Hi Folks,

Having done a bit of digging about on the web this seems like the place to be for advice for a first-timer like me! I'm your standard middle-aged BMW bloke from Devon in the UK. I've been riding for years, and have done a reasonable bit of bike travel.

I'll pre-apologise for asking all the same stuff that others ask - I've found a lot of the information I need elsewhere, but it's handy for me to have it all in one thread.

So here I go...

I have a Brittany Ferries booking from Plymouth to Santander at the end of April. I think I have roughly 10-11 days between leaving and returning to the UK. This should give me approximately a week in Morocco, assuming I blitz across Spain for the ferry crossing. At this stage, for me, that's fine. This is a taster and is a bit out of my comfort zone (although I've done loads of UK and mainland Europe solo trips).

1. Do I need to book the ferry, or can I just show up and get on?
2. What is Morocco like for bike theft? In the past I've been super-paranoid about staying in hotels with private parking or garages. What precautions should I take? I'm mostly going to avoid the cities in this instance.
3. Is camping a thing in Morocco, or is it better/safer to stay in private accommodation? I'm budget-conscious (I have a family and financial commitments!) so looking to keep things fairly low-cost.
4. Can I buy insurance from a UK broker, ahead of arriving in the country?
5. Is cash preferable in out of the way cafes/shops?
6. Any recommendations for some easy off-roading for a 1200GSA that'll take me to out of the way cool places, but nothing that you wouldn't take the family car down! I've been riding for 30 years, owned trail bikes, but the GSA is big and heavy and I'm not Simon Pavey!

Main objectives are Ouarzazate, Dades, Erg Chebbi, and any landscapes along the lines of Gara Medouar. I love the desert and the mountains. Basically I want to get some sahara on my bike, return to the UK then NEVER wash it off!

I already have a certain C. Scott's book (albeit quite an old copy from about ten years ago), plus a selection of maps. It's only due to some lucky circumstances I can go at all, so I need to make the most of the next few months to get planning, and make the most of the trip.

I sincerely welcome any advice or tips, and thank you in advance!

Nik