United rent a car Marrakech Airport (2023)

FAQs

Is it a good idea to rent a car in Morocco? ›

If you're planning on seeing more of Morocco than just one city, renting a car will be the most convenient and flexible way to get around. The country is large and very diverse. Having your own vehicle gives you the freedom to see different areas at your own pace.

You don't need an international driver's license to rent a car in Morocco. All you'll need is a valid driver's license from your home country and your passport.

Outmaneuver Fees and Industry Quirks

For example, cars rented at the airport are almost always more expensive because of added taxes and fees. Rent at an off-airport location and you could save 20 percent or more.

On a self drive holiday in Morocco you can take the wheel yourself or go for a more relaxing approach and travel with an English speaking driver. Either way you'll get to whizz along rarely used roads and see a slice of Moroccan life that few tourists encounter. Read on to discover more.

14 – IT'S VERY EASY TO DRIVE IN MOROCCO

The roads are good and navigation is a breeze. Car hire is relatively cheap, and fuel is easy to come by. With all this – plus some spectacular scenery and interesting culture – it's classic road trip country.

While tipping isn't mandatory in Morocco, rounding up the bill and leaving tips at restaurants and cafes is standard practice. If you're happy with the service provided by waiters, drivers and other service workers, leaving a small tip is a good way to show your appreciation.

Weekends are the best days to rent a car because most people do not need them on the weekend. Weekend rentals are a great way to take a day trip somewhere if someone doesn't want to rack up miles on their own vehicles. Most car rental places will offer price points that include unlimited mileage.

If you book directly through your car rental agency's website, your loyalty program information will usually be added to your reservation if you are logged in when making the booking. For car rentals, you can often save a lot of money if you shop around.

Foreign driver's licenses are valid for use in Morocco for up to one year. After that, foreign residents must pass the Moroccan driver's test and obtain a Moroccan driver's license. The test is conducted in Arabic and French.

What is this? A private driver will cost about $100-200 per day, depending on which of the options that you choose. (Find out how much a trip to Morocco costs.)

Do tourists have to cover up in Morocco? ›

Yes, you should dress conservatively

You also don't have to be covered head to toe as a visitor to Morocco. The basic “rules” are to cover your shoulders, knees, and chest. Most days I had my elbows covered, too, and made sure that my tops were long enough to cover my bum.

The major cities are the easiest places to rent a car in Morocco. Marrakech, Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Essaouira, and Agadir also offer a variety of rental firms. The easiest place to pick up a car is at the airport though there are in city rental firms as well.

To drive in Morocco with an international driving licence. Foreigners, who hold an international driving licence, may drive on the Moroccan territory during the period of validity of the licence. However, this duration cannot exceed one year.

If you are looking to travel Morocco independently, the best way to get around is by hiring a car. This is exactly what we did on our recent adventures to Morocco with kids (aged 5 and 3 at the time). We hired a car from Marrakech airport on arrival and set off on our self drive Morocco road trip for 2.5 weeks.

Drivers & Transportation Services

Petit Taxi Driver – Round up to 5 or 10 dh (Be sure the meter is running; some taxi drivers take advantage of tourists by quoting high fixed prices.) Tour Driver – Multi-Day – Car, Van, or Minibus – 100 dh per day per booking party (More if private driver; pay at conclusion of tour.)

20-50 dirham would be appreciated per meal. In a hotel situation if someone brings your bags to the room or there is a valet service a tip of 20 dirham is suggested.

Is the water safe to drink in Morocco? Generally speaking, it's probably best to drink filtered or bottled water when traveling in Morocco. Most locals will drink tap water and many travelers may take the risk, but you wouldn't want a stomach bug to stop you from having a good time in a new country.

Hygiene. In Morocco it is very common to find squat toilets, which are flushed with a bucket of water. Moroccan toilets almost always do not contain toilet paper and it is a necessity to carry toilet paper and/or hygiene wipes if you will be away from the hotel for an extended period of time.

How many days in advance should you book a rental car? ›

How far in advance to rent a car. You can always browse rental car prices the second you book your trip. But generally speaking, if you're renting the average car (like a compact or economy vehicle) during a normal time of the year (not peak travel season), four weeks is a good time frame to book.

Arriving a few minutes early at the counter is less of a problem than arriving late. Most rental companies will let you take the car early if it's available. As a general rule, leave 45 – 60 minutes between expected landing time and the car rental pick-up time.

Make sure you get to the car rental agency early in the day. If you arrive before noon, there's a good chance you'll get a wider selection of vehicles at a better price. When you reserve a vehicle in advance, be sure to get there at the designated time.

Who is the easiest car rental company? Enterprise and Hertz offer the easiest and fastest way to rent a car. With exceptional customer service, special pick-up and drop-off lanes for members, as well as dedicated phone lines, the two companies have streamlined the rental process for customers.

