Category: Europe

The Spain Morocco trip—easier than you think!

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For those of you who will be in Europe, there’s one trip that you HAVE to take.  Head south to Africa!  When I studied in the UK, I planned a week-long trip that took me through Spain and to Morocco, and I have to tell you, it’s easier than you would think.  Here’s a step by step list of recommendations I have, which hopefully can help you plan a great trip and enjoy a once in a lifetime experience in Northern Africa.

Step 1:  Get to Southern Spain

For those of you already in Spain this will be a breeze.  Just take a bus to Algeciras or Tarifa.  These are the best port cities to travel from, but there are other options too.  If you are coming from elsewhere in Europe, train is a great option, or Ryan Air and Easy Jet (my roundtrip ticket from London to Granada was only £20!).

Step 2: Get to Morocco

Now I spent all my time in Marrakesh, so I’ll tell you how I did that.  The key is to get to Tangier first, and from there you can get anywhere in the country.

From the port cities in Spain you’ll take a short ferry trip (I remember it being about an hour, but I could be wrong!).  You can get tickets here: http://gospain.about.com/od/ferries/qt/ferries_morocco.htm

I recommend buying tickets once you get to the port, that way you’re not rushed to get there on time, but know the times available!  If you do buy at the port, buy within the port itself!  There are LOTS of little vendors everywhere outside the port building promising you lots of deals.  While a lot of these are real groups, there are also scams, so to be safe I would go ahead and buy from the port authorities themselves.  My roundtrip port ticket was €68.  It’s best to buy the roundtrip ticket all at once.  You do get a better price, and you’re guaranteed your seat on the way back!

Step 3: Getting Out of Tangier

Tangier is the main port city in Morocco for arrivals from Spain.  We didn’t spend any time staying in town.  Once you’re off the ferry, you want to get to the main train station.  The best bet is a taxi.  MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF CASH!!! We had a heart-attack moment when none of the ATMs would take our cards.  Later, we were told that it’s a scam to force you to actually trade Euros to local money changers, and not go ahead and take out Dirhams while you’re there.  Whether or not that’s true, we were really lucky that we had plenty of cash to be able to pay the taxi driver and the train tickets.  Better safe than sorry!  PS—we had no problem using the ATMS once we were in Marrakesh.

At the train station, you can book an overnight train to Marrakesh.  I recommend that you book first class—you get a private 4 bed compartment (2 bunk beds), so really it’s the safest and most comfortable option.  The good news is that the Dirham is about 8 to the dollar, so price wise it’s not bad.

Step 4: A Place to Stay and Things to Do

In Marrakesh, I recommend staying in a hotel instead of a hostel.  Generally, they are more centrally located, offer more services and cost less than the typical European hostel.  We stayed at a 3 star hotel and were right off of the central Plaza.

Things you shouldn’t miss in the city:

  • The Souks markets
  • Orange juice in the Jeema El Fna (the central Plaza).  Pick one vendor and stick with him—he can give you great tips on what to see!
  • Moroccan Baths—offered by many of the hotels, this is a traditional, full body exfoliation bath.  Kind of sauna-like, keep in mind you are totally nude with a group of other women 9I don’t know if they offer this for men) so it’s not for the shy

Some things to keep in mind: 

  • Moroccan culture is all about haggling.  Never accept the first price given to you.  Just embrace the experience and have fun trying to negotiate better prices
  • There are a LOT of European tourists, so you often get asked if you’re British.  We ran with it!
  • Women do get a lot of attention in Morocco.  However, in our group of four girls, we never felt in danger or really uncomfortable.  Just ignore it.  It’s a good plan to dress somewhat conservatively—pants, not shorts; at least 3/4 quarter length sleeves—just to avoid some unnecessary attention and to show respect, but you don’t need a headscarf. 

Well, that’s it!  Have fun and enjoy the trip!

Stephanie Roberts, OIE Graduate Peer Advisor

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener

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One of the most fantastic things about studying abroad is the opportunity to travel (besides the academics of course, Mom). The year that I spent in Switzerland was by far the most incredible year of my life, and a great deal of that had to do with all of the amazing places I was fortunate enough to see. It seemed like nearly every weekend, I was hopping a plane to Lisbon or Budapest or Cork. Airfare was shockingly inexpensive and the idea that it would only take me an hour to get to Amsterdam was just too good to be true. By the end of my year, I had traveled to a dozen different countries, kissed the Blarney stone, seen the Pope give Easter mass at the Vatican and set foot on the Asian continent for the first time. My head was positively spinning.

However, once I returned to the states, people started asking me about Switzerland. They wanted to know how beautiful the Alps were and whether or not I had found Heidi. They asked me about fondue and watches and chocolate. They asked me what the best things about Geneva were. And yes, after a year, I had spent some time around the city and the countryside, but it became very apparent to me that after having lived there for a year, I knew relatively little about Switzerland. I could tell you all about easyJet and what the best airports in Europe were in terms of efficiency, but I realized that I hadn’t gotten to know Switzerland as well as I should have, and that perhaps I had passed up a great opportunity.

If I could do it all again, while it’s hard for me to say that I would travel less, I would certainly make a more concerted effort to get to know my host country better. The places that I went in Switzerland were absolutely incredible (including the Valley of the 72 Waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen, pictured here) and are places that the average visitor never gets to see. That’s the really wonderful aspect of studying abroad: it’s not about being a tourist. It’s not about being the average visitor. It’s about being a resident of that country and getting to know it on a much more personal level. I had friends who went to tiny Alpine villages for the weekend while I was traveling to Athens, and on some level, I am envious of them. They know Switzerland much better than I do, even though we both studied there for the same amount of time.

Travel is absolutely an important element of studying abroad. However, it’s important to remember that this may be the only chance to actually live in a different country, and get to know it on a native level. So, by all means, adventure off to a different country when the chance arises, but don’t miss out on the chance to become immersed in the host country and city in the name of putting more stamps in your passport.

– Kat Cosgrove, DUSA Graduate Peer Advisor