Getting Around

Marrakech and other cities:

Walking is the best way to get around the winding lanes of any medina. Beware silent bicycles, charging mopeds and recent horse-shit. You can of course rent your own bicycle if you want to go further afield (e.g. to Gueliz, the modern part); or you can take a caleche (horse-drawn carriage) – a tour of the pink city walls at sundown is a particular favourite. As for driving within the medina, don’t. Most hire car companies are situated in Gueliz and can drop your car off at Djemaa el Fna square (for central riads) or at the hotel (otherwise).

If taking a taxi – to the Palmeraie, for example – make sure the meter is on, or arrange a fare; they are quite reasonable (around 50 DH within the city, 100-150 DH to the Palmeraie). Remember that petits taxis (Peugeot 205 etc) can take up to 3 passengers and must stay within the city limits, while grands taxis (Peugeot 504 estate etc) can take up to 6, usually with a third row of seats, as far as you want. If you don't want to drive yourself, the grand taxis can be hired for half day or whole day excursions (about 1000DH/day)

CAR HIRE:

This is a good option for any tour of the south or coast. Prices start from around £25/day. The roads are reasonable, but mountain roads are slow, and most of the desert roads have a single lane of asphalt with dirt/rock verge on both sides, so when another vehicle approaches one of you will need to pull over, looking out for broken glass. Do not attempt to play "who dares wins" with the local lorry drivers, by being the last to give way. You will lose. Make sure your car has a properly inflated spare wheel and jack. Rather tediously, when leaving your car in cities or popular tourist spots, you are well advised to pay someone to guard it – preferably a capped ‘official’ rather than a random child – as you may find your tyre springs a sudden and mysterious air leak otherwise. Never leave valuables visible. If driving at night (try not to if possible) look out for unlit vehicles; Moroccan law allows them, up to 20 km/h!

Don’t be too put off by the older generation of hire cars on offer – most are sturdy and reliable. Old Renault 4’s and Peugeot 205’s can handle piste (dirt road) rather well, but of course a 4WD is a must for any serious desert tour. Tell the hire company where you plan to go and, unless you have reliably better information, trust them about which vehicle to take. You can book your hire car before you go with Holiday Autos who can supply cars either at the airport or in town.

BY BUS:

There is a frequent and reliable bus network, but journeys are slow and hot.

BY TRAIN:

A decent rail network ONCFM links the major cities in the north / centre (Marrakesh – Casablanca – Rabat – Meknes – Fes – Oujda – Tangiers), and are more relaxing and barely more expensive than buses. First and second class are provided, both are perfectly acceptable and both are cheap by European standards.

The journey from Casablanca to Marrakech takes about 3-3.5 hrs and costs about 100 DH in first class one way. It's a good way to reach Marrakech if your international air ticket is only as far as Casablanca.

From Tangier, modern air-conditioned 'rapides' run several times a day to Meknès, Fez, Rabat and Casablanca, with connections for Marrakech. Tangier-Fes takes about 5 hours and costs 140 DH and Tangier-Marakkech, approx 9-10 hours and 280 DH first class one way. Note that the town centre station in Tangier has been closed, and you will need to take a petit taxi to Tangier's new 'Morora' station, about 5 km from the town. It should cost about 50DH, but you may end up paying more. If you are arriving from the ferry you will first need to get the taxi driver to take you to an ATM to change some money.

When to Go

Spring (March-May) - lush valleys, flowers galore, snowcapped peaks, pleasantly warm and sunny conditions (typically in the 70s inland, cooler on the coast), but also the busiest season, particularly over Easter. In autumn (mid Sep-mid Nov) temperatures are also very agreeable, but the countryside tends to look parched.

Winter (Nov-Mar) is the time to head for the desert regions of the south, but be prepared for cold nights, often subzero. It's also the most promising time for skiing at Oukaimeden, though snow, like anything in Africa, can never be guaranteed.

Summer temperatures inland exceed 100F in July/August; retreat from the intense heat to the coast or the High Atlas which remain windy and cool. The season for Atlas hikes is May to October, but those with winter mountaineering experience and equipment might well find a clear, crisp day to tackle an icy peak in January/February.

For further details of Average Temperatures: click on weather info...

Ramadan is not an ideal time to travel - the month of daytime abstinence from food, drink, smoking and sex (see below).

