Hey there!
I'm planning my 2011 summer trip, and I'd like to have some suggestions from you.

That's by and large what i have in mind:
da Tangeri, Marocco a Tangeri, Marocco - Google Maps

2 days to reach Tangier from Italy and 2 to return home.
In the middle, of course, Morrocco:
day 1: Northern zone, chefcheouen and ouazzane
day 2: Meknes and volubilis
day 3: Fes
day 4: From Fes to Errachidia (Cedars forest, Ziz valley)
day 5: Todra & Dades canyons
day 6: Telouet, Ait Benhaddou and Taorirt Kasbah.
day 7: Taroudant and Agadir (The last one is said to be too much touristic, but we have a connection there, so...)
day 8: Essaouira (A lil bit of seaside for my fiancée :\)
day 9: Marrakech
day 10: El jadida and surroundings
day 11: Rabat, Chellah
day 12: Lixus, Tangier

My doubt are the following: I left out Merzouga cause I'm planning to go there in August and i think it will be too hot down there, and there's the strong risk of wasting a day.
Am i right or should i reconsider Merzouga?

Up till now i haven't planned a stop at the Ouzoud falls, they're a little out of route, but I'd really like to go there. I won't shorten the day in Marrakech, so i have no idea on how to plan that visit.
some guess: leave out El jadida and go towards the inner land till Ouzoud then north to Casablanca (I think i'll visit only the Hassan II mosque there).
Or: instead of going to Errachidia from Fes, I go from Fes to Marrakech. No Merzouga and visit of the Tobra/Dades canyons starting from Ouarzazate instead of Errachidia.

let me know your thoughts!

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Eirinn - Yamaha XV1600 "Etoile Routière"
Tre uisge 's tre thèine a dh'ionnsaigh na reultan

I have only been to Morocco once in the summer

Yes it was Hot..

If you stick to the coast it's OK, but once you cross the Atlas and start to head south east it's Hellish Hot in the summer.

If You have to go then, maybe you could start each day at first light and be in the shade before noon.
It goes without saying You will need to and and

Have Fun

Dazzer

This is too ambitious, especially for August. There's far too much tarmac pounding on main roads, no rest days, no spare day(s) for problems. It seems you will be spending all of your time on the road, without much time to actually see much.

Also, in August you have to start (ideally) at dawn then stop for the night (preferably at a hotel with a pool) by 2pm at the latest. Otherwise you are in real danger of dehydration.

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

are you sure? it's an average of only about 200 km a day.
the longest trip should be fes-errachidia and the latter (i think) should be on the atlas, so the heat could be less hellish.
which places would you consider expendable?

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Eirinn - Yamaha XV1600 "Etoile Routière"
Tre uisge 's tre thèine a dh'ionnsaigh na reultan

Tim's right. Rest days are the key otherwise it becomes an ordeal. You need to stop and smell the flowers!

I'd consider missing out Meknes/ Volubilis. Vol is pretty similar to most other Roman sites around the Med. The campsite in Meknes is closed. Meknes is more laid back but the medina in Fes is outstanding!

I'd visit Marrakech and then spend the next day chilling around Demnate and Cascades d'Ouzoud. Then do Casa, pick up a nice clean hotel in Rabat before heading for Tanger.

You're planning to go back to Merzouga in August? When's your first trip?

Happy trails,
Jojo

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Atlas Overland - Specialist adventure tour company providing off-road holidays for 4x4 enthusiasts in Europe and North Africa.
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no, no, it's all in the same trip in August

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Eirinn - Yamaha XV1600 "Etoile Routière"
Tre uisge 's tre thèine a dh'ionnsaigh na reultan

Eirin, most the roads out there are good, with the exception of lots of roadworks in the regions between meknes and the coast. I went last year with the gf and managed Meknes in 2 days, a day trip to fes, then 2 days back up the coast. we were riding long days and it will suprise you how long it takes to ride a main road. some of which i couldnt get over 40mph....i was on a cb1300 and she on a nt650. Road bikes are ok for the trip...just be wary of the huge craters in the roads!

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Living life 2 wheels at a time!

I'm a little bit late, but we did it

We had a great time down there. In Morocco we did the following route: Ceuta - Chefchaouen - Fes - Beni Mellal - Ouzoud falls - Marrakech - Agdz - Taroudant - Essaouira - El Jadida - Salé - Tanger.

Nothing too hard for our cruiser, roads were ok, except for the part on the Rif near Chefchaouen and the metal road humps . We reached 52° between Agdz (wonderful place!) and Taroudant but we had almost no problems riding even in the hottest hours. We just followed a proper diet (lots of fruits and vegetables, about 3 litres of water / juices a day) and closed all our jacket vents when it was awfully hot. Sweating is good in some circumstances, and I can say that the northern italian summer is worse!
We absolutely loved the part south of the Atlas (down from Tizi'n tichka to Agdz and surroundings), stunning views and wonderful people. Two thumbs up!
We had no green card for our bike, since the moroccan customs near Ceuta messed with our documents... but we are here, all's well that ends well!

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Eirinn - Yamaha XV1600 "Etoile Routière"
Tre uisge 's tre thèine a dh'ionnsaigh na reultan