UK to Morocco in Autumn

This is a 22 day motorbike tour itinerary covers 3,060 miles.  It starts and ends in Portsmouth, UK.

Day 1 : Portsmouth
Scheduled departure at 21:30 from Portsmouth on Brittany Ferries to Santander.

Day 2 : Brittany Ferries
En route to Spain.

Day 3: Santander – Tordesillas. (204 miles)
Scheduled arrival at 08.00AM in Santander.  Ride south to the Parador in Tordesillas, a traditional Castilian manor house

Day 4: Tordesillas – Llerena. (285 miles)
A longer riding day on the Ruta de Plata, an ancient trade and pilgramage route to the edge of the Sierra Norte and ready for the mountains tomorrow!

Day 5: Llerena – Monda. (165 miles).
Ride through the mountains, super twisty roads – THAT famous Ronda road! – before spending the night in a restored castle. Group Evening Dinner.

Day 6: Monda – Chefchaouen. (160 miles)
Catch the Algeciras – Tanger-Med ferry and head into the Atlas Mountains to the narrow alleys and blue buildings of Chefchaouen.

Day 7: Chefchaouen – Azrou. (167 miles)
Our route takes us via the Roman ruins of Volubilis and onto the Ifrane National Park, with its pine forests and cool temperatures and Alpine like villages. Group Evening Dinner.

Day 8: Azrou – Merzouga. (244 miles)
We descend to the Sahara Desert and a stay in the Sahara Desert for one night in a Berber Camp, with Group Evening dinner, including camel ride into the desert, traditional music & 4×4 jeep return to the kasbah for over night stop the next day.

Day 9: Merzouga.
Day off to enjoy activities in the Sahara Desert (camel rides, 4×4 jeep tours etc) or just relax by the pool. Group Evening Dinner.

Day 10: Merzouga – Boumalne Dades. (200 miles/ 255 miles).
A spectacular route via the Todra and Dades Gorges. If you don’t want to do the Gorges loop (which includes some unpaved gravel sections), then head straight to the hotel, which is in the Dades Gorge (paved road section) for a shorter days ride. Group Evening Dinner.

Day 11: Boumalne Dades – Marrakesh. (198 miles)
We head to the imperial city of Marrakesh via the ancient fortress of Ait Ben Haddou and then superb twisties on the Tizi n’Tichka Pass.

Day 12: Marrakesh.
Day off to enjoy the vibrant markets and narrow alleys of the medina in this medieval imperial city.  A fully guided tour of Marrakesh with licensed local guide is included.

Day 13: Essaouira. (100 miles)
This is a half day ride to have the afternoon in Essaouira and explore this UNESCO listed late 18th century fortified port town, with its walls.  Try the fresh fish dinners in the old port area – simply delicious!

Day 14: Essaouira – Taroudant. (166 miles)
Track south down the Atlantic Coast, before heading inland to Taroudant. Group Evening Dinner.

Day 15: Taroundant – Cascades D’Ouzoud. (234 miles)
Today we ride the Tizi n’Test Pass at 2092m, before ending the day by the D’Ouzoud waterfalls, the highest in Morocco, in a lovely kasbah. Group Evening Dinner.

Day 16: Cascades D’Ouzoud – Fes. (238 miles)
Descend from the mountains to Fes, one-time home of the Moroccan sultanate, many winding narrow medina streets and grand buildings.

Day 17: Fes.
Day off to explore Fes.  Included is a fully guided tour of Fes with a licensed local guide will show you the best bits.

Day 18: Fes – Tanger-Med – Monda. (281 miles)
Early start for our final days ride to the port of Tanger-Med, catch the ferry back to Spain.  Group Evening Dinner. (Riders with hire bikes will drop them off today)

Day 19: Monda – Zafra. (240miles)
Back on those fantastic bends across the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Grazalema, looping Seville and around the Aracena Reservoir to Zafra.

Day 20:  Zafra – Zamora (272 miles)
Using the main roads to push to Caceres, before heading through the Parque Natural de Las Batuecas and rural roads onto Zamora.

Day 21: Zamora – Santander. (154 miles)
Fantastic riding on the edge and into Parque Nacional de Los Picos de Europa. Overnight ferry has scheduled departure of 14:15 for the overnight ferry from Santander to Portsmouth.

Day 22:  Portsmouth, UK
Scheduled arrival into Portsmouth is at 17:30.

Hotels

We use good standard 4* hotel accommodation in Spain.  When in Morocco, we select hotels for their character, rather than just on their star rating.  We find most riders prefer the experience of staying in a converted kasbah, or a family run independent hotel rather than modern chain hotels.

