Getting To Saidia

Getting to Saidia is uncomplicated and easy, but will probably involve an airport change. There are three international airports nearby: Oujda, Nador and Melilla (Spanish, on the Moroccan mainland). You can rent a car at all three airports, to drive direct to the villa

Oujda airport is the most comfortable and most accessible for Saidia, with several airlines offering daily flights. Of these the most frequent (and offering an excellent punctual service) is Atlas Blue. Oujda is about 60 minutes drive from Saidia Beach Villa, along a good, modern road; it also has the added bonus of having a large modern hypermarket (Marjane) 10 minutes away, to stock up on food and wine when you arrive. There are several car rental companies at the airport, including Avis and Budget.

Atlas Blue, the budget airline owned by Royal Air Maroc, flies into Oujda from Paris (Charles de Gaulle), Brussels, Amsterdam and Marseilles.

Jetair flies from Brussels and Charleroi.

Transavia flies from Paris (Orly Sud).

Nador airport is reasonably comfortable and about 1.5 hours drive from Saidia. The road is straight forward and accessible, and cars can be rented at the airport. There are shops nearby, but less easy to find than at Oujda. Ryanair is planning to fly from its European hub at Marseilles direct to Saidia from 27th October 2008.

Ryanair - Marseilles to Nador from October 2008

Tui offers flights from Cologne/Bonn airport.

Melilla airport is in the Spanish territory of Melilla, about 90 minutes drive from the border to Saidia. The big advantage of Melilla is that is has flights almost hourly from various airports in Spain; however it does have its drawbacks.

You will need to rent a car and cross at the border (which is not signposted anywhere in Melilla, so finding it is the first hurdle). Crossing the border involves parking in no man's land, filling in a form and having passports stamped, whilst surrounded by appalling poverty and shocking scenes that take getting used to. It is intimidating to come this way the first few times, and the sight of the poverty never gets easier. Crossing the border, particularly at weekends, may take up to 90 minutes each way, whilst you are being hassled by women asking you to take things across the border for them. You will also have your car opened up by Spanish police on the way back, checking for people smuggling. It is extraordinary that Spain and Morocco do not improve this crossing, as it gives a shockingly bad impression on arrival into the country.

Iberia flies into Melilla from Malaga, Barcelona and Madrid, but you need to book through the Spanish Iberia website.