Getting to Morocco from Spain

[Chicken]

Might be travelling through Spain TDY in the near future and was looking at getting from Rota to Morroco via rental car/ferry. Anyone done this before? Seems like it should be pretty easy and staight forward. Does this require a civ passport or can this day trip be done with NATO orders and a military ID?

[Herk Driver]

Removed to comply with FCG website disclaimer about posting their info on other sites.

Since they are not a NATO country, Morocco would probably not accept NATO orders and an ID card.

Recommend reading the Morocco section of the FCG at https://www.fcg.pentagon.mil

ETA: I know that you must have country and theater clearances whether on leave or official travel.

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Edited August 29, 2014 by Herk Driver

[Gravedigger]

I know people who have done it in the past, and the method they used was rental car or bus to the port, ferry to Morocco. It seems like it's a fairly common trip, so the passenger terminal would probably be able to give you up-to-date advice and recommendations. You do need a tourist passport.

[jrobe]

Go see the MWR in Rota...they'll have what you need

It's right by the Gym

Edited August 29, 2014 by jrobe

[fueL2Fight]

A word of caution beyond what's in the FCG.... Most of the quick ferries from Algeciras go to Ceuta which is a Spanish territory on the African continent. If you're just looking to "touch Africa" to say you were in Africa this is a good choice, since you're technically still in Spain and no need for that pesky theater clearance bullshit (also cheap cigarettes). If you're looking to get your passport stamped for Morocco, this is still a viable option since there's a border crossing from Ceuta into Morocco. The moment you get off the ferry in Ceuta there are even helpful (pushy) tourist guides promising to get you to Morocco for a quick lunch and then back. BEWARE! Once you cross into Morocco through a very sketchy looking border crossing, on your way back you will be told that Morocco requires a minimum 12/24 hour stay and that if you want to return before that, you will need to pay a bribe. Also, beware of reap idly changing sea conditions that could strand you on the African side. If you're TDY and have duty the next day, you may be trapped and need to miss duty. If you have no such constraints and you want to stay in Morocco for a while, then you don't need my advice. Enjoy.

[mcbush]

I did this trip three years ago. Took a bus down to Tarifa and then the ferry to Tangier, spent a couple nights, and then wound up flying up to Madrid. Very easy, I didn't have any issues at all. PM me if you need more info.

[Chicken]

I did this trip three years ago. Took a bus down to Tarifa and then the ferry to Tangier, spent a couple nights, and then wound up flying up to Madrid. Very easy, I didn't have any issues at all. PM me if you need more info.

I'm only going to be there for 30 hours.. at least what's planned.. so I'm kinda concerned about the flakey ferrys or sea conditions.. How often is this an issue?

[JarheadBoom]

A couple guys from my crew did the "high-speed" FRS Algeciras-Tangier ferry a few years back. 30min late departure from Algeciras, 2+hrs late departure from Tangier.

We had close to 72hrs off in Moron, so we had plenty of time to work with. Not sure if I'd want to take my chances with the ferries with only 30hrs planned off...

[mcbush]

Huh, I actually would have said the opposite. To me, it seemed like a pretty-well run operation at the time (2011). As long as you can plan it out ahead of time and the schedule makes a decent amount of sense, I'd say go for it. Buena suerte.