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Getting There By Air:

Marrakech-Menara International Airport (RAK)
Tel: (024) 447 910.
Website: www.onda.org.ma

Marrakech-Menara International Airport is located about 6km (4 miles) southwest of Marrakech. A growing number of low-cost airlines connect European airports directly to Marrakech-Menara airports, although many airlines still fly to Marrakech via Casablanca, Morocco’s main international hub.

Approximate flight times to Marrakech: From London is 3 hours 30 minutes.

Airport facilities: These include banks, ATMs, a post office, a restaurant and snack bars, duty-free shops, general shops, a medical center and tourist information. Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz all provide car hire services.

Transport to the city: Bus 11 is supposed to run to the medina every 30 minutes, but service can be erratic. Petits taxis (small beige compact cars) are a better bet, and can be found in the driveway near the parking lot. Bargain in advance for a fare, which should cost less than Dh70 by day or Dh100 at night. If you’ve arranged an airport transfer through your hotel or riad but your flight arrived later than expected, you can use the phones in the arrival and departure lounges to let them know you’ve arrived.

Getting There By Road:

Major cities in Morocco are connected by a good network of relatively uncongested roads, but driving within Marrakech is not recommended due to almost constant traffic jams of trucks, cars, daredevil scooters, clueless pedestrians, and stubborn donkeys. Street parking is rare, and should you find it, a tip of a few dirhams is expected by the ’parking guardian’ on the block (usually wearing a blue coat). Many of the new roads in the Palmeraie (palm grove) outside Marrakech aren’t yet paved, and a 4-wheel drive is recommended.

Not that people always follow them, but here are the rules of the road. The official speed limit is 100kph (62mph) outside towns and 40kph (25mph) in urban areas. Driving is on the right. The minimum age for driving is 18 years, but drivers under 21 should also check car hire agency rules. There are frequent road blocks once you get outside Marrakech, so drivers should keep their papers accessible. By law, both driver and passengers must wear seat belts (front seat) when driving or face an on-the-spot fine. No alcohol level in the blood whatsoever is considered permissible when driving. Roadside police officers have been well trained to spot drunken driving and will not hesitate to pull cars over. The Moroccan authorities acknowledge most foreign driving licenses, but an International Driving Permit is recommended.

Emergency breakdown service: There is no general breakdown service - hire cars should have emergency breakdown details on board. For accidents, contact police (tel: 19).

Routes to the city: Marrakech is linked to Casablanca by the P7, to Fez by the P24, to Ouarzazate by the P31, to Essaouira by the P10, and to Agadir via the P10 then P40.

Coach services: Most services between Morocco’s major cities and towns are run by CTM, the national coach company (tel: (024) 434 402; website: www.ctm.co.ma), which is reliable and runs on strict schedules. CTM’s urban and intercity routes leave from Marrakech’s Gare Routière (central bus station) just outside Bab Doukkala at Place el Mouarabitène (tel: (044) 433 933), on the northwestern edge of the old city. Bus tickets can be purchased in advance from the main bus station, or at the Guéliz CTM office on Boulevard Mohammed Zerktouni (tel: (024) 448 328). It is no cheaper but it will guarantee a seat, which is particularly advisable on routes that run a limited daily service.

Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK only; website: www.eurolines.co.uk) runs a service from London’s Victoria coach station to Marrakech every Monday, with returns from Marrakech’s central bus station on Fridays. Eurolines also runs services to and from Marrakech to/from destinations all over Europe, with many routes involving a change of coach in Paris. International buses arrive and depart from the Guéliz CTM office on Boulevard Mohammed Zerktouni.

Supratours (tel: (024) 435 525) provides comfortable, air-conditioned express bus services to/from Essaouira, Agadir, and Laayoune. Buses depart and arrive from the Supratours station next door to the train station at Avenue Hassan II. You can purchase tickets in advance at the Supratours station or via your hotel or riad.

Getting There By Rail:

The Moroccan state railway, Office National des Chemins de Fer, or ONCF (tel: (024) 447 768; website: www.oncf.ma) is a legacy from French colonial times and although services are limited they are reliable and inexpensive, and a good option for travel between Morocco’s major cities. It’s also a greener way to travel than by plane or car, reducing emissions that might otherwise harm southern Morocco’s delicate desert ecosystems. Marrakech’s railway station is a charmingly ramshackle building (a new one featuring big-name fast-food chains is in the works) located on Avenue Hassan II at the corner of Boulevard Mohammed VI in the new city of Guéliz. Tickets can be purchased directly at the train station or through your riad or hotel.

