From city streets to Sahara sands our epic Madrid to desert adventure.

January to February 2024

Madrid to Morocco – a trip through history

Morocco on a budget.

This trip had originally been a trip to Morocco. In the planning, it had morphed into an Islamic sites tour. For that, it had to start in Spain.

Easyjet Bingo

I’m part of a generation that remembers the beginning of EasyJet. This new business model, utilising the internet. We wondered how it would ever survive. 
Today the largest airline in Europe has a website which is a critical component of a family Christmas game! ‘Easyjet Bingo’. Rules dictate that trip dates are set entirely by the cost of the cheapest EasyJet tickets. 

Royal Palaces to Rolling Dunes.

Our trip needed to take in the historic sites of Cordoba and Granada. We decided to fly from our regional airport. As such our best destination option was Madrid. From there we could connect to Morocco by train and Bus where needed. 

We always go budget, to keep an eye on our costs. Money working hard and reaching further.  Having secured EasyJet tickets to Madrid for £24.99, we additionally ditched the idea of getting to the airport by car. Our one-way National Express coach tickets were just £8.30.

Following ancient Footsteps – our Madrid to Sahara Roadtrip

Once at Madrid airport, we took the free AENA bus from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4. We picked up the Cercanias Train Line (you take a glass lift downstairs from departures) to ‘Principal Pio’.

This transfer was easy and there were staff on hand to assist when we became frustrated by the tech. 
You can find a handy map of the Madrid subway here .

Ten stops later we alighted at ‘Principal Pio’, a truly massive, gorgeous station in the historic quarter of Madrid.  It felt more like a shopping mall than a rail interchange. A wide variety of escalators and glass lifts made finding the exit doors of the station a little challenging. The walk to the accommodation at night was rewarding. Madrid is a glittering illuminated town at night, and without the traffic, the walk was easy and helped with orientation.

We had booked reasonably priced, centrally located, accommodation. In the morning, refreshed following a good night’s sleep, we were ready to spend a day wandering the sites of Madrid. The Royal Palace, Jardines Del Campo Del Moro, Parque Azorin.
Don’t miss the true classic ‘must try’ speciality of the Calamari Sandwich (Bocadillo de Calamares) in Plaza Mayor. Simply consisting of a crusty white bread roll generously filled with deep-fried, breaded, squid rings. It is an odd yet delicious speciality of the Spanish Capital. Simple, with fresh flavours. Quintessentially Spanish. Delicious and affordable and best finished with a squeeze of lemon.

I like a guidebook to carry along the journey. Keeping you focused and offering options to create a walking tour. In Madrid, we visited all the main sites in the City centre on foot with the help of a free Lonely Planet walking tour. We visited many sites purely from the outside. I am not a slave to all the ‘must-see sites’.  £20 to enter here, and there, really stacks up over a long trip. Be careful what you choose to visit and keep those pennies for the must-see sites, that reflect your interests.   

One tip here is to use accommodation that will store your luggage. You get better value for money if you travel later in the day. By storing your luggage safely, after checking out of your hotel, you will have time to see more. Our train from Madrid to Cordoba tickets were only £6.36 but departed at 9 pm.   So by storing our luggage, we were able to maximise our short time in Madrid before moving on to the station.
The train to Cordoba leaves from Atocha Terminus in Madrid. Walkable, but also accessible by lines C1 and C10 on the Madrid Metro.

Navigating security at Spain’s Railway stations

Spain and Morocco scan all luggage being transported by Train. So make sure you allow enough time.  You are not allowed to enter the Departures area of Atocka train station more than an hour before your train leaves.  In the station area outside, there are no seats.  Either arrive at the right time or run the risk of someone thinking you are homeless and offering you their small change, as you sit on the floor, waiting.

Trains in Spain are splendid.  Clean, on time, and fast!  The online display confirms speeds of over 170 mph. Tickets you can buy online in advance, but travelling at night doesn’t afford the views you would enjoy during daylight hours.  Two hours later we arrived at a massive and deserted Cordoba station. It was now nearly 23.30 so we were thankful that we had booked a hotel, only a few minutes walk from the railway station, down safe, quiet, well-lit boulevards.

Historic sites of Cordoba

Everything in Cordoba is an easy walk, the area is flat.  It’s a mixture of narrow historic lanes opening up into squares housing churches.  We however were here to see the:-

Mezquita Cordoba Spain.

