UK to MOROCCO 2023 | What we LEARNED

[@raymondvoigt7336]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, much appreciated!

[@rustynuts82]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sharonrathbone]

Great videos and packed full of useful information will be keeping off the sand 😂 when I visit Morocco in 2025.

[@rustynuts82]

Thanks. When you get to Merzouga, dump the luggage, let some air out and have a play. Everyone does!

[@raymondvoigt7336]

Wonderful! Thank you for sharing your experience, and wish you safe riding. I will use this information to help plan next years visit. Chers!

[@markusleucht6603]

glad, the algorithm guided me here for some reason. thanks for doing this. watched from start til end.

[@rustynuts82]

Thanks, glad it was useful.

[@rideyourbike]

Thanks for this priceless info.

[@cmwilfred]

Great and detailed break down 💪🏽

[@MarioDantasRocha]

By the way, great share of your experience. Thank you mate

[@rustynuts82]

Thanks, it’s a great place to visit.

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

I am planning a trip to Morocco, but as someone who gets hideously seasick I will be riding all the way, and taking the shortest route from Spain over the Strait of Gibraltar.

[@rustynuts82]

It’s a very long way with France too, but if time isn’t a constraint then better than being seasick. Tbh the Santander boat is getting quite expensive and I have been on it a few times not enjoying the experience, the bay of biscay can be bouncy. There is a boat option from southern France across the Med, probably calmer to Morocco. Also from Barcelona. But if your bike is good on motorways then you can cover the distance just as quickly. Although you do get to sleep on a boat!

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

Appreciate the fast response. I am intending to do Morocco as a 2-3 week trip so the journey through France and Spain doesn't concern me. Indeed I sometimes think I am unique as I enjoy the motorway elements of biking. @@rustynuts82

[@rustynuts82]

I guess France/Spain is doable in 2/3 days. I would say ten days minimum touring Morocco to be worth the effort. It is a fab destination in any event.

[@checker3694]

Thanks for info, very helpful

[@directorstu]

Great info. Much appreciated 👍

[@jane2166]

very interesting and useful information

[@bigberthaontour]

Packed with good info, miminal waffle, nailed it

[@alanbarnes2920]

Just watched tuber Richy Vida on his recent Moroccan trip and the algorithm brought me here…glad it did, good/useful vid RN… I’m keen to visit there this year now too. Nice easy delivery style with facts and no BS. Good job, atb, Alan.

[@rustynuts82]

Glad you found it useful Alan. It’s a fascinating country with some brilliant riding.

[@alanbarnes2920]

Forgot to say I’ve subscribed..look forward to more useful vids! Atb, Alan

[@LeanIntoTheWind]

Brilliant video and really informative , delivered very well too . Thanks this looks like our next trip ..

[@rustynuts82]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stubbzzy310]

Yep that pretty much covered everything you could need to know, 3 weeks we wont be forgetting any time soon :D

[@rustynuts82]

Yeah, a lot of ground covered and a lot of experiences were had on that one!

[@josecarlosrodriguezb7167]

greetings from Seville!!

[@TheMadEnglishman]

I'm planning a trip from the UK next year, around March before it warms up too much. I'm thinking 3 days transit each way to/from Tangiers and six days in Morocco although I suspect this maybe a little too opimistic. I've got a 16 day window available "just in case". Big GS (of course!) and riding solo - so avoiding sand / off road. Thanks for this vid mate, in the "Information to waffle ratio" you've scored a solid "would watch again". Most useful, most informative. Thank you.

[@rustynuts82]

That’s long enough to go and have a look, especially if staying on tarmac. My first visit ten years ago was roughly that time frame. We had three weeks this time, and needed it to go off roading.

[@henrygerwien186]

@@rustynuts82 Thanks a lot! Let me tell you, that even as a German I can understand your English very good , I like a lot your kind of speaking. And what I don.t understand, I try with transcribing and deepL translator. So I can learn further on!! Meanwhile I gained the book of John Scott, which is really a goldmine of hints and experience, fantastic! But as well I could "read" a lot of your movies here. I have 2 months of time, and if everything works well, I may visit also Mauretania, it depends on my fitness and all the surrounding conditions. One question is left: Did you have a tent with you, as emergency or even planned? I intend to do so. What.s your opinion of that? I think, camping in the desert isn.t a comfort couch event! Thank you, have a nice weekend, Henry

[@rustynuts82]

Hi Henry, We did carry tents, but to be honest I wouldn’t bother next time. We did camp just one night in Morocco but only to use the tents at least once. We really carried them for Spain at Jerez because the hotels were very expensive. There are plenty of places to stay, even in the desert. Scotts book is excellent but somewhat out of date, at least the version I had. Morocco really is an amazing country.