Holidays / Festivals

National Holidays:

1 Jan: New Year's Day
11 Jan: Independence Manifesto
1 May: Labour Day
30 July: Feast of the Throne
14 Aug: Allegiance Day
20 Aug: Anniversary of the King's and People's Revolution
21 Aug: Youth Day
6 Nov: Anniversary of the Green March
18 Nov: Independence Day

All Islamic holidays are based on the lunar calendar, and their dates move forward by about 11 days every (Western) year.

Ramadan
The key event of the year (4 October 2005 - 2 November 2005), when the whole country abstains from eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours. Try and avoid doing any of these in front of locals, as it may seem provocative. You may consider joining the fast for a bit, to see what they are going through - and boy, does that harira (fast-breaking soup at sunset) taste good! It's not an ideal time to be travelling around, but can provide great evenings of hospitality, feasting, improvised music and dance into the small hours. If you're driving, watch out for sleepy drivers coming the other way! The end of Ramadam is celebrated with the festivites of Eid al-Fitr.

Festivals:

Honey Festival in Immouzer des Ida Outanane in April
Essaouira Festival - a week long art and music festival held in mid June.
Rose Festival - held in late May at El-Kelaa M'Gouna in the Dades Valley.
National Folklore Festival - 10-day festival of music, theatre and dance held in the grounds of Marrakech's El Badi palace in June/July.
Date Festival in Erfoud in November.

From May-September Moussems, or Ammougars, are localised markets and/or fiestas held in honour of saints or marabouts. At some of the larger ones you will find horse-riding, music, singing and dancing as well as eating and drinking.

Visas / Entry Requirements

No visas are required for visitors from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and most EU countries. Nationals of Israel, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Benelux DO require visas. Ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the date of your arrival. From point of entry visitors can stay 90 days (you will need an official permit or extension for longer stays).

Money

Currency: Moroccan dirham (Dh). 1 dirham=100 centimes.

Exchange rate: roughly 1 US$=10Dh, 1 £=15Dh

Changing money: You cannot buy dirhams outside Morocco nor take them with you when you leave. All Moroccan airports have exchange booths on arrival and departure, open whenever a flight arrives/leaves. Be sure to count your (unfamiliar) dirhams carefully, especially the smaller notes, which cashiers sometimes gloss over to their advantage. Cash and travellers cheques can be exchanged at most banks (BMCE is one of best banks). It's easier to use credit and Switch cards to withdraw dirhams at ATMs, available in most towns.

Credit cards: Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted; Diners and Amex less so.

Communications

Time: Local time is GMT throughout the year – so 1 hour behind the UK in summertime. The Spanish enclaves (Ceuta and Melilla) keep Spanish time, 1 hour (or 2 in summer) ahead of Moroccan.

Telephone: international dialling code: +212; outgoing international access code 00. Moroccan numbers now comprise 8 digits after the 212 (the first is the regional code) e.g. Marrakech and Essaouira have an additional 4 before the first 4.

There are vividly advertised teleboutiques in every village, which can give change for their (coin-operated) phones.

If you're making lots of internal calls, and if your mobile accepts them, you can buy a Moroccan SIM card and number from larger PTT branches for about 260 DH, including 30 minutes‘ talk time.

Fax: Most hotels have a fax service.

Internet: There is a growing number of internet cafes costing from 30 DH per half hour, including

Marrakech: Medina - one on rue de Bab Agnaou, another behind the Hotel Ali on rue Bani Marine, off Djemaa el Fna square. Ville Nouvelle - Cybernet, (14, Avenue Yacoub Al Mansour, Guéliz, near Jardins Majorelle), closed Sundays and lunchtimes, tel: 4 43 91 17; Cyberland, 61 rue de Yougoslavie, passage Ghandouri, Gueliz
Tangier: Cybercafe Momnet, 53 Ave Moulay Abdellah
Casablanca: Web’s Cafe, Rues Normandie & Salaheddine Al Afghani

In other places your hotel may let you check your e-mails on their machine. If taking a laptop, you may need to add an outside line access number to your dial up (in hotels), switch to pulse dialling, and take a phone socket adaptor (check with hotel).

Post: Letters to and from Europe take about 1 week, twice that for North America.

