Academy / Morocco ferry
Guide · Morocco
Ferry to Morocco with your bike
Which crossing to take, how long it lasts, what the bike needs on board and how the first day in Morocco usually goes. Written by riders who make the trip every spring.
1 · The short answer
Most riders cross from Algeciras or Tarifa
For a rider coming from Europe, the shortest and most flexible way into Morocco is across the Strait of Gibraltar. You ride down through Spain, roll the bike onto a ferry and are in Africa in an hour or two.
Longer overnight ferries from Barcelona save you more than 1,000 km of Spanish motorway. They make sense if you come from central or eastern Europe and would rather sleep on board than ride three days on the autovía.
2 · Routes
Ferry routes from Spain to Morocco
Times are typical crossing times. Timetables change by season, so always check the operator before you book.
| Route | Crossing | Arrives in | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarifa – Tangier | about 1 hour | Tanger Ville (in the city) | Short and simple. Several departures a day. |
| Algeciras – Tangier | 1.5–2 hours | Tanger Med (outside the city) | The busiest route, many operators and departures. Motorway south from the port. |
| Motril – Tangier | about 8 hours | Tanger Med | Handy if you come from Granada or the Sierra Nevada. |
| Almería – Nador | 7–11 hours | Nador | Good for the eastern route towards Oujda, Bouarfa and Merzouga. |
| Barcelona – Tangier | 30–35 hours | Tanger Med | About two sailings a week. Saves the ride through Spain. |
| Barcelona – Nador | 25–30 hours | Nador | Fewer sailings, but lands you closer to the eastern desert. |
3 · Which port
Tanger Med or Tanger Ville?
Tanger Ville is right in the city. You ride off the boat into the streets of Tangier, which is great if you plan to stay the night there and less great if you want to head south straight away.
Tanger Med is a big modern port about 40 km east of the city, with a direct motorway connection. It is the better choice if your plan is to ride south to Fes, the Middle Atlas and the desert on the same day.
If you are heading for Merzouga and Erg Chebbi, also look at Nador: from there the road south runs through the empty plateaus of eastern Morocco, far from the traffic of the west coast.
4 · Papers
What the bike and you need on board
Customs at a Moroccan port is routine, but it goes much faster when everything is in one folder:
- Passport, valid for the whole stay.
- Driving licence for motorcycles (an International Driving Permit is a sensible back-up).
- Original vehicle registration document. If the bike is not in your name, a signed authorisation from the owner.
- Insurance valid in Morocco. A Green Card covers Morocco only if the “MA” box is not crossed out. If it is, you can buy border insurance at the port; it is sold for periods from a few days to several months.
- A pen. Seriously. There are forms.
A foreign vehicle can stay in Morocco temporarily for up to 180 days per calendar year. The bike is registered to your passport when you enter and must leave the country with you. Our guide to bringing your bike into Morocco explains the border step by step.
5 · On board
Loading the motorcycle
Bikes usually board first or last, so stay near the ramp. The crew will show you where to park and will normally provide straps, but many riders bring a pair of their own soft ties. Leave the bike in first gear, take your helmet, documents and anything valuable to the passenger deck.
On the short crossings there is often a police desk on board where passports are stamped during the trip. Ask the crew as soon as you board, because finding it late means a long queue in the port.
6 · Day one
The first kilometres in Morocco
Change a little money or use an ATM as soon as you are through customs; fuel stations on main roads take cards, small ones often do not. A local SIM card is cheap and sold at the port and in every town.
Expect police checkpoints at town entrances. Slow down, take off your sunglasses, smile. Most of the time you are waved through. Speed limits are enforced with radar, especially on the approach to towns.
From Tanger Med to Merzouga it is roughly 700 km. Most riders split it into two days, with a night in Fes, Midelt or Errachidia, so they arrive at the dunes rested instead of tired.
Merzouga · March 2027
Ride the desert with us
Six days of roadbook, dunes and desert tracks around Erg Chebbi, with instructors who know every valley. Bring your own bike or rent one of ours.