I've been reading through all the posts and have a general idea of places to visit...but could use a little more help.

My parents, who are in their early 60s, have 2 weeks to a month to travel in February. I was thinking Morocco and the Southern coast of Spain.

They like exploring, but are not into roughing it at all. Mostly, I want them to feel comfortable---as it is their vacation. Any suggestions on itineraries/guides/rough idea of budget? They will be flying from the East Coast of the U.S.

Thanks!

Which leg of the journey do you think they'll do first---Morocco or Spain? The itinerary would depend on where they're flying in to.

It's easy not to rough it in Morocco. Marrakesh and Essaouira especially are set up for comfortable tourism. You can get hotels in all cities for all budgets. The flight from JFK to Casablanca costs about $750, and the connection to Marrakesh is pretty inexpensive.

My advice, since your goal is to keep them comfortable would be to tell them to fly into Marrkaesh, explore southern Morocco (a few days in Marrakesh, a day trip to Essaouira, a trip to the dunes at Merzouga) and then fly to Spain---don't have them take the ferry from Tangier. They'll be hassled and harassed and pretty unhappy. There's a Ryanair flight from Marrakesh to Barcelona and Marseille. There's also an Easyjet flight from Marrakesh to Madrid. These flights are only a few pounds---and probably will cost less that it would cost to get to Tangier and get on a ferry.

Thanks that's good advice.

Hi Lucia-

I recently planned a whole trip to Morocco for some college friends and myself. Unfortunately, I had to bow out at the last minute, but my friends went and had a blast.

We/they arranged an itinerary from Fez to Marrakech with Mark Willenbrock at of www.madaboutmorocco.com. They said Mark, a brit, was a great guide, very knowledgable and well worth the price.

For some intial ideas, the www.i-escape.com website has photos and info on places to stay in Morocco.

Have fun planning your trip.

We were in Marrakech in Sept. and stayed at the Dar Les Cigognes riad. Its pure luxury and a wonderful experience. I would recommend that, since its convenient to everything, and yet a wonderful retreat when you need the silence and pampering. www.lescigognes.com

Does anyone know what to expect weather-wise in Morocco in February. I had thought it would be warm or at least mild, but some Moroccan friends just said it could be in the 40s!!!

My parents are trying to escape from the Boston weather...so somewhere warm is kind of essential.

February is cold in Morocco - probably not as cold as Boston, but still pretty chilly - especially in the north where it is likely to be rainy as well. Here in Fes, the nightly low will be just a few degress above freezing.

Many people wrongly assume that because Morocco is in Africa, it is warm year-round...but Morocco is on the same latitude as Georgia/ South & North Carolina. The further south, the warmer and drier it will be.

Hi, Lucia.
I went to morroco last year and It was amazing. There are three different thinks to do that:
- The beaches (Essaouira is a nice town, and you can stay some days in Marrakech too)
- The desert (Stay a night in a camp at the dunes of Merzouga is wonderful, and you have to make tha casbah route till Ouarzazate)
- The cities (Fez, Rabat, Marrakech, Meknes, the roman ruins at volubilis and the big mosque in Casablanca)
I would recomend all, depends only on what kind of trip you want to do...
Oliveira

Thanks Jen--that's helpful. It's odd, I was doing some research on the net and it looked like the temp was usually in the 60s and 70s. I guess not. Thanks!

Lucia -
It depends where you look and how the website presents the information. 60 or 70 is certainly a possible daily high during the winter, but it is by no means the norm - at least not here in Fes. The further south you are, the warmer and drier it will be - but then again, there's no guarantee.