Electricity: Mostly 220V; still 110V in some areas (occasionally both in thesame place) – you will need converters for any heat-generating apparatus, like hair-dryers.

Health

No inoculations are officially required, although you should always be up-to-date with polio and tetanus. Malaria pills are only necessary for travel in the far south. Beware of altitude sickness if attempting high treks around Mt. Toubkal and heatstroke in the desert.

The usual precautions apply to food and drink - stick to hot, freshly cooked meals, peel fruit and avoid stale-looking meat!
Tap water is generally safe in the larger towns and cities, though in mountain areas there is a small risk of livestock-borne giarda, while in the southern desert areas the threat of bilharzia means you should avoid all contact with slow-moving or stagnant water. It's worth taking carbon-based capsules with you in case you get diarrhoea.

It goes without saying that you should have a valid health insurance; E111 forms are not valid in Morocco. Local doctors speak French and often English.

Safety / Nuisances

For shoppers, the main concern must be the touts – unofficial guides, dogged salesmen and assorted other self-appointed sidekicks – who can plague your every step. In Marrakech, stricter policing and a tough vetting of the official guides have improved this, but a purposeful, respectful demeanour will always be your best weapon. You are likely to be more hassled in Fez (where tourism is less developed) and if you arrive by ferry in Tangier, be prepared!

People frequently ask whether it will be safe following the events of September 11. Providing you respect their traditions and culture, Moroccans are friendly to all visitors whether they be American, European or Asian. We were in Morocco on September 11 and had no problems at all.

Drivers, meanwhile, should beware the straight, soporific and single-laned roads of the south, especially at night-time, when they crawl with unlit obstacles of all kinds. Do not attempt to play "who dares wins" with the local lorry drivers, by being the last to give way. You will lose.

Women may attract a particularly tiring, though rarely dangerous, degree of attention, especially if skimpily dressed.

Any visitor should be prepared for the usual trappings of Islam, from amplified early-morning prayer calls to alcohol-free cafes; and the climatic extremes common of any African country, from draining heat in summer to freezing nights in winter. Finally, if you venture into the Sahara, beware of bites from a snake, palm rat or scorpion, and of the real danger of heatstroke.

With Children

Morocco is definitely a child-friendly destination. They are rarely at risk from strangers, there is lots to amuse them, and many hotels have family rooms and menus. Nearly all adult Moroccans have their own children and appreciate others’ – they can be an easy first point of contact, and are often given little presents by shopkeepers while you do the bargaining.

A great destination would be the coastal town of Essaouira, with its long sandy beaches, fishing port, lively street-life, and even the possibility of a boat trip. The Teahouse, with its 2-bedroom apartments, is the ideal place to stay.

Children who like the great outdoors will appreciate a stay in the Kasbah du Toubkal, a castle-like guesthouse high in the Atlas mountains, which has some dormitory-style accommodation as well as a few smarter rooms, and caters regularly for school groups; or, for more upmarket families.

Marrakech also has plenty to offer – caleche rides, bicycles for hire – but these may not tally with the demands of a heavy shopping programme. The nature of Moroccan buildings means steep stairs and roof terraces, whose railings you should check. You might prefer one of our featured hotels in La Palmeraie, the palm groves outside town: Les Deux Tours, Jnane Tamsna. In Marrakech and other cities, children can easily wander off and get lost. Even if you arrange a rendez-vous in the hotel, they may not find their way back without a bit of guidance – nor indeed may you.

The southern desert area involves long, hot drives and would only appeal to older, more adventurous children.

Practicalities: All major airlines to Morocco allow children under 2 to travel free, and offer 33% reduction for children aged 2-12. Kids travel half price on Moroccan trains. Hotels tend to offer free cots for toddlers in the adults’ room, and give 30-50% off for children in their own room. Many have good-value family rooms or suites with up to three single beds in addition to the double, while others can supply an extra bed or two – check the hotel entries before booking. Powdered baby formula and disposable nappies (diapers) are available from chemists and larger supermarkets. Beware of heat and dehydration, especially during hot car journeys.

Tipping / Customs

Taxi drivers do not expect a tip. Waiters in proper restaurants should be tipped up to 10% of the bill. At informal cafes, the tip is normally 1-2 DH per person in the party. Hotel porters will appreciate 5–10 DH, as will anyone else who helps you out (e.g. the young lad who guides you back to your hotel when you are lost). If venturing into the rural areas, it is a good idea to come armed with small presents – T-shirts, biros, etc. - for those who bestow unexpected or uncalled-for hospitality on you.

