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How to travel from the UK to Morocco without flying
7 minute read | Author: Richard Hammond
There are several ways to travel overland to Morocco from the UK. The fastest is to take the train via Paris and Barcelona to the southern port Tarifa from where you take the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to Tangier in northern Morocco, or you could take the slower route by ferry from southern England to northern Spain and then south by coach or train south to Tarifa.
Either way, it's a lovely journey south through Spain as the countryside becomes ever more Moorish and the ferry journey across the Strait of Gibraltar is something else. As you pass the Rock of Gibraltar, the continent of Africa looms ahead, and by the time your arrive in to Tangier you already feel somewhat adjusted to the change in temperature and culture.
Below is a step-by-step guide to the main ways to travel overland to Morocco. I have tried to summarise all the available options based on my experience of doing this journey several times.
It's a lovely journey by train through Spain followed by the ferry across to Morocco. Photos: Eurostar, Brittany Ferries and Wix Media
Ferries from the south of England to Spain
Brittany Ferries runs the overnight ferry services across the Bay of Biscay from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Bilbao and Santander. These luxurious ferries are like going on a mini-cruise, the dining is first-class, there are lots of facilities to keep the kids happy, extremely comfortable sleeping cabins. And you may see whales and dolphin on the crossing - the Bay of Biscay is one of the best places in Europe to spot these magnificent marine animals.
The ferries from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander do take foot passengers, but the ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao don't.
Portsmouth to Bilbao with Brittany Ferries
Journey time: 24-32 hours
Timings: up to three return crossings each week. Leaves Portsmouth at 08:45, 12:00 or 22:30, depending on the day and season. Sundays sailings offer two nights onboard
Facilities on board: restaurants, bar, cafe, shopping, pool, spa, cinema, children’s play area Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins including a cabin that accommodates a pet alongside its owners
Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way. Other info: opt for a Tuesday daytime crossing aboard the ‘no-frills’ ships, Baie de Seine or Connemara, for a more affordable crossing. Some crossings offer whale and dolphin spotting with the ‘ORCA wildlife officers’. As with Santander, the Alsa coach service is best for onward journeys by public transport unless you are heading south by train towards Madrid.
Portsmouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries
Journey time: 24-32 hours
Timings: two return crossings each week. Leaves Portsmouth at around 08:45 or 17:00 depending on the day and season
Facilities on board: restaurants, bar, cafe, shopping, pool, spa, cinema, children’s play area Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins including a cabin that accommodates a pet alongside its owners
Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way. Other info: opt for a ‘no-frills’ ship for a more affordable crossing, which operates during peak season - check the Brittany Ferries website for details. Some crossings offer whale and dolphin spotting with the ‘ORCA wildlife officers’. For journeys on from Santander, the rail network works best if you want to head south, with Madrid a four-hour journey away and Leon 3.5 hours, but for east-west journeys, it’s best to travel by car or by bus with Alsa the leading coach company in the region.
Plymouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries
Journey time: 18.5 hours
Timings: one sailing per week departing on Sundays at 16:45, arriving in Santander at 12:15, returning Wednesdays
Facilities on board: restaurants, bars, cafe, shops, pool, live entertainment, cinemas, spa, children’s play area Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins
Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way. Other info: Brittany Ferries’ mini cruise package offers two nights on board the ship, Pont Aven on the journey out and back, plus two nights in Santander. For journeys on from Santander, the rail network works best if you want to head south, with Madrid a four-hour journey away and Leon 3.5 hours, but for east-west journeys, it’s best to travel by car or by bus with Alsa the leading coach company in the region.
How to travel to/from the ferry ports by public transport:
Portsmouth Port | Train: To Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station (it takes 85 minutes from London Waterloo and there are also services from London Victoria and Cardiff), from where it’s a 20-minute walk (or 10-minute taxi ride) to the ferry departure terminal. NB between May and September, there is a shuttle bus from Portsmouth & Southsea railway station to the ferry terminal.Bus: The easiest way for foot passengers to reach the harbour is to take a National Express coach (e.g. from London Victoria), which stops right outside the ferry departure building. There are also local bus services to Portsmouth ferry terminal operated by Stagecoach (bus 20) and First Bus (buses 8, X4 and X9). |
Plymouth Port | Train: There is a good rail service from major railway stations to Plymouth train station (it takes 3-4 hours from London Paddington) from where it's about a 20-minute walk to the Plymouth ferry terminal. Bus: National Express runs coach services from London's Victoria coach station to Plymouth coach station from where it's about a 20-minute walk to the Plymouth ferry terminal. |
Bilbao Port | The port of Bilbao is 10 miles (16km) north-west of Bilbao-Abando railway station, from where there are regular train services to major centres across Spain, including Madrid and Barcelona. There is no public transport direct from/to the ferry terminal, however there is a taxi rank outside the ferry terminal, or you could walk just under 2 miles (3km) to Santurtzi metro station to take the metro to Bilbao-Abando station (Santurtzi is the last stop on Line 2 and goes direct to Bilbao city centre). |
Santander Port | Santander's port is in the heart of the city, just one block along Avenida Castilla to Santander’s main railway station (a few minutes in a taxi) where there are trains running to major centres in the region and the rest of the country. Santander is the gateway to the Picos de Europa. |
By Coach from the UK to Southern Spain
You can take the coach all the way from the UK to southern Spain for the ferry across to Morocco.
