Boat tickets Tanger Med – Sète

About two days, more than the forty hours often quoted: the ship crosses the Gulf of Lion, runs along Spain and passes the Strait of Gibraltar. That is the price of leaving from France without the Spanish road. Cabin and meal package are settled at booking, and the car deck stays closed throughout the passage.

Both leave from the same quay in Sète and take roughly as long; everything is decided on arrival. Tanger Med opens onto the motorway to Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and the south. Nador lands you in the Oriental, two hours from Oujda and four or five from Fez. Picking the wrong port adds five to six hundred kilometres of Moroccan road — the only question that matters on these two routes.

It is a seasonal service, tied to school holidays and above all to the Marhaba operation, from mid-June to mid-September. The calendar is published in waves and vehicle spaces go fast. Sète does not have the Strait's daily cadence: on this route you first pick a date from those offered, then build the rest of the trip around it.

Yes, and Sète lends itself to it: the station is a kilometre from the terminal, with direct trains from Montpellier in half an hour and from Paris or Lyon within the day. The foot fare is markedly lower than the vehicle fare on a two-day route. The catch comes on arrival: Tanger Med is 45 kilometres from Tangier with no pedestrian exit, which means a shuttle or a taxi.

First the Gulf of Lion, the most exposed stretch of the route, where the tramontane and the mistral can raise a short sea. Then the calmer Balearic basin off Ibiza. Finally the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar. That sequence explains why the first third of the crossing is often the roughest, and why autumn and winter sailings are less comfortable than summer ones.

Ships on the long routes have restaurants and cafeterias, and operators offer board packages taken at booking — generally cheaper than à la carte over four or five meals. Special diets and children's meals are flagged at that point. You may bring your own food, provided you carry it up to the cabin: the car deck stays closed.

The registration document in the driver's name, insurance covering Morocco — the European green card does not include it — and the passport. The vehicle's temporary admission is issued on arrival at Tanger Med, valid six months per calendar year, and handed back on leaving Moroccan territory. Dimensions, roof box included, are declared at booking: on a two-day route, the fare category makes a real difference.

The ferry crossing from TANGER MED to SETE takes approximately 42h. This duration may vary slightly depending on weather conditions and the specific vessel used.

Expect from 199 € on foot to about 1200 € for a car with cabin. Three factors apply: season (+40 to 60 % in summer), how early you book (−30 to 40 % in advance) and accommodation type. Indicative 2026 fares, to be confirmed at booking.

For international ferry crossings, we recommend arriving at TANGER MED at least 2 hours before the scheduled departure time. This allows sufficient time for check-in, security procedures, and vehicle boarding if applicable.

Yes, bookings can typically be modified or cancelled according to the ferry company's terms and conditions. Cancellation policies vary by operator and ticket type. Learn more about cancellation policies.