Starting as a mosque, it was extended over dynasties. Christianity arrived and the Muslims welcomed the Christians, so Mezquita became a shared space for worship. This is essentially a lovely story and testament to how religions can come together and live in harmony. Right up to the point where the Roman Catholics decided to build a church inside. For me, it is a Gordy, shameful, travesty in amongst the beauty of simple Islamic line and form.

We stayed a second night and left the hotel late, enjoying the hearty complimentary breakfast before returning to the station for our 11.45 train to Granada.  The journey takes around 90 minutes.

An afternoon of wandering in the town left us the whole of the following day to explore the Alhambra. 

Exploring The Alhambra

Granadas Jewel. Whilst there are areas of the Alhambra you can access for free – you do need to buy tickets if you want to enter any of the buildings.  You can find out all about it here. https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/

Before leaving Granada we thought it important that we finished our flying visit to Islamic Spain by taking in a Flamenco show. A vibrant energetic event. During which I pondered the average age of the performers hip replacements. Also, no castanets, They were such a fascination at primary school and I had hoped to see them ‘in action’. Enjoyable, but neither of us had any idea what was going on.

Tangier Transformation

An hour’s walk from the centre of town, it is easy to find Granada’s Bus station.  A large two-story building with shops for last-minute essentials. Comfortable and spotless seating making our short wait until the 9 a.m. departure pleasant. Various stops along the way picking up at similar bus stations made hopping off to use the toilets or buy drinks very easy. After a comfortable and uneventful journey, we arrived on time at 1.30 p.m.

A short walk to the Ferry Terminal (literally across the road) gave us plenty of time to catch our three pm ferry to Tangier.

It is worth noting that there are two ports in Tangier. Tangier Med (the new port 45km outside of Tangier, to the East) and Tangier Port which is in the centre of Tangier (at the opposite end of the promenade to the Rail Station).  There are ferries to both so it’s worth checking where you need to go.  You can buy tickets from the Port building in Algeciras, certainly out of season this is a great idea because in the event of heavy weather sometimes the ferry to Tangier Port doesn’t run.

If you arrive at Tangier Med, be aware that you need to take a taxi (apparently there is a bus too) into town.  We had budgeted for £30. In the end, we only paid £3 each, managing to share a taxi with some locals who were happy to haggle on the price. Waiting until all five seats of the taxi had been filled.  

The trick here is to walk past the obvious taxi line when you leave the port (you can always come back if you have to).  This first rank has fixed prices, and it’s on a poster on display so the drivers can refer to it.  As a consequence there’s no confusion, but also no haggling.  
If you walk confidently past and straight up the road you will come to identically marked ‘Taxis’, not limited by the Port tariffs.  

Our shared taxi left us at the Main rail station in Tangier we then walked for thirty minutes to the other end of the promenade, and to our accommodation within the Medina. It had been thirty years since we had last been to Tangier, and here in particular, we expected to see a dramatic change.  However, the facade of the new Train Station was itself so impressive we became more excited than anxious to see the changes to Tangier since our last visit.

We had first visited Tangier at the time of ‘the brave young things’. The Moroccan Government made a decision to develop the Tourist industry to 30 million annual visitors by 2030.  The first year, tourists were told to expect a ‘Spain-like’ destination. Disappointed and vocally so.  It became an uncomfortable meeting of cultures. Not for the first, or last time, I was embarrassed to be a British Tourist in a foreign country.

A whole generation has now passed, and today’s ‘20 somethings’ have never known Tangier without the tourism.  Today’s ‘brave young things’ are the locals. The new generation dresses in a Western manner, taking advantage of the real brands in the shiny shopping malls and not just the fake brands in the medinas.  Many classify themselves as ‘European’. Building work continues everywhere. Today many Spanish are moving into the north of Morocco in an attempt to escape Europe and its very high costs of living.

With the old shipping port moved 40km along the coast, there is now a beautiful marina. The train line used to run along the edge of the beach. With a new modern rail terminal welcoming you to Tangier at the other end of the Beach, where the tracks used to lie now a wide and vibrant promenade entices you to enjoy the amazing view.

It wasn’t just the promenade which had changed. The eye catching Hotel Continental, with its wonderful historic rooms, remained. The removal of the Port, provides a vastly improved vista. The medina itself is in parts almost unrecognisable. If you want a gentle European introduction to Morocco then Tangier would be it. The stalling of tourism during COVID provided the opportunity to further enhance the main area of the Medina. In many ways the ‘scrubbed clean’ appearance of the main Medina in Tangier, with its matching shop fronts and doors now feels like a Christmas market with those matching sheds. If you walk out of the main tourist area you will find the old medinas if you want to see them. The working area of Tangier is still there, hidden behind a facade built for the Europeans who wanted Tangier to be more like Spain.

