Tangier Travel Forum

I am taking my mother on a cruise next September and would like advice of what to see during our short time in each port. We will be visiting
Amsterdam, Netherlands (multi-days)
Zeebrugge, Belgium (8a - 530p)
LaHavre, France (7a - 10p)
La Coruna, Spain (7a - 3p)
Lisbon, Portugal (12n - 6p)
Tangier, Morocco (12n - 7p)
Barcelona, Spain (multi-days)

I've been to Barcelona so any non-touristy suggestions would be nice so I could see something new.
I'm questioning going to Brussels or seeing Brugge and Zeebrugge.
And in France, it's 2.5hrs each way to Paris... should we opt for Versaille or Normandy or somewhere else instead?
ANY suggestions are appreciated!!! Thanks guys!!

In Zeebrugge there is nothing to see, but go to see Brugge it's only on a few kilometers distance from Zeebrugge, and one of the most beautiful places in Europe.

Since you only have a few hours, I would advise you to focus on the medina (old, walled city), since that is what is most distinctive about Morocco and very unlike anything you will see elsewhere. For the same reason, eat lunch in a palace restaurant. Hamadi is one that has been reviewed well on this site, but there are others; I like Marhaba Palace just outside the Kasbah Gate, but (and because) it is a little off the beaten path. (If you do happen to get lost in the medina, any kid will happily show you out for some small change. For as short a time as you are in town, you may want to do all your business in euros.) Unfortunately, the Tanger port area is one of the worst places in Morocco for pesky vendors and touts, but feel free to firmly ignore them. Taxis are shamefully overpriced inside the port grounds, so I recommend walking 5 or 10 minutes out to the port entrance.

If your cruise can line up a medina tour, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, since you are short on time, get your own guide, but make sure he has a badge and that you are comfortable with him. Agree on a price that you are happy with before you start. Know that he will take a commission at any store he takes you to, so you will get better prices if you do some of your souvenir shopping at the end after you have parted ways. There are lots of shops in the medina and a few across from the boardwalk; they all have similar prices, and the only way to get a good price anywhere is to bargain. The first price you hear may be several times what you could pay, so always decide first what an item is worth to you.

If you like American history, the American Legation Museum is a fascinating eye-opener to the diplomatic relations that go all the way back to American independence; it also specializes in old maps of North Africa and old pictures and drawings of Tanger. There are other more predictable museums in the medina.

Make sure you get up to the Kasbah at the top of the medina to look over the strait. You may even get taken out to the tombs of the Phoenicians... a reminder that Tanger is thousands of years old.

If you really want to get out of the city, a grand taxi can take you up past the big mosque and the king's palace to the Rmilat Forest to look out over the entire city of Tanger or the Strait (20 min or so each way - again, agree on price before you go). There's an ugly tourist trap up there where you can get a quick camel ride or something.

After wandering around the medina, you might like to sip some Moroccan tea on the terrace of the Continental Hotel (in the medina immediately above the port) or at one of the cafes near the boardwalk if you want to have a line of sight to the port.