Fez or Marrakesh
 

I'm going to travel from Gibraltar next month and spend one night in Tangier. Will have 2 more days and wonder if anyone has a recommendation on traveling to Fez or Marrakesh. Fez seems closer by train. <BR> <BR>Any recommendations on lodging?

No contest - Fes is interesting but Marrakesh is an experience to be remembered. Can't suggest any hotels as it's been a long while since we were there.

We did not go to Marrakesh so we cannot comment. However, we did have a wonderful time in Fez. We had a guide to the Medina and a driver for a tour through the mountains (Middle Atlas). We understand that Marrakesh is more tourist-y, and probably set up better for tourists, but Fez is old and interesting. If you decide to go to Fez, contact me and I'll give you the names of our guides. Very reputable and very hospitable. One is Arab, the other Berber. If you go to Fez, do have your guide take you somewhere to get the Pastilla with pidgeon, cinnamon and sugar.

Either city will give you a thrill...visit the medina with an official guide (hired thru your hotel or the tourist office) as s/he knows the interesting spots, gets you into places you might not go by yourself, gives you a running commentary on the sights and history, answers questions that the guidebooks don't cover. If you go to Fes, make sure the guide takes you to the tannery souk (VERY intense). In either city, make sure the guide takes you to the medina's breadBAKER (and you thought YOUR job was tough). Marrakesh is set up more for tourists, but heck, people still ride donkey carts loaded with hay and lead camels down the main streets. No matter where you go, you ain't in Kansas...be prepared for sensory overload. As for accommodations, 4 star hotels cost less than one star in Europe, so just check the Morocco websites for hotels (I can't remember the names of the hotels where we stayed in both cities, but they were both fine, with restaurants and bars in the hotels).

Jeff, I tried to send you an e-mail through my firm, but we're having some problems. I'll get that info next week and try to send it. If it doesn't work I'll put the info on this site. Sorry.