Down the Moroccan Coast

If you are planning a trip to the area then don’t overlook factoring in parts of Morocco we didn’t visit on this trip.  Fez and Chefchaouen, are obvious candidates for a diversion. Factor in the Archeological site at Volubilis, and you won’t be disappointed.  We missed these locations because we had been there before. But they are on the ‘must see’ list and Fez in particular is amazing, this is the perfect time to visit this amazing town.

The “Marrakesh Express train journey”, historically starts in Tangier, but our plan was a little broader than that. It would involve a couple of trains, some buses and a car.  We knew we wouldn’t be finishing in Marrakesh for quite some time.  Back taking spurious advice from a Travel guide, seven days after we started our journey we were back on a train, this time to Asilah.  Asilah has all the characteristics of a beautiful seaside time, I can completely see why those residing in the area may descend on this place in the summer.  There are a couple of trains a day and a ticket can cost around £2.50. 

Obviously, it’s more fun to go First Class so by paying a pound or two more we lived like kings for the short journey, and walked into town at the other end (about half an hour)

We had no reason to dislike Asilah, but there was little to do there out of season.  In fact, even though we had an apartment, buying food was almost impossible, as there didn’t appear to be any supermarkets in the centre of town.  

We all find ourselves doing strange things when travelling and this evening we had noodles whilst we watched Shrek ……in French.

The following morning we treated ourselves to a taxi back to the station where we purchased more first-class tickets, but this time to Rabat.  The train goes every two hours and takes four hours.  So we took the 8.10 and were in Rabat by lunchtime.

Rabat a cosmopolitan Capital City

Rabat, we have never been to previously.  It is a joy, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.  You could be forgiven for assuming Marrakesh is the capital of Morocco. It is Rabat, and it feels like it.  It’s modern, it has trams and buses, and everything works.  The Traditional Medina is easy to find with a relaxed vibe that we had not found previously.  It looks and feels like you would expect, but rather than hustle, you find calm……almost encouraging you to stop and take a look, purely by not hustling you to do so.

There is also a Kasbah (you may remember it from ‘Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol’, so when you see it – it will feel strangely familiar).  You don’t need a guide, just take a wander about, and ultimately you will find yourself at the beach.

There is plenty to do here – here I suggest you get your guidebook out – take the Metro/tram to the end of the line.  See where it takes you, and take the most amazing atmospheric pictures.  Rabat is a safe city in which to get lost. There is a traffic cop on every roundabout and a doorman on every door. We would return in an instant.
A wide variety of food options await you, yes there are the big Fast Food Chains, but there’s also a comprehensive range of sticky sugary treats in vendor’s carts, interesting street food or high-class restaurants, you can find everything in Rabat.

We only stayed in Rabat for two nights, in a beautiful riad in the middle of the main medina, so central, but quiet behind the solid walls, with the most amazing view from the roof terrace. Then we were moving again, to the Hollywood Glitz and Glamour of Casablanca (‘Casa Port’ Rail Station takes an hour from Rabat).

Just because we included it in our itinerary does not mean you should include it. People we met along our journey had enquired why we were going to Casablanca. I had a picture in my head of how it would be – probably based too much on the Hollywood depiction of the city. My picture was wrong. By the time we arrived, we were certain that two nights here were too much.

Rabat is the Capital of Morocco, but Casablanca is its administrative capital.  There’s little to endear it to the independent traveller.  The most beautiful thing in Casablanca is the Hassan II Mosque, just extraordinary and worth a detour if you are in the area.  

There is little else to see. ‘Ricks Cafe’, only ever a film set. It does not exist in real life.  The Ricks in Casablanca is only there for the tourists. Coach loads of tourists appear. During the day. When it’s closed. Leaving them with only the option of taking a photo of the brass plaque on the building.  

The famous ‘Rialto Cinema’, is here. You may stumble across it whilst wandering the back streets. It’s sad. Its paint having long ago faded.  

The Medina is ……well, let’s just say it’s fine, but others are much better.  There are, however, some stunning formal garden spaces, parks, squares and wide streets. The feel is very French. We resorted to the Lonely Planet guidebook to find a ‘walk’ taking in the sites.  In this case, the walk included a church, a Post office and a bank building.  In summary, if you can get to Casablanca early you can see what you need to see and be gone again before the sun sets.