Lock in your car rental first

Assuming you know the airport where you'll be arriving, it might actually be smarter to book your car rental before your flight. Car rental prices change a lot depending on the day of the week, time of year (prices soar around the holidays), type of cars available, and company demand.

Rental car companies consider debit cards to be riskier, and often unfairly view them as a warning sign of bad credit. Companies also worry that a debit card may be linked to a bank account without enough funds to satisfy unexpected charge if the car is damaged or returned late.

A visa is not required for this destination for a stay of up to 90 days. Please keep in mind that while a visa is not required, you must: Hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of country exit and with one blank visa page.

Do I need an international driving permit to rent a car in Morocco? ›

No, you do not need an international driver's license to drive in Morocco or rent a car there. Just bring your passport, credit card, and your driver's license from your home country.

Morocco formally recognized the United States by signing a treaty of peace and friendship in 1786, a document that remains the longest unbroken relationship in U.S. history. Full diplomatic relations began in 1905.

There is no longer Uber or Careem in Marrakech.

If you want to call a taxi off of an app in Marrakech you have to use the Roby or Heetch applications that call the city's official taxis to your location.

You must have "green card" insurance for your vehicle when driving/riding in Morocco. You can get this insurance from many companies in Europe, or in Morocco at the port in Tangiers. If you are stopped, you must show this insurance to the police.

In a typical morrocan bar, a beer should cost about 20 DH, a bottle of wine 150 DH and a shisha 70DH. If you go to a nightclub, drinks will cost anywhere between 80 and 150 DH.

On the bottom, jeans, maxi-skirts, dresses and slacks are perfectly acceptable for female tourists in Morocco. As a rule of thumb, it is best to wear bottoms that are at least knee length, and preferably longer. Similarly, loose-fitting items are preferred over tightly-fitting items.

What can you not wear in Marrakech? Technically, you could wear anything you like. Whether you should take that approach is another story. Steer clear of short shorts, anything see-through and anything that reveals your shoulders, cleavage or too much leg.

Yes you can wear shorts, as mentioned there's no dress code for Morocco specifically. You're more likely to find shorts being worn in coastal areas. Really short shorts are not advisable and to be honest, wearing loose fitting, longer pants is often much cooler than wearing shorts where a lot of skin is exposed.

Shared grands taxis are one of the best ways to travel in Morocco. They operate on a wide variety of routes, are much quicker than buses (usually quicker than trains, too), and fares vary from slightly more than the bus to around twice as much. The taxis are usually big Peugeot or Mercedes cars carrying six passengers.

In truth, Morocco is a safe place to visit. There's really only petty crime (scams and pickpockets) and you're unlikely to be assaulted or seriously hurt as a tourist in the country. Morocco is super safe for tourists now, and it's only becoming more so as tourism increases to the country.

Does Uber work in Morocco? ›

Just to recap, there has been no Uber in Morocco since 2018, but a variety of Uber alternative apps have started in its absence. You can use the most popular Uber alternative app, Careem, in the cities of Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangier in Morocco. In Marrakech, you can use the taxi-hailing apps Heetch and Roby.

The ideal number of days that you need to see Morocco is at least from 7 days to 10 days. At a leisurely pace, a week in Morocco's desert and imperial cities is enough time to see the country's highlights. You can combine trekking in the Atlas Mountains with leisure on the Atlantic coast in two weeks.

Currently, citizens of Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, the EU and Canada, among many others, do not need a visa to travel to Morocco, provided they have a passport of usually six months' validity and an onward or return ticket (with supporting documents).

Avoid public displays of affection, particularly outside the main tourist areas and near religious places. Sexual relations outside marriage are punishable by law.

Drivers & Transportation Services

Petit Taxi Driver – Round up to 5 or 10 dh (Be sure the meter is running; some taxi drivers take advantage of tourists by quoting high fixed prices.) Tour Driver – Multi-Day – Car, Van, or Minibus – 100 dh per day per booking party (More if private driver; pay at conclusion of tour.)

Ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, are not available in Marrakech, but travelers have access to two types of taxis: petits taxis and grands taxis. Petits taxis are fairly small and calculate your fare using a meter (most of the time). Grands taxis are larger and generally have a fixed rate per route.

Know what to haggle for – Keep in mind that it's inappropriate (and sometimes offensive) to haggle for certain items. Shoppers can haggle for the majority of items sold in a Marrakech souk, but it's also not worth negotiate prices on everything (ie. food).

You can let your guard down in Marrakech, a little. Shorts are ok – just ensure they're way, way beyond cheek-grazing territory. Similarly skirts – though in the heat, we'd always opt for long and flowing. Baggy t-shirts are as skimpy as you'll want to take things.