The ever expanding Flixbus coach operator, which now incorporates the Eurolines and Isilines bus companies, runs coach services from many cities, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea to London Victoria Coach Station from where you can change to another coach to cross the Channel, either via LeShuttle (Eurotunnel) or on the ferries that cross from Dover to Calais, and then on to several cities in Spain. From London you can reach Barcelona in 27.35 hours, Madrid in 29.20 hours (from where there are high speed trains south), but if you want to go all the way by coach from London to Algeciras (for Tarifa) in southern Spain from where the ferries go to Morocco, you can do it just less than 48 hours.
Luggage: You can take a hand luggage bag and medium-sized bag for the hold weighing no more than 20kg. Bikes can be taken on the bike rack from €9 per journey.
Facilities: Coaches are air conditioned and have free wifi, charging sockets, toilets, and on some journeys food and drink is sold onboard in addition to the refreshment stops. You can also pack your own food and drink for the journey and stops are made at service stations to stock up on supplies.
National Express also runs an intercity coach service from cities across the UK that also go via London Victoria where you can change to its international coach services which go to many European cities.
The cost varies depending on the route, time of year and so on, so check on the coach operator’s website for the latest fares.
Train from the UK to Spain, then ferry to Morocco
Summary: Train via Paris, Barcelona and Madrid to Algeciras (for the short transfer to the port at Tarifa) in southern Spain then catch the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to Tangier
Journey Time: about 48 hours
Approximate cost (one way):
Eurostar to Paris from £52
Train from Paris to Barcelona from €39
Train from Barcelona to Algeciras via
Madrid from €51
Ferry from Algeciras to Tangier from €25
Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.
How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation
If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.
What's the journey like?
Take the Eurostar, the UK’s international high-speed rail service that runs from the magnificently renovated London St Pancras International Railway Station. On board, there’s no weight limit for your luggage, but you should be able to carry and lift your bags safely. To get to Barcelona on the same day, take an earlyish Eurostar, e.g. the 9.24am departure, arriving Paris just before 1pm, in
order to catch the mid-afternoon train down to Barcelona to arrive early evening.
In Paris, you change stations from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon to take the train south to Barcelona. Crossing Paris to change stations is only two stops on the Paris RER D line, though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer. See our guide on How to transfer between train stations across Paris.
Stopover hotels to break the journey in Paris
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay near both Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon. Here are some examples of hotels that are conveniently near these stations:
Miss your connection in Paris?
Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection between high speed trains because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager. Whenever you’re connecting, always remember to validate your onward train ticket at the machine on the platform before departing (these are often coloured yellow).
Onward to Barcelona, Madrid and Algeciras
At Gare de Lyon, board a TGV high-speed train to Barcelona Sants station. The best thing about overland train travel is that you have the time and space to walk around the train, visit the buffet carriage, play cards, read the newspaper or a book, catch up on emails and text, watch a film, enjoy a meal, or just gaze out of the window and enjoy the views out of the large windows as the train whizzes across the picturesque French and Spanish countryside. You’ll arrive in to the heart of Barcelona, so no need to take a transfer from an out-of-the-way airport to the city centre; and fortunately there are many hotels very close to the railway station. Stay overnight in Barcelona – it’s a proud Mediterranean metropolis and a city of many faces. From the gracious avenues of Gracia with their chic boutiques, to the atmospheric, winding lanes of the Barri Gòtic, the city’s patchwork of neighbourhoods entices visitors with their distinct characters.
The following morning take the high-speed AVE train to Madrid (it leaves about 11am and arrives at about 1.45pm) from where you take the train down to Algeciras in southern Spain (it leaves about 3pm and arrives at about 8.30pm). It’s a glorious journey that gives you an appreciation of how southern Spain becomes progressively Moorish as you whizz down across the mountains to Cordoba and onward to the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula.
Hotels near Barcelona Sants Train Station
Bus from Algeciras to Tarifa then Ferry from Tarifa to Tangier
Stay overnight in Algeciras (there are some lovely tapas bars that open late), then in the morning walk over to the modern ferry passenger terminal where the fast ferry company FRS provides a free transit bus to its ferry terminal departure in the nearby town of Tarifa (it’s about a 30-minute drive).
Here, you take the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to Tangier, a journey of about an hour. It’s an epic journey; look left from the ferry as you pass the awesome Rock of Gibraltar, and then ahead of you looms the continent of Africa.
Ferry tickets provided by Ferry Hopper, which allows you to search and compare prices for the different operators and routes from the mainland ports in southern Spain (and France) to Morocco.
There's an excellent description of this trip by Kevin Rushby in the Guardian, see:
My epic three-day trip from London to Morocco by train and ferry
Arriving in Tangier
The ferry conveniently arrives in the heart of Tangier’s old town – you’ll be met off the ferry by lots of taxi drivers but you’re only a few minute’s walk to Tangier’s railway station and the medina. For onward trains to Meknès, Fez, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech, see: oncf-voyages.ma. There are plenty of places to stay in Tangier, see below:
Hotels in Tangier:
(booking provided by booking.com)
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Please note: The information on this page aims to give you a reasonable idea of train and ferry routes, times and tickets, in order that hopefully there’s enough detail to know what's available, how to plan an overland journey and where to book tickets. The information was up to date at time of publication, but services do change from time to time and we cannot take responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies we provide. Always confirm details when you book with the relevant travel operator. If you are aware of any inaccuracies, we'd really appreciate being informed via our contact page so we can make the relevant changes to the information provided for the benefit of other travellers.
Bon Voyage!