Essential Tips for Your Arrival in Morocco

There are several ways to come to Morocco. Most international visitors arrive via airplane at the airport in Marrakesh. However, if you are traveling in your own camper from somewhere in Europe, you will likely take a ferry to Tanger Med. We traveled with GNV from Genoa to Tanger Med, a roughly 50 h long boat ride across the Mediterranean.

Why take the ferry?

Taking the ferry is likely more expen- sive than driving, so if you are on a tight budget, it might not be the right choice for you. However, driving yourself will likely take more time, as you cannot drive night and day as the ferry does. Additionally, if you take the ferry you’ll arrive well-rested in Morocco, whereas you’ll likely feel depleted after a long drive from Central Europe. If you decide to take the ferry from Genoa as we did, the following points are important. If you arrive by different means, you can ignore them.

GNV

The ferry operator is an Italian company. As a result most of the staff speaks predominantly Italian. Only some understand and speak a little English. Check-In Upon arriving at the port in Genoa, you’ll head through a gate where your papers are checked. However, this does not mean you are good to go on the ferry. The next step heading over to the check-in desk. This is located in a close-by building. Inside, you’ll both check in as well as clear the first po- lice check. Once that is done, you are authorized to board the ferry.

Chair vs. Cabin vs. Suite

There are several options to spend your nights on the ferry. The cheapest and most basic one is in a so-called Pullman Chair, which is nothing more than a spacious seat. Spending 50 h in such a chair sounds like a hellish nightmare which is why many peo- ple that book this option prefer to sleep on the floor. Next up, you have different options for cabins, both shared and private as well as with windows and with- out. The most expensive option is the so-called family suite, which is more spacious than the cabins and in- cludes a proper double bed as well as a sofa. As the ferries of GNV are around 30 years old, these suites are still rather basic while nonetheless costing a premium, but compared to all the other options they are some- what more comfortable.

Police Check on Board

As you are traveling to Morocco, you have to pass the first police and ve hicle check on board already. There were no signs where to find these checkpoints whatsoever, but you can try to look on deck 6 at the very front of the ferry. Hidden away in a dark corner, the police will check your passport and already provide you with your immigration stamp. On the opposite side of the room the details of your vehicle are checked, so make sure you have everything in order. This is especially important if the vehicle you are driving is not your own. In that case, you must car- ry an authorization form as well as be able to present the necessary vehicle insurance that also covers Morocco.

Immigration

Once you make it off the boat, with the immigration stamp in your pass- port, you’ll head into the Tanger Med port area. Expect to spend some time here, especially if you drive any- thing but a massive camper van. The reason is that most smaller vehicles will be subjected to an obligatory vehicle scan. As only 4 vehicles can be scanned at a time, and hundreds wait in line, we waited for more than 90 minutes for our turn. Very large camper vans, however, are sometimes lucky and simply waved through to the next checkpoint. While waiting, be prepared to be approached by some woman trying to sell you SIM cards and to be sur- rounded by male beggars who play a game of catch with the local se- curity staff. These beggars are likely illegal immigrants to Morocco. They constantly climb over the fences and skirt back and forth between the cars. Once you have passed through this part of the immigration process, your papers are checked once again and you are asked if you carry any drones, weapons or radios. Police will also want to throw a look into your vehicle. If you pass this check too, you have made it!