Transportation within Morocco--I need suggestions, please
 

Hi there,
I am a woman who will be traveling alone in Morocco and will not be renting a car. After my guided trip in the south, I will be going to Marrakesh, Fes/Meknes, Chefchaouen and Essaouira in that order...The bus from Marrakesh to Fes is a long 9 hours, or overnight train for 8 hours. Both long, but....Then from Fes to Chefchaouen is 4 hours. So, getting from Chefchaoeun to Essaouira seems a bit more difficult and long. Does anyone have any suggestions????

My suggestion would be to go to Essaouira from Marrakesh, but you seem to have decided not to do that?

Well, other than the south, I am going to go to Marrakesh, Fes, Chefchaoeun and Essaouira. There isn't any order to my plan yet, do you have any suggestions??

Well, geographically, what makes sense is Essaouira - Marrakesh (there's a bus) - Fes - Chefchaoen. If you take the train you could stop off in Rabat and Meknes. If you go a bit further inland you could visit the mountains.

I know, but I still need to get back to Marrakesh--so either way, the trip from Chef..is a horrifically long one. I suppose I can just go from Chef...to Fes, then take the train back to Marrakesh..,

"I still need to get back to Marrakesh" - is that because of flights? Can you fly open-jaw - out of Casablanca instead?

bushwoman - how is your planning going? Have you firmed up your itinerary?

I'm planning for next year and have started to consider a trip with Compass Odyssey that looks interesting. I'm thinking it may be fun to be traveling with a few people rather than just the 2 of us. They limit to 14 people so not a big ugly tour bus kind of thing.

Hi Leslie_S; planning has gone real well. I am working with a fellow named Ali from SaharaEyes. For the life of me I can not remember how I found him, but it must have been from one of the threads. I got quotes from 5 tour operators, and threw out the most expensive and the least expensive and just went with my gut. My first piece of advice is to NOT pay in Euros since we are getting slammed with the exchange rate...I am landing in Marrakesh and gonna change money , blah blah and meet the guide the following day to take me down to the Gorges, Skoura and then to the Merzouga area where I will sleep in the dunes in a traditional tent, next night sleep in Erg Chebbi in a trad tent, and stay in that area to do some trekking and hang with Berber people, go on to Erg Chicaga, blah blah and up to Ait Ben Haddou and then I am being driven to Essaouira where I will hang and relax for a few daze..This will be 9 nights with my guide. Then on my own to Essaouira, taking the bus to Marrakesh and the overnight train to Fes, all on the same day. Then I dunno, maybe 4-5 days in Fes, will check out Meknes and some other ruines in nearby towns and then take the bus to Chefchaoeun and hang there for about 3-4 days, then back to Marrakesh for maybe a couple of days. That is the great thing about my trip is that I can do what I want, when I want....I never heard of Compass Odyssey, are they an American tour operator??

Sounds like a great itinerary. When did you say you're going?
How nice to be able to be flexible and do what you want. I guess that is a big plus of traveling alone - do you often do that? I admit to being a bit of a coward & just don't think I'd have fun going alone.

The one company I'm looking at, Authentic Morocco, quotes in dirhams but bills in GB pounds and then converted to dollars so that's not as bad as the euro I guess.

The other, Compass Odyssey is run by Australians living in South Africa - payment is in US $ so that makes it a bit simpler. The price is okay, I think, for what we'd get to do - but it only goes if 10 people sign up so that's a problem.

Anyone else interested in an April 2010 tour in a small group??

Hi Leslie,
I am going in October.The weather should be great and fewer crowds!

October weather does sound perfect. Can't remember - does Ramadan fall in October this year? I know that's not a reason not to go but might be something to be aware of ahead of time.

Looks like Ramadan will start around 21 Aug and run until around 21 Sep. It will be over by October.

I went in October, it's a wonderful time of year. I would do this: Chef...to Fes, then take the train back to Marrakesh..,

Is there a night train from Fes to Marrakech? I read in a guide book that there is one, but I haven't been able to find it. I am also going in October-first time in Morocco and can't wait!

Doesn't seem to be. See www.oncf.ma/Index_en.aspx for schedules.