[@cummomoto]

@@rustynuts82 Did the same with camping on the first trip, concluded the same that the auberges were plenty in general great and fun. I am going in less than a month to Western Sahara down to Mauritania, gonna have to carry all that gear again because the auberges thin out to nothing after Samara where its all hamada until the Anzarane.

[@cummomoto]

And we met on our first trip Ibrahim ( bram) and he guided us around the wadi also, we were thank ful, I was on a 1290 and my mate on a GS. He is a nice a trustworthy guy.

[@SalopianBivvyman]

Great advice, 🙏🏻

[@rustynuts82]

Glad it was helpful!

[@easyonenow]

Thank you, thinking of doing this. Any recommendations for tyres please?

[@rustynuts82]

Plenty of choice in the 50/50 60/40 market depending on your bike of course. I used a Metz Sahara on the rear and a Mitas E07 front. Only because I couldn’t find the front Metz. The Mitas worked perfectly well, cheap too.

[@jeffshootsstuff]

great stuff, thanks!

[@richardjennings677]

Hi. Loving the videos and the content. My big BMW adventure got stolen so I got something completely different with the insurance money. A 937 Ducati Monster. It's so much fun and despite the smaller tank I'm going to do some touring. Could I be cheeky and ask if you had to do a route around Morocco without an adventure bike. Where would you go if you had to stick to the tarmac?

[@rustynuts82]

Hi Richard, very sorry to hear about the theft. I’ve had bikes nicked and it’s a bad feeling. Check out my first time to Morocco trip on the F650, I stayed on the tarmac. The road over to Ncob was a particularly memorable for a tarmac ride. The desert highway not so much, but it does lead to Merzouga which is a must do. I want to get into the Anti Atlas next time, but probably for off road stuff. There are a lot of great tarmac roads in Morocco, be aware some start off great but deteriorate into a real mess when you’re thirty miles in!

[@syncrosimon]

That is a really helpful video, the problem of the ideal bike rears its ugly head, a big adventure bike is perfect for 80% but puts you off the sand, a small light bike is more prone to breakdown and not great for the many road miles to get there. What I have noticed is that people start on big bikes, and then get smaller as they wish to explore more out of the way places. For a first time I think my Tenere will be just fine, but flying down and renting small 100kg bikes makes more sense when you know where you are going and are in need of filling in the bits not sensible on a big bike. I hope to spend a solo month in Africa and may well go as far as Senegal, we will see. Simon.

[@rustynuts82]

Tenere would be ideal for nearly all situations. I used to ride all over Europe on 400/500cc bikes two up with luggage no problem. Its a modern misconception that 1200cc is needed. The move back towards middle weights is simple common sense for proper adventurer riding, although its amazing where the electronics will get the big bikes.

[@motolover5697]

Nice video! I have just returned from Morocco. Can you tell me which map is this, it seem pretty good? Thanks.

[@rustynuts82]

Hi, thanks. Its the Michelin 742 map.

[@motolover5697]

@@rustynuts82 Was thinking it is the one, thanks for the information.

[@jimwood1068]

Great vid mate. Thanks. I’m looking at heading over for 10 days or so next March. I don’t really want to go on a guided tour but not sure where to find routes? Have you got any advice or places to get gpx files? Would you be confidant with OSM map based app routing between places yourself? I can see itineraries online so would like to do ADV routes between those places. Any advice appreciated. Cheers. Jim, Portsmouth.

[@rustynuts82]

Hi Jim, my son in the video lives close to you at Southampton. You could meet up for chat maybe. I used Chris Scotts book for piste info and my iPad to navigate. I’ve never had sat nav of any type! It would have been useful in the desert tbh. There are tonnes of routes of course. Most pistes go to villages so they are very doable. The sandy desert is a different ball game. Cathedral rock looks amazing but we missed it out because of time. Aim for the high atlas and anti atlas. Merzouga to Zagora is epic but not easy….see vid!

[@TheMadEnglishman]

I too was looking at March next year but that will be mid-ramadan in '24. I've been in plenty of Islamic countries during ramadan, it isn't a problem, but I'd rather go either side if possible. Checking typical weather for that time of year, would suggest April instead.

[@neilpage3089]

Hi there love your video's, I'm looking to go to Morocco next year, but didn't it too hot. What time of year did you do your trip? Thank you.

