Tangier for Christmas?

Tangier would be different for a night or two. Rick Steves has long said, “A day in Tangier is more interesting than another day in Spain.” That of course, depends on what you’ve been doing in Spain.

We had 3-week visit to Morocco in January 2019, and in winter, our raids in Marrakech and Fes weren’t completely set up a like they would be in high season. The indoor or outdoor pools didn’t have water in them, so no swimming or soaking. That was OK, as that wasn’t on our agenda.They were still open, but had many fewer guests that time of year. We didn’t include Tangier on that trip.

I think it depends on where in Spain you are coming from....and whether or not you will be renting a car in the south...the best ferry departure point is Tarifa but it's a lot easier to get there with one than by bus if you are planning only a 1 or 2-day visit to Tangier.

Another option is the direct RyanAir flight from Sevilla to Marrakech...there are flights on that airline a few times a week, for my dates (March) they are $72 plus what're extra for baggage. That would be easier and probably not much more expensive than taking the ferry to Tangier, figuring in the cost and time to get to the Tarifa ferry.

You could take train Madrid to Sevilla and then fly to Marrakech...and find a good riad.

But there is so much to see and do in Andalucia and if you have not been there before....

I was considering going to Tangier for a couple of days last year, from Tarifa.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain/day-trip-to-tangier-cba12948-90a3-45e4-9bc1-6bd6a8641ced

I asked a lot of questions (see link, above) , but eventually decided not to go.

This year I think I will begin in Marrakech and then fly to Sevilla on the Ryan Air flight I mentioned.

If you want to visit Morocco, visit Fes, Marrakesh, Rabat not Tangier.

Jenny, one night in Tangier over Christmas is a taste. Two nights is the version that does not feel like a ferry sprint. I would not try to see all of Morocco from there. Tangier is its own city. If the riad-and-souk picture is what you want, the Seville to Marrakech flight already mentioned is the better use of two nights, but only if those flight days line up. If you mainly want one different afternoon and a night across the Strait while you are already in Andalusia, Tangier is the simpler sample.

A few practical bits that are easy to miss:

Morocco is outside Schengen. You clear Moroccan immigration even for one night, so check passport validity before you book. Budget 60 to 90 minutes at the port on the way in, and do not plan a same-evening train out of Algeciras or Tarifa.

The fast ferry from Tarifa to Tangier Ville is about an hour for foot passengers. You do not need a car. Christmas week the boats and the cheaper rooms on the Spanish side fill up, so book the ferry before you book the riad.

If you want a riad rather than a bay resort, stay in the medina and take a taxi up from the port with luggage. The big resort hotels are a different trip.

On Christmas Day a lot of medina shops shorten their hours. The kasbah, the view, and a long lunch still work. A useful shape is arrive late morning, one unhurried afternoon and night, then leave the next afternoon. That is enough. If the only slot you can protect is a single night with a late ferry back, I would stay in Andalusia. You will spend the day in transit.

Dave

Thanks to all who replied! I really appreciate it. I was not considering the lengthy time to get in and out of Morocco, which definitely is a huge factor. We have decided not to go and will stay in Andalusia. I should probably post a separate thread for this, but is there a particular city or town that would be fun as a base in Andalusia? I understand the province is huge and it is not really possible to tour it from one place. We were thinking of a few nights in Sevilla, maybe 4 in Malaga and then one in Cordoba on our drive to Madrid. I understand if this is the wrong place for this question!

Thanks again everyone!

Your revised plan is fine, although I would cut one night from Malaga and add it to Cordoba - my favoutite city in Andalucia.

Check out the Spain forum for more ideas.

You might check the Spain forum for more ideas. We loved Sevilla, and enjoyed a trip to Ronda for the day. (We had a car.)

Granada is farther east than many other Andalusian destinations, but it, along with its Alhambra, was my favorite place. We didn’t have a car in Granada.

In Malaga (at a timeshare back in 2002 - when the Euro and the U.S. dollar were the exact same value), we did have a car, and visited Nerja and Ronda from there, among other spots.

In Seville, we parked in the first (and very expensive) lot we could get to, and left the car there the whole time. A car is a pain and a liability in Seville, and it was not helpful to have it at the time.