1

Here's an example of an extremely low cost tour (posts #19 and 20).

2

It is risky to take some cheap tour, maybe even more expensive tour I suppose. You can do this trip by bus, if you cannot rent a car. But by bus it is OK. Supratour is good, you find all information you need on www.oncf.ma
You can take this overnight bus from Fes.
At morning you come to Merzouga and if you can find in advance some accommodation, they can pick up you at station so you skip waiting touts there. In accommodation you can refresh you, take shower, breakfast etc. Then after lunch (the time depend of which time of the year it is) you take a camel trek and early next morning you are back.
You can stay one more day and explore the desert more or you can take one bus afternoon from Erfoud to next stop for example Tinerhir. At morning you can go to Todra Gorge and at 13.00 take Supratour to Ouarzazate there you can spend one night (or take you to Ait BenHaddou and spend the night there) before to go to Marrakech.
I am sure you can enjoy such trip much more than to sit in crowded car as did they you was reading about on Tim's link.

Edited by: khamlia

3

..... I thought from a previous post you had decided to drop the Desert trip, your time is short and in mid-winter with short daylight, possible travel problems crossing mountain passes, see this from last year... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=GHcMVCMy2cU&NR=1 ....... you need a flexible plan. As Khamila suggests, take the bus like CTM or Supratours, you can see them in the clip above, as opposed to the sort of experience in Tim's link.
If you pay a deposit booking and can't get there or get stuck........your money is gone. Decide when you get to Marrakech after checking the Weather Forecast.

Be careful of contacts through these pages, read below.........

4

Thanks for the replies, everyone, especially the warnings about the dodgy operations out there.

Moroccotraveler - yes, I did mention that I was considering dropping the desert trip, but it almost seems like a waste to travel all the way to north Africa without a stop in the Sahara. It's like visiting Paris and not going to the Louvre, or visiting New York and not trying to mug someone.

However, I have read that there are sand dunes in some coastal areas. Are those similar to the Sahara?

Khamlia - overnight bus? Didn't think of that. I'll consider it.

I know many of you have been kind of urging the self-drive option, but I wanted to save my energy for driving on the coast, so that means leaving the Atlas/desert portion for a hired driver/guide who could also explain what it is I'm looking at (and also shoo off the touts in some of these more popular places).

5

...... when in Paris you won't have far to travel to visit the Louvre or to find a victim to mug in NY, .... take care you'er not mugged here. From Fez or Marrakesh the trip to Merzouga can take more than 12 hours depending on good conditions, Inshallah.

Have a good holiday in Morocco whatever you do, it will be a terrific experience one way or the other, do please post back with a report.

6

I am agree with you regarding waste to travel in Morocco without to see a little of the desert. I was the same and every time now when I go to Morocco, go I to the desert again because I like it so much. The silence, quiet, sand dunes, freedom there, villages, the people etc.
Consider the overnight bus, they are comfortable, to trust and you see pretty much (but not at night of course :)) because you sit high up and see longer than from normaly car.
And yes please, leave raport then to us, thanks.

Edited by: khamlia