Catching the vehicle ferry from Morocco to Spain is one of the fastest ways to get back from Africa to Europe. (And certainly, the easiest way to get from Europe to Morocco and back again with your motorhome!).
You might have seen our post about traveling from Spain to Morocco with your motorhome. Well, this is everything you need to know about doing it in reverse. And how to get back from Morocco to Spain with your motorhome…
- Fact: Spain is not actually very far from Morocco and on a clear day (like we had) you can see Spain from Morocco.
We took the vehicle ferry from Spain to Morocco in 2022 and 2023 with our campervan. And now it’s 2024 and we are ready once again to head back to Europe.
Each time the ferries from Spain to Morocco and from Morocco to Spain have been a smooth experience. And for us it was by far the best way to get to Morocco by motorhome.
Here is everything you need to know about the ferry crossing from Morocco to Spain with a motorhome.
Where does the Morocco to Spain vehicle ferry depart from?
There are several options for ferry routes between Morocco and Spain (including one that technically travels from Spain to Spain!).
Ports of departure in Morocco (and Spain)
- Tangier Med, Morocco
- Ceuta, Spain
Ports of arrival in Spain
- Algeciras, Spain
- Tarifa, Spain
- Gibraltar, UK
Note that the port of Ceuta in North Africa is part of Spain. Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa bordered by Morocco. If you take the ferry from Ceuta, you actually clear Moroccan customs IN Ceuta (instead of on the ferry). But I’ll share more about immigrations and customs on the ferry, below…
We took the vehicle ferry from Tangier Med, Morocco to Algeciras, Spain.
How to buy your ticket for the ferry from Morocco to Spain
There are several options for how to buy your ticket:
- Online search engines
- Direct from the port
- Through Carlos at Viajes Normandie
The third option is the one we went with and a straightforward choice for what is likely your return ferry from Morocco to Spain. Buying a ticket to take your motorhome by ferry from Morocco to Spain is cheapest and simplest through Carlos.
Finding the office of Carlos at Viajes Normandie in Algeciras
There is plenty of parking for your motorhome in the street right outside Carlos’ office in Algeciras. And in fact, Viajes Normandie comes up straight away on Google Maps not far from the centre of town.
The agency is a small shop on Calle Fragata (Fragata Street) in Los Cortijillos only 10km from Algeciras Port.
Buying your ticket for the ferry from Morocco to Spain as part of a return ticket
Below are the contact details for Viajes Normandi office in Algeciras so you can contact them in advance for extra peace of mind. But in fact, it’s as simple as turning up the day before (or even on the day) and popping in to Carlos’ office and buying your ticket.
We arrived around 2pm and bought tickets for the 9am ferry from Algeciras to Tangier Med for the next morning.
- Calle Fragata 3 Pol Ind Palmones, Algeciras, Spain
- +34 956 67 56 53
- ticket.gutierrez@telefonica.net
- viajesnormandie.net
And note you can pay for your ferry ticket from Carlos in cash or using EFTPOS.
Is the ticket from Viajes Normandie a return ticket from Spain to Morocco and back again?
Yes. This is what we did and what we would recommend to anyone taking the ferry to Morocco.
You can actually purchase an ‘open-ended’ ticket from Carlos at Viajes Normandie and what this means from your return ferry from Morocco to Spain is that you can just turn up on the day and take the ferry back.
We actually had originally given an estimated return date for the ferry that was after 8 weeks in Morocco. But we ended up going further south to Mauritania and stayed in Morocco and Mauritania for a total of four months! Despite the pre-arranged return date for the ferry, it was no problem to turn up and take the return ferry from Morocco to Spain.
So which ferry line are the tickets for? And where does it depart from?
There are multiple companies that operate the Tangier Med to Algeciras ferry route:
- FRS Iberia
- Naviera Armas
- Trasmediterranea
- Balearia
- AML (Africa Morocco Link)
- GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci)
- La Meridionale
The companies each have different ferries that vary in size and facilities. To give you an idea the FRS Tangier Express which we caught in both directions (taking the ferry from Morocco to Spain) has a capacity for up to 1000 passengers and 340 cars!