Having said that we have some superb Moroccan hotels on this tour, such as the 4* Boutique Hotel 2Ciels in Marrakech, the 5* Fes Marriott Hotel Jnan Palace and the 4 * MGallery Le Medina in Essaouira.

In some more remote locations, we may use equivalent 3* hotels or the best in area, which will normally be an independent hotel reflecting the local character, such as refurbished kasbah or a beautiful quirky riad!

All hotels we use have en suite bathrooms and most have television and wifi, although don’t expect a super fast connection when we are staying in more remote locations!

Please be aware that Moroccan hotels are generally lower in standard than the same rating in equivalent European hotels, unless you are in a well trodden tourist area, such as Marrakesh.

*hotels listed are normally used but we reserve the right to substitute to another of a similar standard.

Brittany Ferries

Please note that riders booking a single room, this applies to the hotel accommodation only.  Your price still includes a shared cabin on the ferry.  If you want to upgrade this to a single cabin you can do so, there is the option to do so when you book the tour, at a cost of £190 (out & back).

Before you go

• Access to the GlobeBusters Team for one to one meeting about preparing for the tour and what to expect.
• Motorcycle Tour Travel Pack, including Tour Specific Guidance Handbook & hard copy Michelin / Reise Know How Maps, marked with route.
• Daily hard copy route notes with GPS co-ordinates and information about the hotels, the roads and the sights
• Loan SD Card with open source GPS mapping for the region (suitable for Garmin units), downloadable routes and custom waypoints for hotels, lunch stops, viewpoints etc

En Route

• Return overnight Portsmouth (UK) – Santander (Spain) with Brittany Ferries for you (sharing a twin berth outside cabin or inside 4 berth cabin, for two people) and your motorcycle.  If you wish to have a Single Cabin, please select Upgrade option when booking (£190 extra).
• One continental breakfast and one 3 course evening dinner when on Brittany Ferries outward journey to Spain.  Other meals on ferry are for your own account.
• Algeciras (Spain) to Tanger-Med (Morocco) return ferry crossing for you and your motorcycle.
• Hotel bed and breakfast accommodation on a shared basis (unless Single Room booked).
• Standard of accommodation is 4 nights in 5* hotels, majority 4 *, some 3* or best in area.
• Eight evening meals, including your Welcome & Farewell Meal and six evening meals in locations which are remote and you have no other choice of restaurants.
• All local overnight hotel parking charges.

Support Crew

• Motorcycle Tour Manager to accompany the group.
• Motorcycle Support Rider, where the group is more than 12 riders
• Support Vehicle (in Morocco only), equipped with cell/mobile phone, spare fuel, water, tools for fixing punctures, selected spare parts and emergency first aid kit, acting as a sweeper vehicle
• Support Driver (in Morocco only), with motorcycle mechanical experience
• All Support Crew hold ITC Outdoor First Aid qualifications

Not Included

• Any travel costs to get to the start and from the finish point for the tour.
• Personal travel, accident and medical insurance (covering matters such as medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation, curtailment, loss or damage to property)
• Motorcycle insurance cover, motorcycle breakdown cover or recovery costs
• Entrance fees to sights and parks, optional local excursions or local activities, (except where stated)
• Lunches, snacks or evening meals (except where stated). Any meals whilst on board ferries.
• Personal spending money, tips, souvenirs or other extras.
• Personal documentation (eg visas, passport), vaccinations, personal taxes, border crossing fees, motorcycle documentation
• We do not supply riding gear; you must bring a minimum of your own helmet, jacket, trousers, boots and gloves.
• Costs of motorcycle repair (parts, labour or other related costs), tyres
• Fuel, oil & other motorcycle consumables
• Toll road fees, traffic fines or other charges relating to breach of the law
• Additional transportation of you or your motorcycle en route where you or your motorcycle cannot continue beyond the short and temporary assistance offered by GlobeBusters Support Vehicle.
• Any other item not specifically included in the price.

Please also refer to our Booking Conditions.

When you book a motorcycle tour with us, we provide you with a Tour Specific Guidance Handbook that gives you detailed information about how to prepare and plan your tour, and what to expect when the tour.  Here are some of the questions that we often get asked before a rider makes a booking.   If you wish to meet with us prior to booking to ask more questions, do not hesitate to contact us and we can set up a one-to-one meeting.

What bike is suitable to bring?
If you are bringing you own bike, we recommend an adventure style bike as the most suitable.  Typical bikes used are Triumph Tiger, BMW GS, Africa Twin, Yamaha Tenere etc.  However, as this is primarily a paved road tour, any robust road bike will also be suitable.  Just be aware that paved roads can be potholed with broken surfaces, so the higher clearance the better.  Having said that, we have had riders on Harleys successfully complete the trip, so it just depends on what you are comfortable riding and what compromises you are prepared to make.  What is important is that you have a reliable and robust bike that you are comfortable riding and that it has been properly prepared and fully serviced prior to the start and has new tyres.

