Rick Steves Calls This Beautiful Border-Crossing Excursion 'The Most Exciting Day Trip In Europe'

One of the greatest joys of Europe for travelers is the ease with which you can cross borders. Unlike almost anywhere else in the world, the European Union allows frictionless, passport-free crossings from one member country to another, making journeys around Europe smooth and hassle-free. Indeed, in plenty of cases you may not even be aware you've crossed a border at all! Catching a train from Paris to Berlin or heading off on a road trip from Brussels to Amsterdam can feel as normal as visiting the next state over. There are plenty of people in the EU who live in one country and work in another, commuting across international borders without a second thought.

This seamless travel from one country to the next makes it "easy to throw a change of scenery and culture into your European itinerary," according to renowned European travel expert Rick Steves. The countries are relatively small, the distances between cities are short, and European public transport is generally excellent. There's something incomparably exciting about having breakfast in one country and lunch in another, which makes border-crossing excursions one of the most enjoyable ways to take a day trip. 

Rick Steves highlights several excellent country-spanning day trips, including the border-busting Eurostar train journey from London to Paris and the breathtaking drive across the Balkans from Dubrovnik to Mostar. But the trip that Rick Steves highlights as "the most exciting day trip in Europe" isn't just crossing borders and moving countries. This excursion takes you to a whole new continent, from Spain across the Mediterranean to the bustling North African city of Tangier.

The journey from Spain to Morocco is incredibly short considering you are leaving Europe and entering Africa. Ferries leave Tarifa in southern Spain to cross the straits of Gibraltar, a distance of about 17 nautical miles which takes 35 minutes to an hour. Tarifa is about half an hour's drive from Algeciras, just over an hour from Cadiz, and just under two hours from Malaga. 

Tangier is an ideal day trip from Spain for so many reasons. As Rick Steves points out, it offers "a legitimate taste of North Africa and an authentic slice of Islam." It is a wonderful city, with its warren of winding streets that snake their way up and around the medina, its den-like souks, and its charming air of picturesque decrepitude. Tangiers overwhelms visitors with its combination of sounds and smells, with the aromas of spices and charcoal grills filling the air alongside the calls of artisans and trinket vendors. 

It offers a diverse, vibrant, exciting, and incredibly different experience for travelers based in southern Spain, but there are also a number of overlaps that can provide a fascinating insight into the history and culture of the region. North Africa and southern Spain share a rich and complex past, and as you explore Tangier, you will be able to see how much of the Al-Andalus, the Islamic Empire which once stretched as far north as Pamplona and Narbonne, remains in Spanish cities like Granada and the vibrant southern city of Seville.

Tangier is a small city, and while there are loads of wonderful things to see and do, it is definitely possible to get a taste of what makes it so special in a single day. Once off the boat, the best thing to do is head straight to the Grand Socco, the ornate entrance to the ancient medina. This large square gives you your first glimpse of the vibrant life of the city, a mess of taxi drivers, tourists, and locals sipping mint tea and playing board games on La Terrasse. Stick your head into the Cinema Rif, one of the most iconic buildings and institutions of Tangier, and drink in its faded Art Deco ambiance. 

From the Grand Socco, wander your way through the labyrinth of alleyways inside the medina. Enjoy the bustle of traders and vendors in the fabulously atmospheric souk, and aim for the Petit Socco, once notorious as a place of sin and debauchery, and famously the spot where Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation based themselves. Grab lunch at Café Tingis or the Gran Café Central, then head towards the sea to the Grand Mosque. You'll only be able to enjoy the green-shingled exterior as entry is prohibited except for prayer, but it is well worth a look. If you have time, keep going until you reach Tangier Beach, and enjoy a dip in the water or a stroll along the corniche. Head back to the ferry to catch the last boat back to Spain, to complete your continent-hopping day trip.