juanitac

Hello, we (2 adults 4 kids) will be in Spain in september and are wondering if a side trip to Morocco is do-able. Unfortunately we will only have 3-4 days available, but feel we may not come back to this part of the world (it's a long way from Australia!) and should take the opportunity if we can- and Morocco sounds fascinating! I would appreciate any advice on how we might manage this ( with kids in tow we are not interested in being part of a tour group).
Options so far... 1.One idea is to take the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier and then a train to Fes. Has anyone done this, is the trip enjoyable? How long would this take including connections- we would hope for at least 2, maybe 3 nights in Fes with time to do a day trip to the town with the roman ruins?
2.The other thought is to fly of course, but more expensive and looking at budget airlines seems we would probably need to return to Madrid and go to Marrakesch. If this is the best option we might need to rethink our planning for going to southern spain.
3.???...any thoughts or suggestions?

Rubicund

I believe that cost aside, Marrakesh would be a much better choice than Fes. It feels more like you'd imagine Morocco should feel and is worth the extra it will take to see it. If you're unlikely to go that way again, then it must be worth the expense to see another culture.

thursdaysd

I totally disagree with Rubicund. Marrakesh was a disappointment after the other places I saw in Morocco, and is much more touristy than Fes. If you are only going to one place in Morocco it should be Fes, for its amazing medina.

I flew from Lisbon to Casablanca on TAP and took the train to Rabat, so can't help with the timing for the ferry route. For info on the trains see seat61.com.

Fra_Diavolo

Agree with thursdaysd -- Fes is the more exotic, though its touts can be wearying.

MmePerdu

I suggest you do take the ferry from Tarifa and prearrange transportation by passenger van to Chefchaouen. It's a lovely town in the Rif Mountains, not terribly far from Tangier, has a nice selection of places to stay, a very manageable sized medina for your group including your children. It's relaxed and uncrowded compared with either Marrakech or Fes and having your own transportation there and back to Tangier would simplify things greatly.

This website also mentions buses from Tangier but being met at the ferry would be my choice: http://wikitravel.org/en/Chefchaouen

MmePerdu

It occurs to me that the easiest option would be to stay right in Tangier. Many will say it's a dump but that's old news. There's a huge difference from daytripping and staying for 2 or 3 nights. I've stayed there a number of days twice, with a few days in Tarifa in between, and liked it very much. I was not bothered by touts as some will predict, the medina there is also a very manageable size, relaxed and interesting with the newer French town alongside. Also a variety of places to stay and it would greatly simplify your visit for such a short time. I liked Tangier very much and plan to return.

juanitac

Thank you all very much for your replies. I will check out all suggestions and probably have some more questions after that!

gertie3751

I did it the other way round. Marrakesh to Tangier by overnight train then ferry to Tarifa. Very easy. No advance booking of tickets necessary in July. Ferry is very fast, about 30 minutes. Check the train times with seat61.
On the question of Marrakesh or Fes, I would go for Fes too though it can be a bit daunting finding your way through the old city. Get someone to meet you at the station.