try to get a POA (Power of Attorney, or poder) from the guy who sells it to you so you don't have to change plates or have hassles.