Is this a game changer? When you can now make working plans for a circuit including both Morocco and Algeria on the same trip, not having to take the same long road back but have several choices for Algeria.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tang...iers,+Algeria/
Does this mean a potentially huge increase for tourism in south Algeria?

I don’t think that will happen soon. Or an increase from a very small number of adventurous overlanders to a small number.
There are still the delicate visa hoops to jump through; most others are still nervous about Algeria the way they used to (pretend to) be about Libya – before that became an actual fact in 2011.
And anyway, unless I was heading on to West Africa, I’d sooner spend all those miles and days exploring more of DZ than schlepping across northern RIM and back up the Atlantic Highway.
But your loop could make a great desert road trip. What a shame Grand Tour TV show is ending…

A couple of days ago at a Moroccan checkpoint close to the Alg border, the guy noted an old DZ visa in my passport.
‘You been there?’ I asked. Then I realised that was the wrong thing to say ;-)

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

For me it is definitely a tempting game changer and I've googled nearly the same route: like yours, but via Tunisia for the more convenient ferry options.

I absolutely like this new option. It would be more Sahara, than I´m dreaming of and it would be cheaper than the previous options driving to northern Africa, as I'd save myself +3000km worth of pricey EU fuel and French speed tickets.

Starting in central Europe towards the African Atlantic, it always felt like wasting time and fuel through mostly known areas (Germany, France, Spain) spending the best part of a week and 1k€ before I see something exciting in Morocco to then continue into a dead end, where I'd have to u-turn and +50% of the returning route is again already known turf.

Now I could drive to Genova in a loooong day, hop onto 100€ over-night ferries to Sardinia, then to Sicily (both is known surf and turf, too, but I´d surf the next day - not next week and food is just better) then to Tunis.

As far as I understand it, Tunisia - Algeria border is quite straight forward, if you have an invitation letter or hotel booking and I assume the crossing from Algeria into RIM will be visa on arrival for my German passport, like it is when coming into RIM from Morocco/DZ or Senegal. So this is visa wise a very low effort trip, without big planning in advance needed.

I'm moving to a world where multi-month trips won't be possible for a few years at least, so have also been looking at how I might still be able to a worthwhile trip to DZ for a couple of weeks.

In short, I've been recommended a shipping company based in Holland - some £600 for a return land-freight of a bike down to Malaga, which has plenty of cheap flights. Then a couple of hours' ride on to Almeria, there there are 8 hour overnight ferries to Oran (Tuesday) and Ghazaouet (Friday). I live in London, so dropping the bike off in Holland a few weeks or so beforehand and flying back home would probably work.

Let me know if you want the company's details.

Ed

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Where Next Barney? / Trans Morocco Trail

Agreed that it mainly comes down to a change in how Algeria sees tourism.
If it opens up, it means tour operators may see a new market.
Also agree with Chris Scott that Algeria in itself is a destination where you could spend many months.
Saudi Arabia is destined to become a major tourist destination.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2353656/saudi-arabia
The northwest is amazing and not much developed for tourists yet.
Others may take notice.
Inshallah etc.

I think the sort of tourism DZ, KSA and probably any other country wants is not the kind we do.
They want big groups flying into lavish local hotels then doing day trips in 4x4s with local drivers before exiting via the gift shop. The problem (unlike much richer KSA, I suspect) is that there has be very little development in the south to adequately serve these tourists. In the 600 desolate km between Djanet and Tam you would probably find 600 lodgings in Morocco over a similar distance.
But as Tom Sheppard might say - long may it stay like that!
The longer DZ does not become like Erg Chebbi the better.

Dirtbags in autonomous off-roaders bring little of economic value other than spreading the word of Alg's desert riches. Which makes the lack of enforcement of the 20-year-old agency escort rule even more puzzling.

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Thanks for the offer, Ed

first, I have to admit to have joined this biker forum for the precious infos provided here for a long dreamt of Africa circumnavigation, but never did that big trip and never held a driving license for everything bigger than 50ccm. I feel very attached to my +50yrs old Landy Series 2a.

A true Sahara crossing with it is just a silly bucket list thing, which will or won't be check marked, once time and budget allows. There was a time pre-Covid, when I ran my own wind- & kitesurfschool from March to October on Sardinia and was better off in not turning on the heater in my flat during winter, but driving flat out (at barely 90km/h) towards the heat of the south of Spain or Morocco (unfortunately little surfable wind in M during the winter, so mostly stood in Tarifa). Pandemic had me to change places and my ways of earning a living and I won't be able to break free for a few months either in the overseeable future.

I've got a similar quote to have my car transported by truck from my current home in western Germany to Malaga by a Spanish freight company. Occasionally, I have imported classic cars to restore and resell from Spain through him. This could be still an option to save me the week of driving down there, but nearly at the same cost.

Actually I´m only daydreaming longer trips these days, too, maybe I can take a month or two off next winter for it, but going via Spain into Morocco would only be a new thing beyond Dakhla, so sneaking into Morocco from the other side, coming from Tunisia, Algeria, RIM, would be an exciting option and would allow me to visit friends on Sardinia, too.

Edit(h) is a bit confused, we were under the impression to have written my earlier response in the New Border: Algeria - Mauritania -Post Did some Mod move this conversation over here or am I just nuts?

I moved it here as it has become a general Alg discussion, not about the Tindouf border. Makes it easier for users to find stuff quickly.

And fyi, while HUBB was originally and is mainly a moto forum, unlike other regional HUBB forums, 'North Africa' (Sahara) covers info on exploring the desert by any means. It was originally my Sahara Travel Forum which I moved onto the HUBB over 20 years ago, and I've travelled out there with cars, motos, 4x4 and camels.

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

I'm planning my trip this year to explore the 'Empty Quarter' on both sides, and I'm wondering if anybody has had a recent experience crossing from Algeria to Mauritania ?

Assuming you mean the Tindouf route (not really Majabat al Koubra or E¼), this is the thread you want:
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hu...uritania-95755

I think the window for Majabat (RIM-Mali) is long closed.

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

TT, I have an Italian passport and I've been digging into the planning for a Tunisia-Algeria trip and everything I see on-line is that Schengen Area passports require a visa to Algeria issued from your home country.

Do you (or anyone here) have any additional knowledge or experience with getting a visa on arrival at a land border for Algeria? Or maybe I misinterpreted your statement about the T-A border being straight forward with a hotel reservation?

Thanks!

Currently VoAs are only issued at airports.

For land borders you need more than a hotel reservation, you a visa in advance which is most easily obtained from the consulate in your home country with evidence of hotel res (certificate d'hebergement) or of course a booked tour with an escort meeting you at the border.

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

FYI I came in/out of Algiers, Oran, Mostaganem & the Taleb Larbi (DZ/TN) crossings last autumn and saw nothing to suggest that you can turn up and get a visa on the spot.

Needless to say Chris's post above is also right on the money, based on my experience.

Ed

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Where Next Barney? / Trans Morocco Trail

Marcello Carucci, who without doubt is in the pantheon of motorbiking influencers with the greatest facial hair, made it to Tamanrasset this week - only worth mentioning because it sounds like he had to have an escort from In Salah, if I've understood his posts correctly (they're in Italian).

https://www.facebook.com/marcellocaruccimoto

If correct, an unfortunate sign that the waters remain muddy for unassisted travel further south still.

Ed

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Where Next Barney? / Trans Morocco Trail

I got this info of the T-A border being "straight forward" from a German 4x4-Forum, where some group described it like that. Whether they had visa collected in advance wasn't clear, but getting one doesn't seem to be a problem, even without a verified hotel booking or guide for the entire stay.