North of Spain and France?? Or south of Spain and Morocco?

What is "different"?

Do you live in a medieval city with cobblestone streets and a cathedral in the middle? That is the way many European cities were constructed. For those who appreciate architecture, design, and craftsmanship, one can never tire of visiting one European country after another. Of course, many countries were conquered by the Romans, who left a legacy of language, culture, and ruins everywhere.

Why do you want to travel somewhere just because it is "easy?"

I think travel should sometimes be relaxing, but other times it should be adventurous.

Noone can truly advise you with such a vague question. For me, traveling the world is wonderful, but we return again and again to Europe because it is fascinating to us, and we love the history. Spain, France and Italy are places where I would be happy to live! However, every other year or so we head off somewhere that we have not explored before.

Yes, Morocco is not the same as Europe--you could also see Greece and/or Turkey while touring Europe. Maybe someday plan to go to Egypt and explore thousands of years of ancient history. A while back we went to Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand on a trip. China and Japan will certainly give you insight to the Asian history legacy. Have you been to Mexico and/or Latin America?

When I plan my travel, I do extensive research before I select a destination. I also have a bucket list. Maybe in your case, just check your budget and then flip a coin.

I always wanted to go to Morocco. There you said it. Now do it. I too always wanted to go there ever since I was a little girl. I remember the vivid pictures in National Geographic of exotic lands, the kasbahs, the leather dying in Fes and the dreams they inspired.

This past spring, after decades of traveling Europe, I took the plunge. I wrangled a dirt cheap RT flight to Madrid from which I could connect to Morocco for less than fifty bucks. Marrakech was everything and more than I expected. It was so new and exciting that it reminded me of me first few trips to Europe where everything was so different, strange and exotic back in the pre-internet days when English wasn’t so prevalent and you stumbled through with a translation dictionary. Yes, it pushed my boundaries and jangled my nerves but it lit me up like I haven’t been in years. Marrakech was wonderful. Fes was much more traditional and I felt I stood out as a solo female.

I was very happy to fly back from Fes to Malaga in all honesty. Spain, or any other European country, is a cake walk after the differences of Morocco but if you need a little adrenaline surge of being out of your element, take the plunge. It’s an incredible experience.

I too would recommend Morocco if you want something different. I find Europe easy to travel to, while Africa definitely will require you to work at it and will introduce some adrenaline and stress. But this is what is needed to expand your travel horizons.

I’m writing this while in the town of Meknes. Went early to dinner last evening and the alleyways in the Medina seemed deserted which made me a little nervous but when we came out after dinner there were lots of people going about their business. Unlike Fes, there is almost no hassle factor in this town. This is my second trip to Morocco, the previous one being in 2004. Things are a lot easier now with iPhones and goggle maps allowing much easier exploration of the Medinas without needing a guide. Take the leap and visit Morocco and leave N Spain for another time

Oh great replies!! Thank you so much!! ... Morocco , Marrakesh, yes...those are the destinations in my mind...and adventurous heart .-)
my trip is going to be around full 20 days (without the travel time) ... what would be a good itinerary Spain, (maybe Portugal is worth it) ... Im looking for a mix of places, some paradisiac beach, some charming towns ( for reference I loved Desenzano Di Garda and Orvieto in Italy as well of walkable easy Rome, crazy Napoli and the uniqueness of Venice... I do love the mix sceneries
Also for reference I did not loved Pisa or Pompei

Also how easy is to move around Morocco / Marrakesh ??

Thank you

From where in Spain is the easiest to travel to Morocco / Marrakech? And what about Casablanca?? worth to go to those 3?? or I'm missing a must see place??

Thanks!!

Casablanca is a modern city. I'd minimize the time spent there. If you fly in from Europe, you won't need to spend any time at all in Casablanca, which along with Tangier is much less interesting to the typical American than places like Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, Ourzazate, etc.

My trip to Morocco was decades ago, so I'm not up on the current domestic transportation situation. At the time of my trip, there was limited rail service, and some trips were made via collective taxis (shared, over-stuffed taxis) or slow buses. All part of the experience. Buying a current guidebook is essential.

Can’t help much with getting around in Morocco as this time I’m driving.

I’m currently in Marrakech for one night only as I move between Meknes and Ait Ben Haddou/Ouarzazate. I was last here 21 years ago and I have to say it is packed to the gills with tourists. However, it is definitely worth some of your time. Fes too from past memory is a must see - however the time to travel between Fes and Marrakech is likely to be 6+ hours.

As stated earlier, Casablanca can be skipped as so many other places have greater appeal from a tourist standpoint

You can fly to Marrakech and Fes, as well as some other cities in Morocco, from several Spanish cities. Skyscanner.com is a useful website for checking schedules and fares. Buy your tickets from the appropriate airline website.

Air Maroc has some non-stop flights from Casablanca to the US. Depending on your point of origin, one of those could be useful for you.

Edited to add: The weather in Madrid, Seville and Cordoba, as well as in parts of Morocco, is likely to be really brutal in July. I recommend checking the actual, historical day-by-day weather data available on the website timeanddate.com. I had an interesting 113F day in Marrakech back in the early 1990s, and that was before we were all talking about climate change.

Seville weather -- July 2024

I don't think 2024 was the worst recent year. I like to check the most recent five years to get a more reliable picture of the most likely range of temperatures I might encounter. Use the pull-down box at the right, just above the graph, to change the month and year displayed. Use the Search box at the upper right to change the location.