Please contact Spain Supervisor for a briefing for any updates to procedure before doing the Tangier excursion as things do change
Tips for the Morocco excursion:
· Viajes Araque will tell you timings and ticket procedures for this day, but you will need a very early breakfast. Give the hotel plenty of warning about this.
· You will need to forward all passport information for participants in advance to the Araque office as soon as possible. Don’t forget yours too!
· Warn the hotel that you may be back late – depending on time of the boat.
· Make sure they all have passports before you leave hotel. Any non-US nationals should check they have the right documentation to enter Morocco (this should be checked far in advance of the day of the excursion – ideally before they sign up).
· It is a good idea to have a rooming list with you that shows all ages and names of travellers.
· You are responsible for tipping all local services and will need cash for this. The Moroccans expect tips – you may tip the local guide, the bodyguard (tip both if there are two) and the belly dancer. Give them €10 each. Under no circumstances should your group be tipping anyone on this excursion – brief them about this in advance as many “bodyguards”, restaurant waiters and even local guides are not below asking for extra tips….
· Make sure you brief group well with warnings about street vendors, who are incredibly persistent and heavy-handed shopkeepers (but don’t frighten them too much!) and teach them how to haggle and they will enjoy the experience of securing a ‘bargain’.
· Tangier has a large Muslim population, ask your group to dress conservatively – no shorts or bare shoulders
· Euros and Dollars are accepted.
Journey time from Fuengirola to Tarifa is around 2 hours. Be careful that the very early start doesn’t lead to any delays as timings are quite short! Your driver will remain parked in Fuengirola – swap numbers in case of a changed return time.
If possible, distribute stickers to all members of your group as these aid the police and makes them a friendlier bunch to work with. Driver should have ARAQUE stickers with the paperwork. Moroccan and Spanish immigration
police are not the smiliest group you’ll encounter, so save extra work for them.
When you arrive at the FRS (ferry company) ferry terminal, you must pick up your tickets from the group booking office, just to the right of the entrance. Here all passports will be scanned, and two copies of a passport list produced. These are crucial and must be stamped by police once on board.
Here you also collect the entry and exit forms – white and yellow slips of paper respectively. Ask each member of your group to fill in both once on the ferry and return them to you as soon as possible (before they start wondering around on deck).
At passport control distribute the tickets to each member of the group – they do not have to be according to name, merely to be given in to the ticket officer.
Load everyone on board, collect the white and yellow forms, plus the A4 printed sheets, and head to the policeman on board (transfer time to Tanger is only 35 mins, so get it out of the way).
Go straight to the front of the queue and hand in your A4 passport sheets and white entry forms for each member traveling. Leave them there, explaining you are a group leader and that you wish to collect them at the end of the journey. Slip a 10 euro note just visible along with the papers otherwise they will make all pax wait in line!
Towards the end of the ferry ride, go to collect all bits of paper. They will have retained one of the passport sheets. Check that you have the A4 sheet stamped as this is vital.
Once off the ferry, head to the exit where the local guide/bodyguard will meet you. Relax until the end! Guides are very friendly so ask any questions necessary. Be sure to confirm the time of the return ferry with the local guide.
Approximate excursion order: panoramic drive – photo stop – camel ride – snake charmer – walk through Kasbah – lunch – carpet/leather/jewellery shop – natural pharmacy. Indicate to the guides that they should be mindful of their guests – if they roll out 4000 EUR carpets they are unlikely to get sales! Jewellery and small purchases much more popular.
Make sure you keep an eye on the time as the guides are likely to let you shop, but you must be back at the ferry 15 mins before departure. Here hand in the yellow exit forms already filled in and show the white stamped passport form.
Give each pax a ticket. They don’t need to show passports, but their ARAQUE stickers need to be visible, help the police count them through.
Once on, relax!
At Spanish immigration control they will probably have to show passports one by one.