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Morocco: what you need to know before your trip
The best of Morocco
You can drive half of Morocco in 10 days.
It is one of the most colorful and photogenic Arab countries. It is good to walk through the narrow blue streets, trade in the noisy bazaars, see ancient mosques and fortresses, swim in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
We’ve compiled the essentials of a trip to Morocco in one article. If you’re going on a trip, take it with you. Details and nuances are in the full article.
What you will learn
Introductions
Visa and directions
Sightseeing
Money
Languages
Food
Lodging
Transport
What to bring from Morocco
Internet
Mentality
Safety rules
Embassy contacts
Introductory data
Where is it: Northwest Africa.
How long is the flight: 7 hours on average.
When is the season: May to October.
Where to swim: In the west, the Atlantic Ocean; in the north, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea.
The average summer temperature is +28 ° C in the north, +40 ° C in the south.
Money: The 6.87 R-equivalent Moroccan Dirham (MAD, Dh).
Time difference with Moscow: -2 hours.
✈️ Visa and Road
Russians in Morocco do not need a visa: on arrival at the border they put a stamp in your passport.
Connecting tickets cost from 12 000 R. Connections are in Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam.
📍 Sightseeing in Morocco
One goes to Marrakech for the atmosphere of the oriental bazaar and the old city. A popular attraction in the city are the Majorelle Gardens, which were once restored by Yves Saint Laurent.
Chefchaouen is famous for the old part of town: all the houses there are painted blue. Tourists wander through the narrow streets and admire the view of the city by the Spanish Mosque.
Fez is known for its tanneries. There they dress, process and dye leather by hand to make handbags, slippers, wallets and bracelets. The visit is free.
In Tangier you can wander through the old town, check out the big bazaar and go to the Kasbah. It is an ancient fortress in the center of the city with a beautiful view of the Strait of Gibraltar. A visit is free.
The fortress contains the royal palace of Dar Al Mahze which works as a museum. Admission costs 10 dirhams (R69). The museum displays a variety of ancient archaeological finds dating back to Neolithic times.
Rabat. The main attraction of Rabat is Kasbah Uday. This is an ancient fortress on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Inside it is a museum and Andalusian gardens. Admission to the fortress and garden is free, to the museum – 10 dirhams (69 P).
Most places only accept payment in cash. You need it to buy train and bus tickets, pay for cabs, buy fruit, and eat at cafes. Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs. There are many in each city. There are exchange offices at the airport and bank branches in town.
Cards are only accepted in a few hotels and restaurants, such as Clock Cafe in Fes and Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca.
🇫🇷 🇪🇸 Languages
In addition to Arabic, French and Spanish are spoken in Morocco. There is more French in Casablanca, Rabat and Fez. In Tetouan and Tangier, Spanish is mostly spoken and French is barely understood. In Chefchaouen, both languages are spoken.
English is poorly understood in Morocco. Language problems do not arise only in restaurants and hotels.
Food
Restaurants
📌 An average dinner for two costs 200 dirhams (1374 P).
📌 Fish and seafood are delicious in seaside towns. One meal will cost 150 dirhams (1,030 P).
📌 Tajin is a traditional steamed meat and vegetable dish. Costs range from 120 to 160 dirhams (824 to 1099 P).
📌 Couscous is served only on Fridays: that’s the custom. Along with it, they bring a huge plate with meat or chicken, stewed vegetables, nuts and spices.
Café outside.
📌 It’s cheaper and tastier there, but the food comes with dirty forks, wasps and cats that get on the table.
📌 Payment is cash only.
Markets
📌Markets in the historic district offer fresh produce. . Everything there is fresh and delicious.
📌 There are no price tags anywhere, you have to haggle.
📌 A kilo of peaches costs 10-25 dirhams (68-171 R).
📌 Two kilos of figs and half a kilo of cactus fruits will cost 20 dirhams (137 P).
Lodging
The hotels are clean and the staff speaks English. Everything is similar to Europe.
A room for two people costs 35-45 € (2625-3375 P). You can book on Bookings.
Dar is a traditional Moroccan house. As a rule, it has three floors, several bedrooms, a kitchen and a roof terrace. Tourists book a room with a shared bathroom and breakfast. In fact, it is a hostel. It costs about 25 € (1875 P) per night to stay in the dar.
The Riad is the same dar, but much larger in size. It can be booked through the A&B. A room with private bathroom and breakfast will cost 40 € (3,000 P) for two people per night.
🚖 Transportation.
“Grand Taxi.”
📌 Drives between cities and to airports.
📌 The cab departs as soon as a full car is built up. It usually takes 15 minutes.
📌 Prices for “Grand Taxi” are fixed. A cab from Casablanca airport to the center costs 250-300 dirhams (1717-2610 P).
📌No matter how many people are riding in the car, the cost remains the same.
📌 Negotiate the fare before you get in the car. Drivers often begin to inflate the price at the sight of tourists.
“Petit-taxi.”
📌 He only rides in cities.
📌 It is caught anywhere on the street.
📌 Every car has a meter. If the driver refuses to turn it on, negotiate the price of the trip in advance.
📌 The cost should not be more than 20-30 dirhams (138-206 R) for a 5-10 km trip around the city.
Bus
📌 In Morocco, there are two bus companies: CTM and Supratours.
📌 All buses are modern and comfortable, with air conditioning inside.
📌 CTM has more departure stations and more flights.
📌 A bus trip from Fez to Chefchaouen costs 80 dirhams (549 P) per person.
💸 Money.
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