Rick-time to investigate Morocco?

JerryG, as you know Rick doesn't read the Forums.

If you want to direct a suggestion to the company the best way is with the Contact Us button elsewhere (where depends on your device) on the webpage.

The link, if you can't find it is https://www.ricksteves.com/about-us/contact-us

If you take the slash off the front of your link people will be able to follow it more easily.

I think it would be great if RS had tours to Morocco. I got back a week ago from a 2-week tour. The country is a terrific tourist destination with varied terrain - mountains, deserts, sand dunes, palm oases, sea shores, and a long history with some remarkable remains. Colorful souks, friendly people, and not expensive.

On the other hand I would not have been comfortable as a solo woman traveler in many places and the transportation infrastructure leaves a lot to be improved. Even with a local driver and assistant (who were both great) there were times when they weren't sure of the way to go.

Then again there is the question that it isn't actually in Europe.

I think there's plenty of Europe proper still left for Rick Steves tours to conquer - in case anyone hadn't noticed, the international tourism industry is exploding, and there appears to be no limit to the number of people who want to travel. I can think of several obvious choices for tours Rick could add (I've actually thought about pitching a couple), but I wouldn't expect a Rick Steves bus tour in Morocco. It just doesn't "fit" with the company's vision, I think. Someday, maybe if they ever decide to start a "Rick Steves Beyond Europe" division (which I've often fantasized about, and I bet they have too), but then Morocco would have to compete with a hundred other places they could do tours to.

That said, there is one thing I wish Rick would rescind (and repudiate): his suggestion to do a quickie day trip from southern Spain to one of the Morocco ferry ports. That may have been a perfectly valid tip to share back when he was a young, long-haired, cheapskate backpacker (when getting to Morocco was a lot more expensive and challenging). But with today's travel realities (dirt-cheap flights to Morocco from all over Europe, vastly improved tourist infrastructure, and the huge popularity of holiday travel to Morocco), that seems like advice that's pretty out-of-step with the times.

Just FYI: Rick's Spain tour used to include two nights in Morocco - it did when I went in 2010. I believe they cut it out when they reconfigured the trip to be 14 days (instead of 16) to accommodate the American vacation lifestyle. It is unfortunate they did this, as it was a great way to experience a different culture and put in context the Moorish influences we saw in Spain.

Chani, we need a trip report.

While Morocco isn't in Europe, I agree that it's an amazing country to visit. We were there earlier this year and enjoyed it immensely (minus the initial hour and a half in the Casablanca airport upon arrival b/c Air France lost our suitcase). But there is so much to see! Mountains. The Sahara Desert. Fes. (While we saw lots, Fes was probably my favorite place overall.)

But I agree with Chani above - it's not a place I'd feel comfortable traveling alone as a woman, especially if I were younger. We played chaperone for a single woman in our tour group, and she still attracted far more male attention that she wanted. (Don't get me wrong. The guys seemed friendly and polite. They were just very persistent where she was concerned.)