MOROCCO

February 2012

 

The border with Algeria has been closed for years,
although in early 2012 there was yet more talk of it opening

 

Moroccan dirham exchange rates
In some places you can pay in euros.

Price of fuel
7.5dh for diesel,
10.4dh for unleaded 95-octane petrol (widely available now it seems).
Western Sahara (south of Tan-Tan): diesel 5.5dh; leaded about 7.5dh (no unleaded down here yet, but it's coming).
In the Spanish port enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla the price of diesel is now more than northern Morocco, €0.92 or 10.1dh. Unleaded petrol is almost the same as Morocco, €0.99 or 10.9dh. In other words diesel is cheaper in Morocco, petrol is the same.

Costs
Moderate

Languages
French, Arabic, English

Visas
In most cases not required in advance. New Zealand and South Africa are among the exceptions.

Border formalities
Relatively straightforward from Spain or Mauritania. Fill out an immigration card (sometimes found on the boat). Show to police and get passport stamped plus get 'CIN' ID number stamped in passport if you've not been to Morocco before on that passport.
No carnet needed; they issue a green, white, yellow A5 carbon copied temporary vehicle import permit: 'TVIP' or Declaration d'admission temporaire de moyens de transport - or D16. Instructions and link on how to fill it out online in advance are here,
A Green Card extension to your EU motor insurance is valid in Morocco but is hard to get from many UK insurers these days (motorhomes are an exception). You can buy local insurance ('assurance') at most ports or the first town for 876dh a month for a car or bike.
The border with Algeria has been closed since 1996 and although Morocco may wish otherwise, it's unlikely to open anytime soon, despite more talk lately. And if it does, it may well be limited to locals and not foreign tourists. Plus there is still the Algerian escort business to get round.

Desert pistes
Morocco is more popular than ever these days and rightly so; it's the best place to explore the fringes of the Sahara without a trans-Saharan commitment and while not long, some of the routes as as impressive in their own way as anything elsewhere in the Sahara. Morocco Overland - from the Atlas to the Sahara supercedes the 13 routes in Sahara Overland II, reprinted in 2005 and a new edition is planned for late 2012.
The ability to roam the pistes through the Western Sahara area south of Tan-Tan is limited, but 4WD tour groups do go there. The coastal highway transits past Layounne and Dakhla to the Mauritanian border north of Nouadhibou; mostly cliffs but a bit more interesting and with easier beach access after Cape Boujdour (it's fully described in Morocco Overland). There are pistes inland until you come across the militarized 'Berm' which separates the Moroccan-controlled coastal portion from the Polisario Free Zone inland (see p.260 of Morocco Overland for more details). Some ideas for inland WS here and here and here (with maps).
In the Western Sahara checkpoints are frequent and handing out a pre-printed form with your details saves time. You'll also need them to hand out in Mauritania so make two dozen. You can download a Word template by clicking this.

From Morocco to Mauritania
There is a fuel station right on the frontier at N21° 21.8' W16° 57.6', 80-odd kms south of Motel Barabas where there is also fuel and food. The next fuel is up to double the price in Nouadhibou or on the road south to Nouakchott after Bou Lanouar. Because of this the Mauritanians may not take well to Moroccan fuel in jerricans.
As you near the Mauritanian border you pass the fort and then get to the actual border compound itself (N21° 20.0' W16° 56.8'). Park up and go to the police (last on the right) to fill out an exit card and get passport stamped, then go to the Customs next door who'll come to your vehicle and take the green part of your TVIP off you (you keep the white bit). Then drive forward to the gendarmerie who will check your passport and docs and let you out onto the winding rubble road which ends in 5kms at the Mauritanian frontier.

For full details on the Moroccan-Mauritanian border see the bottom of the Mauritania page.