Cyclist’s journey to Morocco from the UK by train and FERRY to take part in an 800-mile bike race

I recently arrived in Morocco for a bike race. I could have flown, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, I travelled overland by train and also took two ferries.

How easy is it to get to Africa without flying? Pretty easy, I discovered. Naturally, the trip took longer – I was on the ferry from the UK to Spain for two nights – but, according to a carbon footprint calculator, I saved a whopping 352kg of CO2, emitting 93 per cent fewer emissions compared to flying.

Why didn’t I take the (cheaper) three-and-a-half-hour flight? Partly to reduce my carbon footprint, partly for the thrill of the Brittany Ferries mini-cruise and then the overland crossing of Spain, but also to protect my bike. Airline baggage handlers are not always kind to bicycles – even those snugly packed in toughened boxes.

Train travel is easy with a folding bike, but not so easy with a full-sized one like mine – a Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 29 mountain bike. I sat with it, squashed, at galley ends and was therefore never more than a few inches away from my pride and joy at most times and could mollycoddle it to Morocco. Nobody’s luggage got smothered in gunk: I cleaned the bike with Weldtite cleaning wipes before each train stage.

A bike was handy for getting between stations and for digging me out of trouble when we berthed in Africa’s biggest port. I stuffed up, you see. Instead of paying attention to the destination, I went for the cheapest sub-two-hour crossing from the Spanish port of Algeciras, using a company called Trasmediterranea, and ended up in Tanger Med. This is 30 miles from the downtown Tangier train station I needed to hit. So I cycled there, which was enjoyable because the asphalt was smooth, the traffic was light, and I had strong African sun on my skin!

Marrakesh – the eye-catching starting point for the Atlas Mountain Race

Josh (above) reveals that he’s been suffering from a chest infection prior to the race and was coughing up blood on the way round

‘The thing that kept me going [during the Atlas Mountain Race] was the single track and the scenery,’ writes Josh

This image shows some of the Atlas Mountain Race spectators

The race finished in the ancient fishing port of Essaouira (above)

Josh sailed on Brittany Ferries’ ship Galicia from Portsmouth (above) to Santander

This image shows one of the lounge areas aboard Galicia

Josh’s four-berth cabin on Galicia

Above is Santander. From there Josh travelled by train to the southern coast of Spain

Josh camped by the beach in the Estrecho National Park and took the first ferry to Africa from the nearby port of Algeciras the following day

I had two backpacks, which wasn’t ideal for a 30-mile bike ride, but it was a scenic pedal on a winding coastal road past beautiful beaches.

I wasn’t planning to spend time in Tangiers (I might linger on the way back) so I jumped on the first train to Casablanca. In theory, bikes aren’t allowed on Moroccan trains. According to my research before the trip, they weren’t even allowed in Moroccan train stations!

Again, bags are allowed, so I took the wheels off and wrapped the bike in the bag I’d bought in Spain. I smuggled the cycle-shaped contraband past the exterior station guards and politely persuaded the ticket staff to sell me a ticket. So far, so good. The next step was to get past the ticket inspectors blocking the way to the platforms. Confused, they radioed for instructions, but I was eventually ushered through. Just the train guard to sweet-talk now. That worked, so I was on!

Josh ‘disguised’ his bike in a bag for trains where bicycles were banned

Josh sitting with his bike and bags on the train from Casablanca to Marrakesh

Casablanca railway station is pictured on the left, Marrakesh station on the right

Josh’s bike is pictured here outside Marrakesh railway station