We travelled back from Morocco to Spain on the FRS Tangier Express ferry.
How often are there ferries from Tangier Med to Algeciras?
- FRS Iberia: 8x daily
- Naviera Armas: 5x daily
- Trasmediterranea: 7x daily
- Balearia: 4x daily
- AML (Africa Morocco Link): 9x daily
There are as many as 29 ferries daily in the summer and up to 21 daily ferries between Ceuta and Algeciras.
Do note though that if the weather is not suitable for sailing, they are subject to change. Our friends went to take the ferry back from Spain to Morocco with FRS Line and were lucky to turn up early in the morning as they were the last sailing for the next two days due to bad weather!
How long does the ferry crossing take?
The ferries connecting Morocco and Spain (including ferries to Ceuta) are fast and efficient. It is usually slightly faster to take the ferry from Ceuta to Algeciras, but it also depends on which ferry (express or cargo) that you choose.
From Tangier Med to Algeciras sailing times are listed as:
- FRS Iberia: 1.5 hours
- Naviera Armas: 1.5 hours
- Trasmediterranea: 1.5 hours
- Balearia: 2.5 hours
- AML (Africa Morocco Link): 1 hour
We took the FRS ferry at it took 1.5 hours to cross from Morocco to Spain.
Checking in for the ferry from Morocco back to Spain
You need to be at the port an hour before sailing. We arrived almost two hours before and it was not a problem to park in line and wait. (Perfect if you have a motorhome as you can make breakfast or have a coffee while waiting).
Follow the signs for the Algeciras ferry (or whichever route you have chosen) and the according ferry line signage. (We were looking out for FRS signs). We easily found the signs and were directed from the first ticket checkpoint to wait in line with other vehicles and motorhomes.
Park at the large ticket offices as you enter the port in Tangier Med. There is a café and toilets there as well as a large departure board announcing the sailings for today.
If you have purchased a return ferry ticket from Morocco to Spain, you need to queue up in the associated ticket booth (for us it was FRS) and show them your ticket. They will print a boarding pass for you and five you a sign to put in the windscreen.
Drive forward to immigration.
Processing immigration to depart Morocco
This is the first step after getting your ferry boarding pass. Drive forward from the parking outside the ticket booths and you will be directed through drive-through booths. (Which may or may not be working on the day you drive through).
Drive up to the window and hand over your passports to receive your exit stamp from Morocco.
Customs at Tangier Med port before the ferry Morocco to Spain
Line up in the queue of vehicles and wait for instructions to move forward through the large vehicle scanner. You will have to park your motorhome and exit the vehicle. There are seats just on the side of the large vehicle scanner. It only takes a few minutes, and you will be directed to drive onwards to queue up for boarding.
Parking your motorhome on the ferry from Tangier Med
Port staff will direct you to the correct line after customs in front of the ferries. The large trucks are loaded first, and motorhomes and caravans are loaded next.
Just follow directions on board the ferry and staff will point you where to park. In our campervan on the way over we had to drive straight on and then make a U-turn at the end of the parking area and reverse back into our spot. (It is rather tight for turning space but listen to the staff and remember they direct hundreds of vehicles every day).
You cannot stay in your vehicle while the ferry is sailing so lock everything up and grab your passports and head up to the passenger decks.
What are the facilities like on board the Morocco to Spain ferry?
The FRS Express that we travelled on had a large cafeteria area, seated lounge spaces and various outdoor decks.
What about bathrooms?
There are several sets of bathrooms for men and women on board the FRS Express ferry located on Deck 5.
Farewell Morocco. And hello again Spain
Enjoy the ferry crossing from Morocco to Spain. We had a beautiful day when we crossed and although we felt sad to leave Morocco after such a great time, it was exciting to be back in Europe and heading onwards for the next adventure!
More about travel planning for Morocco and beyond…
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