| Title |
Italy – Morocco Motorbike Round Trip 2015 |
| Dates |
16 May – 04 June, 2015 |
| Days |
22 |
| KM |
4242 |
| Motorbike |
BMW R 1200 GS, MY 2010, Tires Mitas E07, Touratech Extreme suspensions (front spring 55 Nmm, rear spring 150 Nmm ) |
| Who |
Umberto Straccia (me) and Maria Pia Nuti (my wife), on one motorbike |
| Countries |
Italy, France, Morocco |
| Itinerary |
Lucca, Sete (France), Ferry to Nador (Morocco), Fez, Marrakesh, Tizi N’Tichka, Telouet, Ait Ben Haddou, Taliouine, Tafraoute, Ait Mansour, Afla Ighir, Azgour, Issafn, Tata, Foum Zguid, Tasla, Tansikhte, Zagora, Tazzarine, Alnif, Rissani, Merzouga, Erfoud, Tinghir, Gorges Todra, Boumalne Dades, Gorges Dades, M’Semrir, Agoudal, Imilchil, Tounfit, Boumia, Zaida, Azrou, Ifrane, Meknes, Fes, Ketama, Issaguen, Bab Berred, Chefchaouen, Tangeri, Tangeri Med, Ferry to Livorno, Lucca. |
| Itinerary Maps |
Global Map Overview
|
| Pictures |
You can find some pictures about the trip Morocco 2015 Motorbike Tour. |
| VISA |
None. |
VISA Notes |
None. |
| Carnet de Passages en Douane (CdP) |
None. |
| Insurances |
Health Insurance, destination Morocco, issued by Allianz Global Insurance, Motorcycle insurance for Morocco at Nador port (my Italian Insurance did not cover Morocco on the green card). Ask at the Nador port border control for it. They bring you to a small cabin where you need to call a person. Took 4h to get it.
|
| Border Crossings |
Ventimiglia, Nador, Tangeri, Livorno. |
| Border Crossings Remarks |
| Ventimiglia |
0 hour, no check |
| Sete |
1.5 hour queue for ferry check-in + 2h queue on-board of the ferry. Here you have to make twice a queue, one for passport and one for you motorbike.
|
| Nador |
4 hours. Spent almost all the time to get the motorbike insurance. At Nador border you can also change money (black market), or just wait till you enter the Nador city and look for an ATM. |
| Tangeri |
0.5 hour queue for ferry check-in. |
| Livorno |
1 hour queue on-board of the ferry. |
|
| Maps |
| Cartography |
Having a map helps once your navigator fails, which will fail or will be imprecise for sure at least once. I took the Morocco map of Michelin (main map) and Reise Know-How. |
| Navigation maps |
A good navigator helps, makes life easier in the
country side of remote areas. I have a Touratech‘s version of the Zumo 550 from Garmin. Concerning the maps, you can rely on those provided from the OpenStreetMap project. Specifically, there are some places on the web from which you may download directly maps (called OSM maps) that you can install into Garmin’s Basecamp and then into your Garmin device. I used the Garmin Openstreet Map to download a map for Morocco to be installed into Garmin’s Basecamp, which then allows you to transfer the map to your Garmin device together with your daily trips. I also used JaVaWa GMTK, to load multiple OSM maps into BaseCamp. |
| Google Maps |
I used Google maps to figure out my daily trips, which then I’ve copied manually into Basecamp. Personally I preferred this two step approach rather than doing it directly in Basecamp. |
|
| Equipment |
Satellite phone with emergency button, laptop, 4l MSR water bag, 5l spare fuel, puncture kit, various tools, spare motorbike lamps, 1l motor oil. |
| Travel Guide Books |
Lonely Planet guide of Morocco |
| Fuel |
| Morocco |
Not really an issue, except few cases in the Atlas Mountains. |
|
| About Documents |
I’ve made a colour copy of all my docs and also stored them on USB pen and Dropbox. Given the above mentioned bad experience, I suggest also always to make a picture of the docs that you gather on the road, in case you loose them. |
| Downloads |
You may download my Morocco Garmin routes as GPX data or KML data. |
| General Notes |
| Money |
I took euro with me, distributed over me, my wife and the bike. In various places of Morocco, especially in Atlas Mountains I could only pay cash the hotel and/or fuel. Also note down the exchange rate of your currency wrt Dirham. |
| Addresses |
be sure to have stored in you phone, paper and in electronic format on USB pen and e.g., Dropbox.com the complete addresses of your embassy in Morocco. Also note down, opening hours, and emergency phone/mobile numbers of your embassy, so as the emergency numbers (police/road Assistance) (if any) of Morocco. |
| Kindness |
Be always friendly. Remember, police man and soldiers at borders or at control posts are not in holidays as you are. |
| Asking about Help |
People are keen to help you. |
| Roads |
Most in reasonable conditions, but if you leave the main road expect broken roads, or even washed away by a river. In Atlas Mountains keep an eye on rain. Off-roads may easily become impracticable. |
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