Ferry to Marrakesh

Q: We are travelling to Marrakesh next August, Can we fly to Spain and take a ferry across? From which Spanish port does the ferry operate? Do we need visas? - David Hilton-Barber

A: Morocco is less than 15kms from Spain. High-speed ferries can make the crossing in 35 minutes, but the slower ferries are cheaper. Whenever you want to make the crossing, you can be sure that there are plenty of services to choose from. The most popular route is the short crossing between Algeciras (Spain) to Tangier (Morocco). There are also ferries from Algeciras to Ceuta, the Spanish city on the Morocco mainland. These trips can take anything from 35-150 minutes. Companies you can contact for these routes are Acciona Trasmediterranea (Tel: +39-010-5731805) and Euro Ferrys (Tel: +39-010-5731805). You can also travel directly from Barcelona to Tangier, a trip that takes around seven hours. Firms offering this service include GNV (Tel: +39-010-5731805) and Acciona Trasmediterranea(Tel: +39-010-5731805). Other popular routes include Almeria (Spain) to Nador (Morocco) and Malaga (Spain) to Melilla (Spanish city in Morocco). If you are a South African passport holder, you will need to get a Schengen visa to enter Spain. If you don't want to go through Spain, there is a fast ferry service between Gibraltar and Tangier. The crossing takes 80 minutes and can be booked with FRS Iberia (Tel: +49 461 864 623). You will also need a visa to enter Gibraltar, which can obtained from British embassies worldwide. (28/11/10)