Getting There

Tangier is the gateway to Africa. It is usually the first stop along enroute through Morocco and Northern Africa. There are many ways to reach Tangier. From experience traveling there especially from the US it can be very tricky and expensive, but if properly informed it can be cheaper than flying to almost any other international destination. The absolute cheapest and stress free way is to fly to Madrid first and then take easyJet down there from there. Regardless from any main English speaking city in the world, a traveler usually will not be able to find a direct flight. The best way is book a flight that arrives in the early AM in Madrid and then taking an easyJet flight out in the afternoon. If booked ahead of time depending on the season this will usually cost anywhere between $500-900 for a roundtrip to Madrid and usually about $30-$50 each way to Tangier through Easyjet. Use Kayak.com to find the fare to Madrid and book about 6 weeks in advance to find the best fare. All easyJet tickets can be booked through easyJet.com.

If one is already in southern Spain and plans a day trip or a few days to visit the country the best way is by ferry. FRS is the main ferry line and travels to Tangier. The best and quickest ferry leaves out of Tarifa. This ferry takes roughly 35 min and is about 35 euro each way (Flying easyJet is actually cheaper!). Also there are ferries that leave from Algeciras and Gibraltar but these are not nearly as fast and can take close to 2 hours. Please see the FRS website for more information.

If one is already in Morocco I recommend taking a train there. The buses are pretty 3rd world and same with the roads they travel on. Please note though, I do not recommend renting a car and driving there. Some of the worst drivers in the world. Also please note, even though Morocco is an Islamic nation many still do drink and drive. I find it strange that it is not looked at as such a big deal in Moroccan culture. I have even spoken to people who got out of a DUI when getting in an accident by paying off a cop 50 dirhams! (about $6). The only real safe time to drive is during Ramadan since nobody drinks then. The roads aren't the most up to date and most don't follow the traffic regulations regardless. Please see the wikipedia information below for more information about ways to travel to Tangier.

By plane

Tangier-Boukhalef Airport (TNG) is located 12 km (7.5 miles) from the city (travel time about 20 minutes). Taxi 100 Dh (10€) from Tangier, 150 Dh (15€) at night or from the airport to Tangier. At present Royal Air Maroc, British Airways, Easyjet, Ryanair, Iberia, and Regional Airlines fly here. All persons entering or leaving Morocco are required to complete an entry/exit card.

Coming in by plane is the easiest and hassle free way of coming to Tangier: there are no touts at the airport and the prices of the taxis are more or less fixed. Beware of long queues at passport controls before flights bound for the Schengen area.

By rail

ONCF opened a new train station, Tanger Ville, in 2003, which is now the end of the line. While it's closer to the city center than Tanger Morora, the original end-of-the-line, it's still quite a long walk so take a petit taxi for 15dhs or so.

The country has an excellent railway system with 1,893km (1,176mi) of track and a fine intercity passenger service. Overnight train services running throughout Europe can connect with Morocco. Most of the time, non stop trains are fine but those which are not direct sometimes make unscheduled stops en route but do not panic as you will reach your destination eventually.

There is a night-train leaving from Tangier to Marrakesh at 9:05PM costing 350 Dirhams for a couchette. There is a daily Train service to Fez for 155 Dirhams for a first class fare (5 hour journey)

When travelling overnight by train, it is usually cheaper to buy a couchette ticket than a first class ticket.

By car or motorcycle

When coming into Tangier by car, be careful of hustlers on motorbikes who will ride alongside you and attempt all manner of dodginess.

You can come by car by ferry from Algeciras and Tarifa in Spain or through the Spanish enclave of Ceuta (reached by ferry from Algeciras and ports in Spain). The ferry crossing varies from 1 hour to 3 hours. Shortest and cheapest will be from Tarifa to/from Tangier taking around 40 min. Tarifa is probably the most laid-back option as far as ports are concerned.

Coming by car or motorcycle can be a daunting process especially if you are new to Morocco. You have to complete a temporary import form for the customs ("Douane" in French). Sometimes this is done on the ferry (usually in the busy summer months) and at other times at arrival in Tangier. Like at the airport all persons entering Morocco also have to complete an entry/exit card. The Police and the Customs will both search your car - often not together so you need to be patient.

