Ferry Crossings

I've never seen a European train or ferry schedule published this far in advance. 90 days ahead seems to be par for the course.

You can fiddle with the schedules at directferries.co.uk. Its too early to get a firm schedule or make a reservation The ferries are never full. The schedules don't change much. If you leave from Algeciras, you wind up at Tangier Med which is way the heck down the coast from Tangier. There's nothing wrong with or dangerous about Algeciras.

Hi Ed, Thanks for your assistance. I was reading the reviews for and the Hotel Regina Christina and most people said it was a decent hotel but the surrounding neighborhood is horrible. However, I read something from this sight that said Tarifa was a better place to take off for Tangier and there are more ferries running from there than Gibraltar and Algecerias.

Marcus, as you mentioned there is a more robust ferry schedule from Tarifa to the city of Tangier...every 2 hours from 9-21:00. You can see the schedule with FRS Ferries up to year end at: http://www.frs.es/en/tarifa-tanger-line/timetable.html Doubtful it will change much over the winter but as Feb 2013 approaches you can check the schedule. Also, be aware that immigration control happens on the ferries to Morocco and the announcement isn't always in English. This begins shortly after leaving the Spanish port.

Thanks John. Are there any hotels you recommend in Tarifa?

Thanks John. Are there any hotels you recommend in Tarifa?

You broke the code,Tarifa is the better departure point since you get off within easy walking distance of everything. I've never heard of that hotel, but I've never seen anything in Algeciras that rattled my cage.

Marcus... I have not stayed in Tarifa so can't recommend a hotel, however, it's a small town of 17,000 so it should be easy to find something close to the port. Costasur.com and http://www.andalucia.org/en are two websites dedicated to travel in Southern Spain. Also, check out the online hotel/travel portals. Tarifa is also accessible by bus from cities in Andalucia. So you don't need to stay there the night before you sail. Not sure how you plan to get around the region but there are several private coach companies offering service between towns & cities but you'll need to coordinate schedules with the ferry if you plan bus & ferry the same day. I have traveled on "Portillo" buses owned by the Avanza group and they are very reliable and offer excellent service: http://www.venta.avanzabus.com/ for schedules. Choose "English" at the top of the web page.

Hurricane Hotel in Tarifa, despite the name, is a good RS type of place to stay. They have family suites with 2 bedrooms if desired. Low season rates are quite good. It's located on the beach, but in Feb. that might not be very appealing! Ferry from Tarifa to Tangier is easy to arrange when you get there. No need to stress in advance. You can book with a day tour to take you around, or just ride the ferry yourself. I think Rick's Spain book recommends personal guides for Tangier, which seems like a great option for a group of 7.

Thanks for all the tips. I've been traveling for many years around the world but find this site to be extremely useful when traveling outside of western Europe. People have given me different options to choose from and I find it very helpful. Thank you all so much for your sage advise.

Thanks for all the tips. I've been traveling for many years around the world but find this site to be extremely useful when traveling outside of western Europe. People have given me different options to choose from and I find it very helpful. Thank you all so much for your sage advise.