What riding experience do I need?
This tour is normally best for riders who are already experienced tourers in Europe and are looking for that extra challenge of a varied and unpredictable road conditions and hazards, coupled with a different culture, foods and way of life.  On your ride you will encounter poor road surfaces (as well as excellent ones!).  The mountain roads can often have bends that may have broken or gravelly surfaces, potholes, diesel spills, as well as other road users who follow the local rules of the road.

You will enjoy the experience more if your riding is of an advanced standard and by that we mean you have a good command of slow control (eg you don’t dangle your feet or paddle at slow speeds and can U-turn your bike), you are assertive on the road and have good forward planning and hazard perception, you are able to perform safe and precise overtakes and are able ride to the legal speed limits.

There are some options to ride on dirt or gravel roads.  If you wish to do this, we recommend have experience of riding your motorcycle on the types of unpaved surfaces.   If you need to improve your off road riding skills, attending a training school such as Adventure Bike Training www.adventurebiketraining.co.uk, Triumph Adventure Experience https://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/adventure-experience or BMW Off Road Skills is highly recommended.

It is your responsibility to ensure your motorcycling skills are up to the requirements for this tour.

Do I have to ride in a group?
We do not make you ride in convoy.  We offer you the freedom to decide how you would like to ride.  We give you a road book, with recommendations for lunch or coffee stops, fuel stops and hotel information.  You also get an SD card with mapping, custom routes & GPS co-ordinates to download to your GPS.  You can use these tools to self-navigate.  Most riders prefer to have this freedom, so they can stop where they want and for how long they want without feeling under pressure.  However if you prefer to ride with our Motorcycle Tour Manager, then you can do this.  They will give you a time to start in the morning, so please be prompt and ready to ride with them.  Each day you can change between riding on your own, or with a small group of other riders or with the Tour Manager.  We like to have a very flexible approach.

Is this ride suitable for a passenger?
Yes. We have had other riders successfully complete this ride with a pillion passenger.  Your passenger needs to also be an experienced tourer, used to long distance riding.  Your passenger must ride the motorcycle each touring day – there is no option to sit in the support vehicle, unless the road conditions are too difficult for a rider and passenger to safely attempt two-up or your passenger is ill or injured.

What is the average group size?
Our groups are normally between 10 – 16 riders (some riders will have passengers). Most riders are from the UK, but we do also have overseas riders who may take part.

Is there a support vehicle?
Yes, this tour operates with a support vehicle and driver, but in Morocco only.   It is capable of carrying two motorcycles and two passengers.  Our support vehicles carry a mobile phone, medical bag and spinal board, spare fuel, water, tools, some spare parts, some spare tyres.  Our support vehicle provides temporary assistance to you if you have a mechanical problem or have had an accident and are injured or if you are ill.  This is not a luggage vehicle – you must carry your own luggage on your motorcycle.  For more information, please see our Support Vehicle section.

Is Morocco safe?
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice ) monitors overseas destinations and provides destination travel advice for UK nationals. GlobeBusters monitors the advice from the FCO and any decisions taken regarding a Tour’s safety and security will use the vast experience of the company’s 17 years of operating as well as the FCDO advice and the advice of our local partner in Morocco. In the interests of your safety and security, changes may be made to your tour based on any FCDO warnings given.

We strongly recommend that you read the information about Spain & Morocco – each country has a summary and general information as well as advice on safety & security, local laws & customs, entry requirements and health, and road conditions.  Currently, the British FCO state “Almost 700,000 visitors from the UK come to Morocco every year. Most visits are trouble-free.”

There are no travel restrictions in place about travel to Spain and Morocco, due to COVID-19, other than for these countries you must show a COVID-19 vaccination certificate for two doses/ 0ne dose (depending on make of vaccine) and a booster or have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of entering the country. Morocco also requires you to complete a Health Form. If you have any questions relating to entry requirements please contact us.

What documents do I need?
You will need your original documents* as follows:

• Passport – must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of the tour.
• Driving Licence – Riders from outside the EU will need an International Driving Permit.
• M0torcycle registration & minimum 3rd party insurance – If you are bringing your own motorcycle, you will also need your motorcycle registration document (V5 / log book) and your motorcycle insurance. Your motorcycle insurance certificate must show that you are covered for travel in the EU.  You should also ask your insurer if they will extend your insurance cover to include Morocco, and to issue a Green Card for this.  Morocco will not be covered by your standard UK insurance policy.  If your insurer will not extend cover for Morocco (some do not), then you can buy 3rd party insurance on entry to Morocco at Tanger-Med.  It is a legal requirement for you to have minimum 3rd party insurance for your motorcycle in place for Morocco.
• Travel/Medical Insurance – you must have valid travel/medical insurance (See below).