In recent years, things have improved considerably for tourists and you are not likely to be bothered too much but you will have to go through all the formalities of bringing your car into Morocco like everyone else. You can only bring your car in for 6 months in any one year. You are not allowed to leave it in Morocco unless you are prepared to pay the tax for the car which can be up to three times the actual cost of the car. This applies even if your car breaks, but if your car is written off, you will need to notify the customs authorities to avoid paying tax on a car as an import. There are strict regulations on bringing a car. For example, customs will not allow someone else to the leave the country with a car entered under someone else's name. Exceptions applied for relatives.

You must have "green card" insurance for your vehicle when driving/riding in Morocco. You can get this insurance from many companies in Europe, or in Morocco at the port in Tangiers. If you are stopped, you must show this insurance to the police. (Police have had a recent directive not to hassle tourists, so you may not be stopped at all, but still you'd better have the insurance in the unlikely event of an accident.) If you do not have insurance from your home country, then local insurance can be purchased at small insurance booths situated at the port. The insurance companies are reasonably reputable and will pay out if you have an accident. Note that this insurance policy has limitations and you are likely to have much more comprehensive cover from insurers from your own country. Most European insurers will cover Morocco and many include it under their standard level of European cover.

Contact details for Moroccan customs (Douane) are:

Administration des Douanes et Impôts Indirects,

Avenue Annakhil, Centre des Affaires, Hay Riad, Rabat

Tél : +212 (0)537717800/01 - +212 (0)537579000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +212 (0)537579000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Fax : +212 (0)537717814/15

Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web site: [1]

It's recommended to contact the above authority, if needed, in either Arabic or French.

Motorcyclists will benefit from the vast amount of information in the Morocco Knowledge base for BMW GS'ers in the UK. [2]

If you have problems with your motorcycle in Morocco, Peter at Bikers Home [3] in Ouarzazate can help you get it back in working condition or by trailer to a ferry back to Europe.

By bus

Tangier has two long distance bus stations. The first, at the CTM offices near the port, is the arrival point of most CTM buses. Some other CTM buses, and those from other companies, arrive at the station on Place Jamia el-Arabia.

C.T.M. - Place d’ Espagne. Gare routière - Tel. 00212 (0)39 931 172 - CTM website
TRAMESA , 29. Av. Youssef Ben Tacheffine. Tel. 00212 (0)39 943 348 - Tramesa website

By boat

The port is located beside the Medina, and a few hundred metres from the ville nouvelle. Although the government has been partially successful in reducing the number of touts, money changers, taxi drivers and faux guides hassling people arriving by boat, expect to be mobbed. Look like you know where you're going, politely refuse any offers of help or ignore the "the fake guides" completely, or if you really feel like you need to escape jump in a taxi to escape the throng; just make sure that the taxi driver is no worse than the mob you are trying to escape. The taxi rank is inside the port area - you are likely to be mobbed by requests from many drivers. There is no queuing system - just take the taxi which you have agreed a fare with and are comfortable with. The blue coloured petit taxis are substantially cheaper and used more by locals and are preferable to the cream coloured grande taxis who are mostly unmetered. The grande taxis generally also will still try and charge you more even if you have agreed price, be insistent and get all your change back.

There are many boats daily (almost hourly between 7am-9pm) from Algeciras or Tarifa in Spain (about 33 Euros one way, as of August 2010). Twice a day there is also fast Balearia [4] ferry (Tangier Med/Algeciras) for ca. 20 Euros (August 2010). Passengers should be aware that the boats often run slower than the advertized time (because they depart later than scheduled time or simply take longer to get across). So give yourself an ample time cushion (1 hour minimum) if you plan to catch another transportation after you get off the ferry. For example, one speed catamaran between Tangier and Tarifa advertises one hour travel time between Tanger and Algeciras on their brochure (35-minute boat travel between Tangier and Tarifa, then 15-minute bus travel from Tarifa to Algeciras), but in reality, this trip will take over 2 hours. Example: the boat frequently leave later (by 15-30 minutes) than the scheduled time, then once at Tarifa, the bus does not depart until everyone on the boat clears customs (which takes 30-45 minute), then the bus will take 20-25 minutes to travel from Tarifa to Algericas.