Rail services: The Moroccan rail system runs along two branches: from Casablanca on the west coast to Oujda in the northeast, and from Tangier in the north to Marrakech. There are two classes of seats: first has six seats per compartment, and second has eight per compartment. Second-class travel is quite comfortable for most journeys. In summer, note that first class ensures an air-conditioned carriage only on intercity TCR (Train Climatisé Rapide) trains. The most frequent direct services to/from Marrakech are to/from Fez and Rabat, and the direct overnight service to/from Tangier with sleeping carriages. Return tickets are good for up to seven days after your initial date of travel.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
The national coach company CTM (tel: (022) 438 282; website: www.ctm.co.ma) is the main provider of urban bus services within Marrakech. Most local bus services leave from Marrakech’s central bus station just outside Bab Doukkala on the northwestern edge of the old city. CTM services are reliable and operate from early morning until late at night, with night buses running on the more popular routes. However, buses can be very crowded at peak hours. Single fares are paid to the driver on boarding. Buses 1 and 20 ply the route between Guéliz and Jemaa el Fna along Boulevard Mohammed V.

Taxis
Quicker than the buses, petits taxis are standard metered taxis - small beige hatchback cars, normally Fiats, which can be hailed around the city. Check to see that the meter is working when you get in, and know that anywhere you go within Guéliz or Hivernage will cost slightly more at night. When you arrive at your destination, round up the fare to the nearest dirham or two as a tip. Petits taxis are ubiquitous on Marrakech’s streets so there should be no need to telephone one. Hotels can arrange pick-ups if necessary.

Grands taxis are old Mercedes cars that carry up to six people for a fixed fare agreed upon in advance, usually to out-of-town destinations such as Essaouira. When full, grands taxis leave from the bus station, from the Jemaa el Fna and from the Post Office in Guéliz. Grands taxis and petits taxis can also be hired in exclusivity for tours of the city, or day trips outside the city.

A calèche is a horse-drawn carriage carrying up to five people, either as a mode of transport within the medina or as a picturesque way to tour the environs of Marrakech or arrive at dinner in the Hivernage. State-fixed hourly rates should be painted on the side of the carriage; for short trips, prices should be agreed in advance. Calèches line up in the garden square between the Koutoubia Mosque and Jemaa el Fna, el Badi Palace and the more expensive hotels in the Hivernage.

Driving in the City
Many of the roads in the Marrakech medina are simply too narrow for cars, and only small cars can negotiate the rest. It is advisable to park the car and use taxis while in the city. Furthermore, accident rates are very high, especially around the medina, where people and cyclists are apt to pull out suddenly in front of the traffic. After dark, the dangers increase since it is legal to drive cars and ride bicycles without lights at up to 20kph (12mph). Parking in Guéliz can be found at any of the big hotels or off the Avenue Mohammed V, but be warned: street parking is elusive and ’parking guardians’ expect a tip for keeping an eye on your car. In the medina, security-patrolled spaces are available at Jemaa-el-Fna outside the Foucauld Hôtel and near the Bahia Palace in the car park on Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid beside the Préfecture (police headquarters).

Car Hire
The major car hire companies can almost all be found at the airport and in Guéliz in the area around Place Abdel Moumen ben Ali, which links Avenue Mohammed V with Boulevard Mohammed Zerktouni. These include: Avis, 137 Avenue Mohammed V (tel: (024) 432 525 or 433 169 (airport office); website: www.avis.com), Budget, 80 Boulevard Zerktouni (tel: (024) 431 180 or 438 875 (airport office) or 440 720 (La Mamounia Hotel office); website: www.budget.com), Europcar, 63 Boulevard Zerktouni (tel: (024) 431 228 or 437 718 (airport office); website: www.europcar.com), and Hertz, 154 Avenue Mohammed V (tel: (024) 439 984 or 447 230 (airport office); website: www.hertz.com).

Hire fees are subject to 20% government tax; visitors should make sure that this has been added to the agreed price. Although smaller local companies can be much cheaper, this is often reflected in the condition of the cars. However, one more reputable outfit is Concorde Cars, 154 Avenue Mohammed V (tel: (024) 431 116; website: http://concordecar.ifrance.com).

Drivers must usually be over 21 years of age to hire a car and in possession of a national driving license. Most European driving licenses are acknowledged in Morocco, but an International Driving Permit is recommended. Third-party insurance is automatically included when renting a car, but you might want to pay extra for collision damage waiver and personal insurance to avoid exorbitant charges in case of an accident.

Bicycle Hire
Popular alternatives to car travel include bicycles and scooters. Both can be rented from Adoul Abdellah, 14 Avenue Abdelkarim el Khattabi, Guéliz (tel: (024) 432 238), or Marrakech Motos, 31 Avenue Abdelkarim el Khattabi, Guéliz (tel: (024) 448 359). Test the brakes and tires before hiring. Bicycles can also be hired from Hotel Ali, Rue Moulay Ismail, Medina (tel: (024) 444 979), and from a number of small operators around Place 16 Novembre in Guéliz. Traffic congestion around the medina and disregard for road rules can make cycling on main roads dangerous. A more popular bicycle route is from the medina out to the Pameraie (palm grove), though a mountain bike may be needed to handle rugged unpaved roads.

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