Marrakesh Travel Forum

I read the thread on what to wear. Also read about some men leering more that one might be used to! Other than that, any words of wisdom from women who have traveled alone? I'll be in Spain and I'm looking into visiting Morocco, but want to hear what other solo travelers have experienced.
Also, advice on getting to Marrakesh from Tangier?

Regarding travelling from Tangier to Marrakesh, check out the "Travelling by train in Morocco" section on the following Web site.

http://www.seat61.com/Morocco.htm

Good luck!

Travelling Morocco solo you will be offered a lot of help and attention. Some fantastic, some unwanted. You'll probably go from feeling "wow, this is so kind" to "back off it's getting on my nerves".
Moroccan hospitality is brilliant, but as it's hard to get in contact with other women outside of the big cities you'll find yourself being approached mainly by men and depending on your mood, their intensity and that judgment call of "what do they actually want" it can be a bit exhausting at times.
Nothing to be afraid of though. Learn to be firm and polite if you aren't interested.
You'll meet plenty of other travellers on route that you'll be able to hook up with.

it's up to you you know !!use the train to reach marakech .or the CTM is recommended .certanily i agree with the previous reply you'll find many guys ( touts)waiting in stations hunting forgien womens but don't give them a chance whene you need a help or ask a question try to ask somebody who have a shop or somebody how is far from tourisme . i have done many solo travling to moroco and lived there i allways take local tips and local lodgs .many guys tried with me but i allways go in the oposit way so don't give a chance .try to visit the duns and the atlas mounts am sur you will enjoy your stay ...evrything w'll be just cool
go girl enjoy it .

Good morning,

The train takes 8 hours from Tangier to Marrakech.The journey itself is very pleasant.
Once in Marrakech ,I would recommend Villa des trois golfs ,a very beautiful hotel in the palmeraie where you will encounter nice and helpful staff.
For more details please browse their website:
www.marrakechvillas.com

Good luck,
Rachid Q

My wife and i have just last week returned from Morroco,and we took the overnight train from Tangier's to Marrakesh.It cost 350 dirhams each and you will only be able to book your ticket once your are in Morocco.
The train was clean and a good way to get to Marrakesh ,we left on time at 21-05 and arrived in Marrakesh at around 8-15 in the morning.
Be prepared that you will have to share your couchette with three other people and your are sleeping next to them at close quarters.Luckily we shared with a lovely young Canadian couple going ,but on the way back we had to listen to 2 hrs of sermon from a Muslim fundamentalist with some very strange and worrying ideals.
I would not recommend that a young lady travels on her own ,you?i would feel very vulnerable in that situation.
The Moroccan people are very very friendly and at no time in our 7 day trip did i feel threatened or worried,and i can tell there are parts of Manchester where we live that i definitely wouldn't wander around on my own!!,England.
Marrakesh and Morocco were a big shock to us,lovely lovely people,but very poor,wanting money(only pence) at every opportunity ,total chaos,dirty ,poor food and unfortunately we will not visiting again.

Yep, morocco is good at filtering out people. And normally the right ones too.

Don’t worry too much. I was on my own in Marrakech and found it quite relaxed. Just dress moderately and always pretend that you know your way which is easy if you stick to the main alleys in the medina.

Marrakech is beautiful! I can’t agree with the former writer, I know other arab / north African countries and found Marrakech very clean and pretty, with nice shops and restaurants, even the beggars wear w clean Djellaba and the streetkids have a proper hairdo. You can eat from the food stalls, they are clean and have ggod food.
It is really a dream from 1001 nights! In particular the Djemma el Fna in the evenings, you can really also go their on your own, it is packed with people, no one will do you any harm.

However, for a solo female, there’s two ways of being hassled:
1. the groups of young lads hanging around in the streets (in particular in the evenings) and saying things behind your back – nice things or nasty. This is pretty harmless, just ignore. In fact, these lads are rather chicken, they won’t do more than saying things.
2. The professional touts hanging around at the tourist places looking for victims. They will start talking to you and it is difficult to escape. Just say NO and show that you disinterested: NO, you don’t want a carpet nor a sheesha nor sex , NO you have already a good hotel thank you, NO, you know your way and don’t need a guide, and NO, you don’t need a guide for tomorrow because your hotel has already made an arrangement and NO you are not on your own but with your boyfriend who is stomach-sick and waits for you at your hotel and so you have to go now – alone!

the truth is lit bit far away all of us used to follow this way whene we think about visiting ' arabian countries' . i guss the new generation could understand ' no..!!thanks' 'laa..chokran' the tran in arabic. morocains have that fear from trouble with police specialy if the troubles have relations with ' touristme' . many guides were on our way ;city to city but all of us -my friends- done it on owr own .and sometime we despear into the crowd ' rissani shops' medina .
travlling solo is something unic '.morocans have an idea that says " whene a women travel a lone that mean she's looking for a husband or a lover...
the funy is that they are good enught doing that .
at the end you can say 2words and you get your way clean .
" no thanks. or " i do live here" or " am not a tourist so go away".
all the best .

the truth is lit bit far away all of us used to follow this way whene we think about visiting ' arabian countries' . i guss the new generation could understand ' no..!!thanks' 'laa..chokran' the tran in arabic. morocains have that fear from trouble with police specialy if the troubles have relations with ' touristme' . many guides were on our way ;city to city but all of us -my friends- done it on owr own .and sometime we despear into the crowd ' rissani shops' medina .
travlling solo is something unic '.morocans have an idea that says " whene a women travel a lone that mean she's looking for a husband or a lover...
the funy is that they are good enught doing that .
at the end you can say 2words and you get your way clean .
" no thanks. or " i do live here" or " am not a tourist so go away".
all the best .

Youve got plenty of good answers here, solo is fine but yes moroccans see solo woman and they will check out why not with male and as opportunists that they are - in any situation - check out what and any chance they have. so if travelling about solo you will get to notice the number of foreign women with moroccans - most are naiive - older or much younger - and most men are as opportunists smply in it for whatever opportunity.

but other than that Morocco is an excellent country for travelling independently. look calm and confident and that you pretty much know where you are going. often you will meet moroccan women who will invite you to their home esp if travelling about in country towns and so on.
from Tangier to Marrakech Id recommend bus or grande taxi to Asilah for say the first night - then Asilah to Tetouan and Chefchouen - stya night or two in Chefchouen then bus down to Fes for a night or two (try to visit Volibulis and Moulay Idriss or Meknes tho I dont really recommend Meknes if limited time and if you are spending time in Fes) and then either down to Rissani (if to Rissani then go grande taxi from Fes down to Rissani - might stop or have to change at Er Rachidia or Rich or Midelt or theres an overnight bus which seems a shame to miss the scenery along the way - spend so time around Rissani and the desert of Merzouga - have a look at my tips tho not particularly exhaustive and then from there along the Dades Valley via boumalne and Ouarzazate to Marrakech by bus or grande taxi - grande taxi is generally best and try to go up to the Dades Gorge as well and Telouet along the way) or straight to Marrakech - daily 730 am bus with CTM from Fes to Marrakech arriving 315pm which is quite anice route as well and only about £10.

then you can go on up to Casablanca by train - visit the Hassan mosque and if you wish stop at Rabat and Sale along the way and then Larache - and back to Tangier?

but do have a roam around VTers pages - including mine and others - that give you good ideas and photos to see what and where to go etc.

all the best.

hello
I travel in Marrakech a lot, this would be nice if they can drink a tea together