How To Get From Morocco To Spain By Ferry
Last Updated on: 2nd March 2026, 08:30 am
Morocco To Spain By Ferry
We recently took a trip to Morocco, and then Tilly asked if we could take the train home from there to the UK. She enjoys travelling by train, and we typically purchase an Interrail pass during the Black Friday sale. Or we ask family and friends to put towards the travel passes for Christmas. We flew to Morocco for a bargain price of about £30 each from Stansted. We flew into Rabat after visiting Marrakesh last year. After a few days, we needed to get a train to Tangier to get from Morocco to Spain by ferry.
Which Port To Travel From
To make this travel a little confusing, there are two ports in Tangier. Each port is going to different destinations in Spain. Firstly, you have Tangier Med, the bigger of the ports in Tangier and then there is Tangier Ville, a much smaller port.
Tangier Med Port
Tangier Med Port is one of Africa’s largest and most advanced ports. Strategically positioned near the Strait of Gibraltar, it serves as a major global shipping hub, connecting Europe, Africa, and beyond. The port handles millions of containers and facilitates significant international trade. It is about an hour outside of Tangier city and costs about 25 – 30 euros by taxi to get there.
Tangier Med has ferries that go to Algeciras in Spain. The quicker of the sea crossing from Tangier, and as soon as you arrive in Algeciras, you can go straight to the station to carry on your journey. The ferry companies that run between Tangier Med Port and Algeciras are Naviera Armas, AML, DFDS and Balearia. The prices are all in line with each other.
Tangier Ville Port
Tangier Ville Port is the historic passenger port located in the heart of Tangier, Morocco, right at the edge of the city centre and close to the old medina. The larger Tangier Med Port is focused on freight and international ferry traffic. Whereas Tangier Ville Port primarily serves foot passengers and is ideal for tourists arriving directly into the city. It is based at the bottom of the medina and can be reached easily from the city by one of the beige taxis. It will cost you about 5 euros from the city centre by cab.
As it is a smaller port, you get through really quickly, and there are always foot passengers. This port doesn’t serve Algeciras; it goes to Tarifa. On arrival in Tarifa, there is usually a ferry courtesy bus to Algeciras port. Then you can walk to the town and the train station. The ferry companies that cover the Tangier Ville and Tarifa route areAML and Balearia. The prices are a few euros lower on this route.
The Problems We Came Across To Get From Morocco To Spain By Ferry And How You Can Avoid Them
Firstly, we had trouble understanding which cab went from the city to Tangier Ville Port. There are two different taxis in Tangier. The blue taxis run around the towns and pick people up, and drop them off within the city boundaries. The beige taxis are permitted to enter the ports and travel outside the city. So we had to get a blue taxi from the city to the waiting area for a beige taxi. It was very confusing!
We had trouble getting the Moroccans to understand we wanted to go to Tangier Ville Port and not Tangier Med Port. But eventually, when we said the ferry to Tarifa, they understood us. Taxis were quoting us 30 Euros as they didn’t understand.
We didn’t have any euros on us. When we arrived in Algeciras, it was about 35 degrees, and we couldn’t even get a bus, as they only accepted cash. Make sure you have some Euros with you.
When you walk onto the ferry at Tangier Ville Port with Balearia, you have to walk up the same ramp as the cars go up, so make sure you hold your children’s hands. Then you drop your luggage off at a drop-off point, so it is not with you on the boat. This saves you from dragging it up the stairs. Remember to take valuables out of the suitcase. You collect it on the way off the ferry. Seriously, this was a game-changer for us.
When you arrive in Tarifa, there are no signs to direct you to the free bus (or payable bus stop). We had to ask someone in the Balearia office. Which was lucky, because we were waiting in the wrong place.
I would absolutely do this route again. On arrival in Algeciras, if you are going straight for a train, get some food and drink at a supermarket, as there is literally nothing at the station. And you never know if there is anything available on the trains. If you are travelling with Interrail, make sure you have paid for your reservations.
