Destination Morocco for under £1000
Why you don’t need a team of mechanics or a big budget to experience the desert
Desert adventure isn’t far away – and costs less than you think
‘The adventure of a lifetime is on your doorstep’ ‘It’s around £30 a night for dinner, bed and breakfast’
Sorry to break the romance and mystique, but going off on an adventure can be a lot cheaper and easier than some people make out. It doesn’t require months of planning, a back-up crew in a Land Cruiser and more money than sense. I know because I did it. Earlier this year I took two weeks off work and experienced some of the best riding of my entire life, all for just over a grand.
High road or low road
The first bit about getting to Morocco on a budget is deciding how you’re going to get there. You can ride overland down through France and Spain, which feels like more of an adventure, but it’s not as cheap as you might think. Riding to Algeciras from London is 1400 miles, which is going to be at least £100 on the most frugal machine. Add on tyre wear and tolls plus an extra night in a hotel and you’re not far off the cost of getting the Brittany ferry from Portsmouth to Santander. In the end, I rode all the way there and ferried back, but if I was doing it again I’d just ferry myself both ways. Two 12-hour days on the bike is a naff way to start what was supposed to be a thrilling holiday... In an attempt to offset the expected tyre wear, I fitted a set of MotoZ Tractionator Adventures (about £230 a pair) and they still looked brand new by the time I’d got to the good stuff. In fact they’ve lasted so well, I’ve still got them fitted now! You could do the whole trip on one set of 70/30 road tyres but that would spoil all the off-road adventure potential when you arrive at your destination. Some people ride there on a set then change in country, but that will blow all hopes of keeping to a budget out of the water.
The only other cost you need to worry about in advance is travel insurance. I opted for Navigator, who were recommended by friends, as they cover off-roading on a large capacity motorcycle – not many policies cover this so shop carefully. It includes breakdown cover too in case it goes Pete Tong.
Over yonder
Getting over to Morocco is easy enough as there are multiple ferry options. The most frequented by travellers, and often the easiest,
is to go from Algeciras to the port of Tangier Med. There’s plenty of operators and crossings, so no need to book in advance and a bit of shopping around at the port will see you bag a crossing for £75 – quite expensive for an hour on a boat. There are lots of locals who will offer to help you but a simple ‘non merci’ will save you a packet. Once in the country and through customs you need to buy local bike insurance. When I checked no British insurers would issue a Green Card for Morocco, but it’s worth asking yours before you go. If not, you can buy it at the port – ten days cover costs £55 – although who knows what would happen if you actually tried to claim on it. After that the world of Morocco is your sandy oyster. My route took me down to Merzouga in the southeast corner, across the bottom of the Atlas mountains towards Marrakech, back across the top of the Atlas to Midelt then back North and out again.
Travelling in Morocco is a lot slower than in the UK (and for good reason) so it’s impossible to see and do everything in one trip. Even so, to make it worth all the effort of getting there, ten days is the minimum I’d recommend. With your travel either end that makes it a near perfect two weeks. Once you’re in Morocco, your costs really can be kept to a minimum.
Fawlty Towers
The biggest cost will be overnight stays but compared to the UK they’re peanuts. I took camping gear with the idea of saving money but never bothered. If you avoid all but the most touristy Kasbahs, you’ll pay around £30 a night for dinner, bed and breakfast. One of the best little auberges I stayed in was just £12.50 a night and my room overlooked an orange grove. Lunch on the road will cost around £2, while petrol is a similar price to the UK at £1.10 a litre.
If all this has set your mind racing, the best resource for routes, places and everything else is Sahara Overland by Chris Scott, £19.99. The third edition was published less than 18 months ago and is bang up to date.
In short, yes you can spend months on a round-the-world expedition and blow your life savings but why would you, when the adventure of a lifetime is waiting on the doorstep?