alan_s

I am in the process of planning a wander through Portugal, Spain, Morocco and the Greek Isles over a month from mid-June. The time window for Morocco is set: I will be departing from Algeciras on Sunday June 30 to Tangier via the shuttle bus and Tarifa ferry and departing Casablanca to Rhodes by air on Saturday July 6th.

I plan to spend the first night in Tangier, then take the train to Fes for three nights, then the train to Casablanca for the final two.

I am interested in any and all suggestions on whether that itinerary looks OK, places to stay, things to see and do. I have been browsing through the trip reports but would appreciate any suggestions.

I am a senior male travelling alone, my wife is "travelled out", so I am not into adventure/trekking. I am a budget flashpacker, not a backpacker and don't stay at hostels.

TIA

thursdaysd

Rabat rather than Casablanca. Click on my name for my Moroccan TR which includes both.

alan_s

Thanks thursdaysd.

Unfortunately my flight out leaves from Casablanca. I prefer to spend at least the night prior in the departure city to minimise the chance of missing a flight. Is Rabat worth a trip for one night only after Fes?

I'm heading off to read your TR.

alan_s

Marvellous report on Morocco, thanks Kathy. Now to read your Portugal reports.

Incidentally, your pictures show that we have been to many of the same places. I have a suspicion I subscribed to a different web-site of yours some time ago. Must check. Back later

Cheers, Alan

PS I share your interest in things Roman. Jerash is the furthest east well-preserved Roman site I've been to, although there may be others further east: http://loraltravel.blogspot.com.au/2...in-jordan.html

thursdaysd

Hi alan - I saw Jerash a couple of years ago - that's on my current blog - http://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com - but the (much less impressive) Roman site I saw in the Republic of Georgia on the same trip was further east.

Love Portugal! Spain not so much, but the Alhambra is a must. See my old site, wilhelmswords.com for that. I recognize your site, too, although it's been a while since I was there. Have to catch up...

Understand that you want to be in Casa for the last night, but unless the hotels have improved, or you're sleeping more expensively than I did, you might want to keep it at one night. Rabat is a great starting point for Morocco, perhaps not as interesting as a last stop.

alan_s

Thanks, another great set of trip reports for Lisbon with lots of ideas for the four days I intend spending there. And two places to remove from my accommodation possibilites.

My pre-Moroccan itinerary includes the sleeper train (cam turista) from Irun to Lisbon and from there to Madrid, with a few days in Cordoba before the ferry.

I thought I recognised your name. I sent an email in preparation for my St Petersburg-Moscow trip in 20011 and subscribed to your newsletter, but after a confirmation of subscription I received no more. No worries; I'm catching up now.

Cheers, Alan

alan_s

Oops - we crossed in posting. I agree about the Alhambra; the first castle complex I saw in Europe but after many others since still the most impressive: http://loraltravel.blogspot.com.au/2.../alhambra.html

Excuse the pre-digital grainy photos. The film went through a dozen airport scanners with repeated reassurances it would not affect the film. Yeah, right.

As I'm starting in the north at Tangier, or possibly going straight from the ferry to Fes (checking schedules) I may drop in at Rabat en-route to Casablanca and make it a one nighter.

thursdaysd

Not familiar with the Irun-Lisbon train. Do you have a link?

Not sure why your subscription didn't work....

The Residencial Florescente in Lisbon isn't that bad, I'd stay there again. The breakfast was better the last time I was there (2011). However, if you don't mind sharing a bathroom this looks interesting: http://www.lisbondreamsguesthouse.com/hotel-rooms.html - or if there is a good deal going I would like to stay here: http://www.brownsapartments.com/

alan_s

Thanks. The Residencial Florescente is unfortunately unavailable on my dates. I am doing some searches on apartment sites. Browns is way too expensive for me and I'm too old and crotchety to share bathrooms these days.

Here is the main site for the Sud Express: http://www.cp.pt/cp/displayPage.do?v...c0RCRD&lang=en

I booked discount sharing-a-four-berth cama turista on both the Sud Express and the Lusitania (Lisbon-Madrid) on the renfe site: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/. It seems I'll have no choice about sharing bathrooms on the train

Possibly we should be having this conversation in the Portugal forum

Getting back to Morocco, I am doing a lot of searching on Dar and Riad sites. Some look a little dodgy. Are there any I should specifically avoid?

thursdaysd

Thanks for the link. Not sure that train ran back in 2004, but in any case I wanted to visit Leon, Santiago and Porto. I don't mind (too much) sharing a bathroom, but I draw the line at sharing a bedroom, except on tours where it avoids the wretched single supplement. And on trains, of course.

Riads (Marrakesh): Avoid the Dar Silsila! I moved from there to the Riad Hasna. If you are looking at tripadvisor be very careful with the Morocco recs. Avoid anything with a lot of one-post reviewers, or that sound too good to be true. This is a place where guidebooks are useful.

alan_s

>Not sure why your subscription didn't work....

I don't know if you changed anything, but 'home fires' just arrived.

Cheers, Alan