My husband and I and our 25 year old son would like to go somewhere we haven't been before. My husband and I have been many places in Europe, but not to Portugal which is also on our son's wish list. I am thinking about planning a trip to Portugal and Morocco, which is on my wish list and different than anywhere else I've been. I am just beginning to plan. We are mid-budget travelers who like to see and experience the local culture. Any help would b greatly appreciated - times of year to go, minimum amt of time to see both countries, itineraries, best things to do, is this a good plan, etc? We are traveling from the San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks so much.

I see you have another thread on this subject. You can top your original threads to make them more visible rather than re-posting.

I've only been to Portugal but found the people to be wonderful and the food good. Everything is inexpensive. Since you're from a metro area you'll find everything to be very cheap.

Time of year - it depends on what type of weather you're looking for. I would never go in summer as I hate the heat. I went during an unseasonable heat wave (late Sept/early October) and hated it, although the dry heat allowed for cool evenings so sleeping w/o air conditioning was fine. The weather during that time was supposed to be low to mid 70s which would have been perfect but there is no predicting weather.

I spent 2 weeks in Portugal and only saw the central part of it but I'm a leisurely traveler and hate to dash from one place to the next. If you're a beach person I would head to the Algarve. If you want historical sights then any place between Lisbon and Porto would be good.

I think you'd need to say more about what your looking for - cities, countryside, beaches and if you're planning to rent a car or take public transportation.

The best time to go to Morocco, IMO, is September or October (but avoid Ramadan if it should occur during your stay as you won't be able to visit mosques, which is part of the experience). You'll want at least a week, more if you can swing it, and you'll want at a minimum to visit Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains, Agadir, Essouira, Fez, and Rabat. So preferably 10 days. You can take public transportation, but hiring a guide/driver is very inexpensive (about $30 a day)... or rent a car.

Agree we need to know more about your interests to be helpful.

We were in Morocco in late November, and the climate at that point was very similar to late Fall in the SF Bay Area (I also live there). It was ideal for traveling. We landed in Marrakech, then took the train to Meknès and then the train to Fez. From Fez we took the long distance bus back to Marrakech to fly back to France (we used France as our hub because we could get cheap RT tickets with Nouvelles Frontières. It was a two week trip to Morocco.

To whet your appetite:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7622870770847/

Bluelark:
We had the same views on Portugal, voiced by Adrienne. It was my last country in all of Continental Europe I had yet to visit..made me question why we waited so long. My wife felt the same.

We took a different time to visit Morocco..early spring...and found the weather to be very moderate. We drove a rental car from Fes, after taking a car and driver from the port of Tangiers, then went on to Sahara dune country (Erg Chebbi- Erfoud area), the gorges, to Ouarzazate, to the beginning of the Timbuctou trail in Zagora, back to Marrakech, Essaouira, Casablanca and Rabat. In two and a half weeks, we covered a good chunk of the exotic country, which we found to be fascinating, friendly and comfortable. Have since sent several friends and family, each of whom loved it.

These pics, regretably, some two or three to a page, are scanned, pre-digital in '97..so forgive the amateur results, and you have to work at it..clicking on the magnifyng glass icon, and using your mouse to nove around the pix. Hopefully, you'll still find them clear, interesting and informative. Perhaps the map will also give you an overview. <i>(My Portugal pics are digital)</i> Have a great journey!

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Morocco#

stu [email protected]