Morocco: Do it yourself, or get a tour company?
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Morocco: Do it yourself, or get a tour company?
After much deliberation I have decided to go to Paris, Madrid, and Morocco on my graduation trip. We will likely have a little over a week on the Moroccan leg of our trip. I am wondering if I should plan the trip out in detail myself, or book this trip I found online:
http://www.desertcampmorocco.com/pac...h-fez-package/
We would hope to go to Marrakech, Fez, the Atlas Mtns, and Meknes on our trip. At 8000 Euros total for the 4 of us, is this a good deal? We would likely stay in nice riads if I were to plan it myself.
http://www.desertcampmorocco.com/pac...h-fez-package/
We would hope to go to Marrakech, Fez, the Atlas Mtns, and Meknes on our trip. At 8000 Euros total for the 4 of us, is this a good deal? We would likely stay in nice riads if I were to plan it myself.
#2
I would say it isn't a bad deal if you want all those things, want 11 nights instead of a week and don't want to make your own arrangements. So impossible really to know if it's a good deal for you or how well they do it. Have you read reviews or gotten recommendations for this company? Otherwise a bit of a pig in a poke and not the week you said you wanted.
I'd suggest, if a week is really what you want, choose a riad in Fes and one in Marrakech and take the train between. It'll be very unlikely to cost you 2000€ a head unless you work hard at it. Morocco can be a very economical place to travel and still have a nice trip.
I'd suggest, if a week is really what you want, choose a riad in Fes and one in Marrakech and take the train between. It'll be very unlikely to cost you 2000€ a head unless you work hard at it. Morocco can be a very economical place to travel and still have a nice trip.
#3
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We did Morocco on our own, stayed in raids, rented a car a drove to one of the desert camp which I booked directly, stopped of for a couple of days on the way between there and Fez where we dropped off the car. It was fun and fairly easy.
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Ok just looked at the trip, looks pretty luxurious and it includes quite a lots of stuff including a private 4x4 though bear in mind with a driver you'll end up with three in the back seat.
I suppose the question I'd ask is do you have the interest in planning all of Morocco and Madrid and Paris, do you want to take responsibility for planning for all four people or is it easier to just put yourself in someone else's hands- at least for this section of the trip? Is it worth the money to do so? Have you travelled to places like Morocco before or is this your first trip to somewhere outside North America or Europe?
I'm pretty certain they will customize the trip any way you want it, if you only want a week ask what they'd suggest and compare it with that you'd book yourself. I really think this is about budget, responsibility and what they can add to the experience that you might find a hassle or not experience on your own. A good tour company can add a lot to a trip and in terms of customizable experiences you'll certainly get more for your money in Morocco than in Paris or Madrid.
I suppose the question I'd ask is do you have the interest in planning all of Morocco and Madrid and Paris, do you want to take responsibility for planning for all four people or is it easier to just put yourself in someone else's hands- at least for this section of the trip? Is it worth the money to do so? Have you travelled to places like Morocco before or is this your first trip to somewhere outside North America or Europe?
I'm pretty certain they will customize the trip any way you want it, if you only want a week ask what they'd suggest and compare it with that you'd book yourself. I really think this is about budget, responsibility and what they can add to the experience that you might find a hassle or not experience on your own. A good tour company can add a lot to a trip and in terms of customizable experiences you'll certainly get more for your money in Morocco than in Paris or Madrid.
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This can be your best place to go on a tour. I have been there for 10 days and it was superb experience. I did beach bike riding, atlas adventure and desert tour one bye one. you can find service providers that can guide you through whole journey.
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Hi Lexi,
Morocco is a great choice. You will love it! We have traveled all over the world with no assistance (guides, etc.) but we chose to go with Authentic Morocco for this trip because we wanted to be able to enjoy all that Morocco had to offer without wasting time thinking about the driving/where to stop/where not to stop, etc. Liz at Authentic can customize your tour to any length, budget, or special interests. She gave us a list of her preferred riads so I was able to look them all up before we made our decision which I appreciated. We did a 10 day which included airport transfers, all of our riads, breakfast each day, a few dinners and a driver with a guide. They provide both driver and guide if the driver is not fluent in English. In Fes and Marrakech we were basically on our own. We opted not to take any of the walking tours that Authentic offered. We also went to Imlil in the High Atlas, Essaouria on the coast, the Skoura Oasis and a desert camp. There is no way we could have done all of that and seen all of the fabulous things that we saw without someone else navaigating and assisting. Similar to the other Fodorites, I would say that the tour/no tour choice depends entirely on your budget and what type of experience you are looking for. Anyway you go, you will have a wonderful time!
Morocco is a great choice. You will love it! We have traveled all over the world with no assistance (guides, etc.) but we chose to go with Authentic Morocco for this trip because we wanted to be able to enjoy all that Morocco had to offer without wasting time thinking about the driving/where to stop/where not to stop, etc. Liz at Authentic can customize your tour to any length, budget, or special interests. She gave us a list of her preferred riads so I was able to look them all up before we made our decision which I appreciated. We did a 10 day which included airport transfers, all of our riads, breakfast each day, a few dinners and a driver with a guide. They provide both driver and guide if the driver is not fluent in English. In Fes and Marrakech we were basically on our own. We opted not to take any of the walking tours that Authentic offered. We also went to Imlil in the High Atlas, Essaouria on the coast, the Skoura Oasis and a desert camp. There is no way we could have done all of that and seen all of the fabulous things that we saw without someone else navaigating and assisting. Similar to the other Fodorites, I would say that the tour/no tour choice depends entirely on your budget and what type of experience you are looking for. Anyway you go, you will have a wonderful time!
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Join Date: Apr 2017
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I am planning an 8-day trip there in October and Morocco Expert Tours gets fabulous reviews on TripAdvisor, but I'm wanting an objective source to confirm that they are legitimate. Anyone know? If so, they are said to be less expensive than non-local tour services, while providing comparable or better services, but I have no way to confirm that. You might wish to check them out. One poster on here gave them a great review, but not recently. Have a fabulous adventure!