You should note that we need to request copies of the above documentation, which we have to send to suppliers who are outside the EU and who do not have the safeguards in place with regard to data protection as we have within the UK & EU. These suppliers are for services such as motorcycle freight, hotels, customs clearance, ferry services.  Please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Do I need visas for travel?
Please check all entry requirements for your nationality into Spain & Morocco.  At the time of writing we show below an overview of requirements, but these can change at short notice.  We advise you to consult with a Visa Agency if you are uncertain.

• SPAIN: For UK, US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand citizens, short term tourist visits are allowed to the EU without the need for a visa, for the duration of up to 90 days within any 180 day period. You must ensure that you will not exceed your maximum of 90 days in the Schengen Area by participating in this tour.  If you have already travelled extensively in the Schengen Area prior to this tour, check the number of days you have left that you can travel visa free.  Other nationalities may require a Schengen Visa.
• MOROCCO: Visas are not required for UK, US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and most EU citizens. for tourist visits.  Other nationalities may require a Moroccan Visa.

It is your responsibility to ensure you comply with all applicable passport and visa requirements. GlobeBusters cannot accept any responsibility if you cannot travel or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

What about local currency?
Local currency in Morocco is the Dirham.  The Moroccan Dirham (MAD) is non-convertible. You can import or export up to a maximum of 2,000 MAD to or from Morocco.  Most major credit cards are accepted in the larger towns. ATMs are widely available in cities and most of the main towns.  The websites below will give you the current rates of exchange.

http://www.oanda.com/
http://www.travelex.co.uk/

What will the weather be like?
October is normally a good time to travel in Morocco.  You miss the intense heat of the Sahara Desert, but riding in the Atlas Mountains should normally be dry and pleasant.  Having said that temperatures can still be up to 35C and sometimes there can be storms and flash floods in the desert.  You can expect the ride north in Spain at the end of the tour to have cooler weather, especially in the Picos mountains.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather
http://www.worldclimate.com/

What about my health when I am abroad?
You need to be physically fit and healthy and also take the necessary health precautions.  It is essential for you to consult your doctor or travel clinic for up-to-date medical travel information prior of travel, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition. For up-to-date medical advice you may wish to use the Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad “MASTA”  https://www.masta-travel-health.com/, the NHS website  http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx  or NaTHNaC https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/.

You will be obliged to disclose any medical condition or medication that you are taking to GlobeBusters in advance and to your Tour Manager at the start of your Tour, for health and safety purposes. We provide you with our Emergency Details Form for this purpose and to collect information about who to contact for you back home in the event of an emergency.

Please note that Morocco does not have the same level of medical infrastructure nor consistent medical standards that you may be used to.  In particular, emergency services often may be a long distance away, with no co-ordinated response, or sometimes no medical response available within reasonable times. Please do not book this trip if this unduly concerns you.

Just a remark about First Aid Training.  It is not a requirement to be first aid trained to participate in this tour.  However, we do recommend that you consider doing a motorcycle first aid course.  Some sections of this trip are remote and hours away from medical treatment.  If you, or a rider you are with, are involved in any accident, whilst not riding with or not close to the support team, having first aid skills may make a significant difference to an injured party.

Do I need Travel / Medical Insurance?
It is a condition of you travelling with us that you are adequately insured.  Your insurance policy must cover you for the costs of any medical expenses, medical treatment or repatriation needed, due to injury or illness on this trip, including those that occur whilst motorcycle touring, either as the rider or a passenger.  It is important that your insurance company understands that the main purpose of your trip is motorcycle touring, using your own large capacity cc motorcycle or a rental motorcycle.  Your insurance must cover you for the full duration of the trip and for all countries we travel through.

In addition, we strongly recommend that your insurance policy has cover for loss or damage to your personal belongings, delay at your outward or homeward point of departure, personal liability, overseas legal expenses and cancellation and curtailment.

We also strongly recommend that you take out your travel insurance at the time you pay your deposit for your trip as cover will commence for pre-departure cancellation from the policy issue date. This will therefore provide cover should you have to cancel your trip for an insured reason such as illness or serious injury. We do not refund your deposit simply because you failed to take out insurance in sufficient time.

Minimum Numbers
We require a minimum number of 8 riders on this tour.  If we do not have this number of bookings, then we reserve the right to cancel the tour.