It was appropriate that we left Casablanca in the rain.  We had chosen a hotel close to both the rail station and the CTM Bus terminus so it was just a quick dash through some puddles to board our bus to Essaouira.  

Because the Train line at Casablanca heads inland to Marrakesh, if you want to carry on travelling down the coast you have to take a bus (either Supratour or CTM).  The coaches however are modern and with facilities, so the hours of watching the terrain changing around you pass quickly.

Seven hours from Casablanca we arrived at Essaouira. This glorious, blue fishing village has a marina which is probably the most photographed in all of Morocco. Glorious sunsets and winding ancient markets make for the most atmospheric of locations. A more modern town lies to one side but stick to the historic and you will find yourself climbing castle battlements, trying to convince yourself that there is room in your bag for a new piece of art work, before eating at a rooftop restaurant.

Our residence in the centre of the oldest part of town, involved a rather Dickensian and eerie walk down an almost dark alley. Looking for our booked accommodation behind elaborate doors in ancient labyrinths of passageways seems to be our thing.  But they are always such a joy.  You never know what’s behind the door until it’s opened. Then greeted by a friendly face and mint tea. 

A couple of days later we returned to the CTM Bus terminus and re-boarded the bus to Agadir.  A further three hours in one of these luxurious coaches (with a roadside food stop) takes you to the outskirts of Agadir.  Keep an eye out for Goats in Trees, they are a funny sight but are not as common as you may think.

Despite its fame as an almost year-round beach destination Agadir was nothing more than the end of the line for us. We picked up a room in a modern hotel by the bus depot, it seemed strangely out of place but was exceptional value. We ventured out only for food and had no plans for sightseeing as the following morning we took the Airport bus from the centre of town to the airport to pick up our transportation for the last week, and drove out to Taroudant.

Over the next week, we drove as far south as Mhamid at the end of the N9.  The roads were better than in the UK, but at this point, you needed to be in a 4×4, and the towns had developed a little bit of a ‘frontier’ feel.  

We explored film sets and Oasis. Slept in wonderful accommodation; a couple of which, took my breath away with their beauty.

We indulged in people-watching, and sipping Cafe Noir in roadside cafe’s and took horse drawn carriages.  

We found ourselves residing in a property in Ouarzazate which due to an agreement between the owner and Ridley Scott, had the blue-prints and storyboards for Gladiator Two, framed and on the walls.

In Ouarzazate, we came upon the most amazing solar power station. Worth driving around. A photovoltaic system is rumoured to have cost USD9 million. I can guarantee that you won’t have seen anything like it – with its miles of solar panels and it’s energy storage system based on molten salt.

The week we spent away from the coast on our way to Marrakesh we spied Camel Trains and watched in awe as the Sahara appeared in front of us. We drove over the Atlas Mountains, taking photos that were disappointing in their inability to convey the majesty and scale of what our eyes could see.

We learned about Sand Therapy. Had discussions about Tea, and how the black tea is supplemented with fresh herbs to create the most delicious morning brew. (Green Tea with Sage, rosemary and a mysterious herb. Google translated as ‘over abundance’ but we later came to assume it was wild or citrus geranium. We met a man who made sandals out of old tyres, and found ourselves, numerous times, on a road that didn’t exist. Or roads which weren’t wide enough for a car. Google maps getting it wrong leaving us having to be rescued by a local.

We finished our drive at Ait Benhaddou. Then we returned the car to Marrakesh airport. Unfortunately on a day when most of the roads in Marrakesh were closed due to the Marrakesh Marathon.

 We had been treated with kindness everywhere we had gone. Had driven within 40km of the Algerian border. Eaten like Kings and never once felt unsafe.  

We completed our trip by spending two nights in relative luxury. Walking distance from Jemma el-Fnaa in central Marrakech.  It had been just five years since we were here last. We had already checked off of the mental list most of the ‘to do’s’ which interested us.  We revelled in the hotel facilities. Enjoyed the roof top terrace on the sunny, hot days.

We finished our trip with a taxi back to the airport, a £30 flight back to Gatwick, and some £6.99 Flix Bus tickets home.

The entire Marrakesh Express trip took 24 days and cost £1,964.61, including all food, travel, accommodation and a week’s car hire. …a shade over £40 p/p/d. 

We could have done it cheaper. Staying in different locations. Eating in different places. But we were delighted with the trip. Born out of the desire to see Cordoba combined with a quick game of EasyJet Bingo.