London to Tangier. On a map, it’s 1,500 miles. Flight time, around 3.5 hours. Without flying? I was about to find out.
It was raining in London St Pancras and the crowds were surging. Gripping my coffee like my trip depended on it, the current of people took me as I shuffled through Eurostar baggage check and immigration.
English and French immigration complete, I was released into the Eurostar departures hall, where it seemed the entire populations of London and Paris were waiting.
Of course… the Paris Olympics, I thought. I took this trip in August 2024, and it had only just occurred to me that I’d be attempting this challenge while the world’s biggest sporting tournament was happening in one of the major cities I’d be passing through.
Why was I doing this?
Travelling overland is my passion. Trains, ferries, even really long bus journeys – I get a kick out of them.
I’d already travelled from Bali to London without flying, driven around all of Australia, travelled from London to Algeria and done multiple trips across Europe – most of the time, as a solo female.
I wanted to see, realistically, how quickly you could get from London to Africa without stepping on a plane – so this trip was a hair-brained experiment that I was imposing on myself.
As I scanned the Eurostar waiting room, I did question my life choices. Rather than this madcap adventure, I could have booked a last-minute solo break with Voyage Privé to Morocco instead – which would have been a lot more relaxing!
Eurostar London to Paris
Despite the crowds, the London to Paris Eurostar was actually quite calm. We departed on time, I had a decent seat and I spent half the journey hanging out in the Eurostar cafe.
Olympic fever was in the air in Paris, and the Gare du Nord was absolutely pulsating. I’d already received instruction that my bus wouldn’t be departing from Bercy-Seine, but instead I’d need to get to Château de Vincennes – escaping the hectic parts of Paris where the Olympics was hosted.
Flixbus Paris to Madrid
“Lisboa?” I heard a voice call out at the makeshift bus station in Château de Vincennes. The bus that was taking me to Madrid was continuing all the way to the Portuguese capital – around a 24 hour voyage.
I made my way over to the bus and presented my ticket, realising as I boarded that not only was somebody in my seat, but it was an aisle next to the toilet. Hastily, I took a free seat next to a window, hoping it hadn’t yet been claimed.
It didn’t seem to have been – although a man called Jose, from Mexico but living in Madrid, sat next to me and quickly introduced himself. We were in for a 16 hour bus journey, so it pays to be friendly with your neighbour.
We drove due south, the sun dancing on the horizon as we skirted past sunflower fields. After one stop at a service station, the sky darkened and I drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow, I’d be in Morocco.
“SERVICE STOP!” our driver announced into the microphone. It was three in the morning. Glancing at my map, I saw we’d made it into Spain – just south of San Sebastian on the north coast. I still had to tackle the entire country before the sun set that evening.
I drifted in and out of sleep again, only fully awakening when we were on the outskirts of Madrid, some 16 hours later. Adios, I mumbled to Jose as I disembarked, pulling up my Google maps app to find my way to Madrid Atocha train station.
Train Madrid to Malaga
I’d booked these tickets hastily the night before – and while tickets were pricey, first-class had been the same price as standard. Waltzing into my premier carriage, I parked myself on the seat and looked around. The seats are squashier and wider, and there’s the chance to have a solo seat if you book in advance. But honestly? It’s probably not worth a significant extra expense.
This RENFE train line whizzes through Andalucian countryside, connecting the capital to Malaga in less than three hours. Disembarking the train, I checked the time. It was 23 hours after I set off. Could I make it to Morocco in seven hours from now?
Bus Malaga to Algeciras
My AVANZA bus was boarding as I walked to the station, melting in 40 degree heat, and I clambered on, grateful of the air con and parking myself in the first available seat.
This bus hugs the Costa del Sol, connecting its capital to its port – already, there was a sense of Morocco in the air, as I caught snippets of conversations in Arabic and smelt the sweet whiff of local pastries from a smiling woman across from me. Noticing I was looking over, she held out the box. “Quieres?” (Would you like one?) she asked.
Ferry Algeciras to Tangier
If I want to travel from London to Morocco in 30 hours, I need to be on the ferry leaving in one hour, I thought as I scanned the ferry timetable, as we were pulling into Algeciras.
That means I need to run! I told myself as we pulled into the bus station.
Despite the sun lowering in the sky, it was still around 38 degrees. I strapped my backpack on, and pelted the 600 metres to the Puerto Algeciras.
¿Puedo comprar un billete para el ferry? I asked the man at the ticket office. Can I buy a ticket for the ferry?
He pointed at the time above. The ferry I was aiming for – the 5 pm – was long gone. But 6 pm was available both from Algeciras and from Tarifa.
Algeciras has ferries sailing all day to Tangier Med port. This port is around an hour from Tangier city centre. From Tarifa, however, the ferries depart less often, but sail directly to Tangier Ville, which is in the city centre.
With complimentary bus transfers included in Tarifa to Tangier Ville ferry tickets, it was an obvious decision. 90 minutes later, I boarded the ferry – and an hour after that, I’d made it to Morocco.
How long did it take?
It took me 32 hours to travel from London to Morocco without flying – with no stops and a sleepless night. I don’t recommend travelling exactly like this, but with a few stops, it’s an overland adventure worth taking.