[@rustynuts82]

Hi Neil, we went in early May, Spain and Morocco were having bit of a heat wave! Normally it would be 25-30 degrees, but it was regular 35-40! As soon as we left Morocco it cooled down, sods law. So for us it was more akin to june/july weather.

[@ianharrison5263]

excellent video, at what point did you pick up the temporary import and export ticket, it seems like things have changed since I last went there, the easiest exotic place to get to on a motorbike, So you're almost qualified to deal with somewhere like Hunstanton now !!!

[@rustynuts82]

On the boat on the way over to Morocco.

[@ianharrison5263]

@@rustynuts82 yes I seem to remember having to queue up on the boat for something. always take your original logbook because they don't like photocopied ones. and then there's the checkpoints and the fishes I think they were called, but I think that was more in the western Sahara. anyway most excellent video, no BS, top job.

[@andrewsoldan6050]

Great summary! but how about money, (unless I missed it) how much cash did you take.exchanged for local? credit card accepted everywhere?

[@rustynuts82]

Cash society, cards accepted in some places like bigger hotels. Cash for petrol,cafes, shops, accommodation etc etc, even motorway tolls is cash!

[@andrewsoldan6050]

@@rustynuts82 is euro accepted? or better change for local

[@rustynuts82]

@@andrewsoldan6050 stick with Dirams, although they will take euros.

[@MarioDantasRocha]

Were you guys able to buy or drink some beers? Alcohol in general?

[@rustynuts82]

Beer is usually available in hotels

[@Masti476]

What you guys think i am planning for January ride how is the weather like in Morocco in start of January

[@rustynuts82]

Probably snowed in throughout the mountains. Could be fun!

[@LobeyD]

Hi, just wondering if you got the import card on the ferry? Thanks

[@rustynuts82]

Yes, there is now a small booth/office on the boat where you do the paperwork. At least on our boat, previously it was just a desk on a deck.

[@LobeyD]

@@rustynuts82 Thanks. Have been to Morocco many times but never on my bike. Hoping to head down there on my street twin next year, Inshallah 👍

[@zbigniewo3613]

Great info, thanks! Did you book B&Bs online or asked the locals? What would you recommend?

[@rustynuts82]

Just booked them as we went along….usually in advance if we had a definite end point. Or left to chance if we weren’t sure where we’d end up. It’s easy, plenty of places to stay.

[@zbigniewo3613]

@@rustynuts82 Thank you

[@allenlloyd2662]

hi thanks for posting this vid 👍, i'm off out there in October . traveling solo have been before but not on my bike . i have a few questions please are ATM's Widley available out side of the cities ? also did you pre book the ferry from Spain to morocco or just turn up ? can't wait thanks again for the vid look forward to seeing more

[@rustynuts82]

The ferry is bookable on line. We just turned up and booked. The office is right in the corner with an awkward car parking area in front of it. ATMs are not widespread outside of big towns. Cash is king, except in modern hotels.

[@allenlloyd2662]

@@rustynuts82 thanks for the info . can't wait

[@HCCDC]

Hi, we’re heading over to Morocco for the first time in Sept and found this very useful. Could you use Euros or do you need lots of local currency? And how much did you budget each day for food and drink? Thanks

[@rustynuts82]

They do like Euros! Although we used local currency, they often ask for payment in Euros. Sometimes I think they hope you might pay hugely over the odds by handing over Euros instead of Dirhams! Food is relatively cheap, didn’t really budget tbh.

[@roasthunter]

I just came back from a 10 day trip, including flights, local bike hire (250cc), all accommodation, fuel, food etc I spent just under £1200. Take out cash from ATM and pay dirhams, don't pay euros locally, food will be about 60dh for a good meal and drink, accommodation 250dh will get you an reasonable place, you can go much cheaper but don't expect the sheets to have been cleaned for many customers. 400dh will get you half board in an air conditioned room. Things aren't quite as cheap as they were, I've been 7 times over the last few years.

[@lucaghislanzoni3559]

​@@roasthunterhello. Flying into Marrakech in 2 weeks time and planning to spend 3 days riding before I head back to Marrakech. What loop itinerary would you recommend? Thanks

[@rustynuts82]

@lucaghislanzoni3559 I have yet to ride the Tizi and Test south west of Marrakech but hear its excellent. Goes close to the highest peak too. Perhaps go further south into the anti atlas, again I have yet to do this. Then maybe loop back via the coast for an easy return. With just three days you don’t want to do too much distance. The small roads can be slow. From Agadir its motorway back to base.

[@roasthunter]

@@lucaghislanzoni3559 are you only riding 3 days? Hire bikes in Marrakech, then back again?