Be prepared to eat from a communal dish in basic eateries. Moroccan men may expect to attend a brief prayer session five times a day, especially on Friday, the major religious day. Women may not enter mosques (except with very special permission, in the women’s gallery), nor are non-Muslims.

Always ask if you want to take photos of people. Women will usually turn away and men or children may ask for money (keep small coins in your pocket).

Take off your shoes when entering a Moroccan home, and walk in socks or (borrowed) slippers. When talking about any future event, it is customary to add ‘inshallah’ (if Allah wills it). Don't even think about exporting cannabis or other illegal substances – though having a quiet smoke will usually be trouble-free.

Shopping in Morocco

If you decide against a 'shopping guide' and prefer to go it alone...
Expect to haggle. Once familiarised and treated with a smile, this can be an almost enjoyable ritual. How long you make it last will probably depend on your time-to-money ratio. The best piece of advice is to think ahead about exactly what you want and how much you would be prepared to pay for it. Try and visit the fixed-price, unpressurised co-operatives to get an idea of what’s on offer. The crunch moment on the bargaining floor is the last place to have a discussion about whether you really need 4 lamps – unless it is part of your act, of course.

Do not show interest unless you really intend to purchase. Do not quote prices you would not be prepared to pay - you might, out of curiosity, offer half the starting price and eventually have it accepted. Then what would you do? In Marrakesh’s souks the starting price may be as much as 4 times what they are prepared to accept, though if they sense you know your stuff they will start lower or come down very rapidly.

Do leave the major purchases until later in your stay, so you know more precisely what you want, and what you should pay. Try the walking-away trick. If they don't hail you back with a better price, you can always start at the next place with the ‘best and final’ offer of the shop before – and repeat this at least three times!

To avoid hassle, stride off purposefully (and hope it's not a cul-de-sac!); don’t be shy of saying a firm ‘Non’ with wagging finger; you could even carry your guide book in a folder and dress smartly to give the appearance of a person on business, and in a hurry.

A few final tips: Essaouira is generally cheaper than Marrakech, especially for wood and inlay. Small towns in the south often have good deals on carpets. Agadir has some fixed-price shops with a large variety of smaller gifts. Finally, when you have bought something, don’t continue to shop around – you will inevitably find it cheaper sooner or later, and it will sour your now-fond memory of the purchasing ritual.

Shipping: for all your shippings from Morocco, contact a freight forwarder at www.fbrmaroc.com - Tel: 00-212-22-47 09 61

What to Wear

Although more relaxed that many Muslim countries, you should still dress conservatively. Take light trousers (or long skirts), long-sleeved cotton shirts and, for winter or desert trips, a warm sweater and even a hat. A light windproof is useful on the coast. Likewise sandals or flip-flops, though you can pick up wonderful leather "babouche" slippers locally. If you intend to hike, take a breathable waterproof, if possible, and, for high altitude or non-summer treks, gloves and a warm fleece. Moroccan mountains are particularly sharp and rocky, so take thick-soled, rigid or semi-rigid boots.

Need More Info

Moroccan Tourist Boards (outside Morocco)

UK: 205 Regent St, London Tel: 020 7437 0073

USA: 20 East 46th Street, Suite 1201, New York Tel: 212 5572520

Australia: 11 West Street, Sydney NSW 2060 Tel: 9576711

France: 161 rue Saint Honoré, Place du Théâtre-Français, 75001 Paris Tel: 42 60 47 24

Germany: 59 Graf Adolf Strasse, 4000 Dusseldorf Tel: 49 211370551/2

Recommended reading

Guide books

The Rough Guide to Morocco is an accurate and readable bible for budget travellers, The Footprints Handbook and The Lonely Planet are good for detailed background info on various aspects of Moroccan life past and present, Fodor's is a good general guide for mainstream areas, though it does not get under the Moroccan skin as much as the other three. The Cadogan Guide to Morocco by Barnaby Rogerson makes good reading but has less practical details. If you plan to go trekking, the recently published Trekking in the Moroccan Atlas by Richard Knight (Trailblazer) is excellent.