Getting from Spain to Morocco – a plane or ferry ride away?
Morocco is located at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Middle East and just a short flight or ferry ride from Spain. Many tourists who visit Spain, also plan a short trip to Morocco, even if they only spend some days in Tangier.
Morocco is best visited in spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) when the weather is nice and not too hot. Depending on how you can deal with the heat, a summer vacation in Morocco can be a nice addition to visiting the European continent. For those who are not comfortable with traveling independently to Morocco, there are several adventure tours from Madrid to Marrakech that give you a good insight of the country.
Need to know: visa and passport information
All nationals are required a passport to enter Morocco. The passport must be valid for at least 6 more months after the date of arrival. US, Australian, Canadian and EU citizens do not require a visa to enter Morocco.
By plane
The two biggest airports in Morocco are Marrakech’s Menara Airport and Cassablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport. However, smaller airports such as Nador, Fez and Tangier are served mainly by low-cost carriers from Europe, including Spain.
To get from Spain to Morocco by plane, the following connections are possible:
Barcelona to Nador
There are several budget airlines that fly from Barcelona’s Reus airport, and the carrier serving the route is Ryanair. There are two flights per week, on Saturday and Tuesday. Prices start at €81 per person, RT, depending on when you’ll book the flight (offers such as free web check in or €0 tickets are available from time to time). The flight time is about 2 h 40 min.
Alicante, Barcelona or Seville to Fez
All three departures are offered by Ryanair. The cheapest choice is Seville to Fez and there are only two departures per week (Sun & Wed). The flights get booked very fast so make sure to plan in advance. Prices start at €38 per person, RT (depending on when you book the flight). The flight time is about 3 h 40 min. The most expensive choice is Barcelona (Girona airport) to Fez with prices starting at €118 per person, RT.
Madrid, Alicante, Barcelona or Seville to Marrakech
Three of the departures (Alicante, Barcelona and Seville) are run by Ryanair, while the Madrid to Marrakech connection is offered by the following carriers: EasyJet, Iberia, Air Europa, Atlas Blue and Royal Air Maroc.
Ryanair’s cheapest connection is Seville to Marrakech, with prices starting at €54 per person, RT (depending on when you book the flight). There are only two connections per week (Mon & Fri). The flight takes about 3 h 40 min.
As for the Madird to Marrakech route, EasyJet’s connection is the cheapest, with prices starting at €123 per person, RT (depending on when you book the flight). The flight time is about 3 h.
>>more information on Flights from Madrid to MarrakechMadrid to Tangier*
This route is offered by EasyJet, Royal Air Maroc and Iberia. The cheapest option is on EasyJet, with prices starting at €94 per person, RT (depending on when you book the flight). The flight time is about 2 h 15 min.
Madrid to Casablanca
The route is offered by EasyJet, Iberia and Royal Air Maroc, with EasyJet’s flight being the cheapest option, with prices starting at €95 per person, RT (depending on when you book the flight). The flight time is 3 h 20 min.
By ferry
Search for ferry connections here:
There is also the possibility to get from Spain to Morocco by ferry. There are several possible connections with the fast being Tarifa to Tanger (35 min on high speed ferry). Another popular route is Algeciras to Tangier.
Here’s a list of all possible ferry connections between Spain and Morocco, as well as some details about them:
Barcelona to Tangier
The route is run by GNV and there are only two connections weekly (Sun & Wed, Mon & Thu, respectively). The price is €188 per person, RT, for a Pullman seat.
>>more information on Ferries from Barcelona to TangierAlmeria to Nador
The route is offered by two companies: Ferry Morocco and Acciona Transmediterranea. The prices depend on the company and type of seat you choose. The cheapest option is offered by Acciona Transmediterranea. There are up to 4 connections per day (depending on the month) and the prices start at €86 (plus €3 issuing fee) per person, RT, for a standard tourist class seat. The travel time is 6 h.
>>more information on Ferries from Almeria to NadorAlgeciras to Tangier
The route is offered by Balearia, COMARIT and Acciona Transmediterranea. The shortest travel time is 30 min on a high speed ferry (Baleria) and the RT costs €66.60.
>>more information on Ferries from Algeciras to TangierTarifa to Tangier
This is the fastest connection (35 min) and is offered by FRS. The ticket costs €37 per person, one way. There are departures daily, every 2 hours.
>>more information on Ferries from Tarifa to TangierGibraltar (UK territory) to Tangier
The connection is run by FRS and there are only 2 departures per week (on Fri & Sun). A ticket costs £32 per person, one way.
>>more information on Ferries from Gibraltar to TangierMallaga to Melilla (Spanish territory in Africa)
The route is run by Acciona Transmediterranea. The travel time on a regular ferry is 7 hrs and there are up to 2 departures per day, depending on the day; A RT ticket costs €56.40 (plus €3 issuing fee) per person for standard tourist class seat on a regular ferry.
>>more information on Ferries from Malaga to MelillaAlmeria to Melilla
The route is run by Acciona Transmediterranea. The travel time is 4 h on a high speed ferry and 7 h on a regular ferry. There are up to 2 departures per day (depending on the month) an a RT ticket costs €56.40 (plus €3 issuing fee) per person, for a standard tourist class seat on a regular ferry.
>>more information on Ferries from Almeria to MelillaAlgeciras to Ceuta (Spanish territory in Africa)
This route is run by Baleria and Acciona Transmediterranea. The Acciona Transmediterranea prices and schedules are available online. The travel time is about 45 min on a high speed ferry and there are up to 10 connections per day (depending on the day and month). A RT ticket costs €84 (plus €2 issuing fee) per person, for a standard tourist seat on high speed ferry.
>>more information on Ferries from Algeciras to Ceuta
Note:
*Tangier is often spelled as “Tanger”. Both spellings are correct.
Other related information:
>>Airports in Spain
>>Getting from Madrid to Barcelona
>>Getting from Madrid to Toledo
>>Getting from Madrid to Salamanca
>>Getting from Madrid to Lisbon
>>Getting from Madrid to Malaga
>>Getting from Madrid to Seville
>>Getting from London to Ibiza
>>Getting from Madrid to Valencia
>>Getting from Madrid to Ibiza
>>Getting from Barcelona to Tenerife
>>Going from Madrid to Algeciras or Tarifa
>>Getting from Barcelona to Mallorca
>>Getting from Madrid to San Sebastian
>>Getting from Madrid to Segovia
>>Getting from Barcelona to Fuerteventura
Photo credits:
Men on camels by flikr on Flickr
Plane on Fez airport by Steve & Jemma Copley on Flickr
Algeciras to Tangier ferry by Davy D on Flickr