Are you planning a trip to Morocco and looking for travel tips? Wonderful, please stick with this plan. Morocco is just a four-hour flight from Austria or Germany – and yet you immerse yourself in a completely different world. Morocco is an ideal destination for a road trip: Adventure, oriental flair and of course the pleasantly warm climate are waiting for you.
We have all our knowledge and our best tips for Morocco packed into one post so that you can prepare your road trip ideally. When is the best time to travel? How safe is a trip to Morocco? How do I get from A to B? Answers to these questions can be found in our personal travel guide for Morocco.
1. Morocco travel tips before your trip: Overview & travel time What you expected in Morocco What picture do you have in mind when you think of Morocco? Probably one that 810 shows night-life in perfection, doesn’t it? Yes, you can definitely look forward to that when you travel to Morocco. But: Morocco is SO much more than that.
The following three things are what make this country so special and what makes a trip special speak to Morocco:
Oriental Flair: It starts with the colorful markets, continues with the typical local cuisine to the hammams and the beautiful hotels (riads): In Morocco you can soak up the oriental attitude to life from morning to night. Landscape: From the Atlas mountains to gigantic Canyons, from the desert to the mountain passes – Morocco’s landscape will take your breath away. We had high expectations beforehand, but we have to admit: it was even nicer! Geographical proximity to Europe: Within a very short time you are in a completely different world. No nerve-wracking jetlag, no long-haul flight. A perfect destination for those who don’t want to travel far. Would you like to know which sights you shouldn’t miss and where exactly the highlights of the country are? Then we recommend our detailed blog article. There we will show you which places we have traveled to and what you can see.
Further info: Itinerary through Morocco: All stops
Travel time: Tips for the best season for Morocco You can Travel Morocco all year round , but of course there are months that are better and those that are less suitable. It also depends on which regions of Morocco you want to travel to.
Ideal travel times for a round trip through Morocco are spring (if possible not over the public holidays, i.e. Easter) and autumn. While it can still be cool in Europe in spring, bright sunshine awaits you in Morocco. And you can also spend wonderful late summer days in Morocco in autumn.
We would not recommend the midsummer (July and August) especially if you want to see the desert. In addition, sandstorms await you in the desert between April and October. Sightseeing can also be done at 35 Degrees in the shade become unbearable. During Ramadan you have to reckon with restrictions, as some bars are closed during the day.
Around Christmas and New Year many flee into the warming sun and it gets very crowded in Morocco and accordingly more expensive. If you want to avoid that, you should also avoid this time.
We traveled at the end of February/beginning of March to Morocco. During the day it was pleasantly warm, in the sun it sometimes even got quite hot. In the evening it cooled down. Our accommodations were all equipped with heaters. Our tip: In the colder months, be sure to look for a room with heaters, otherwise the nights are really uncomfortably cold.
Travel guide for Morocco: Our tip Although you can find many tips for Morocco on the internet, such as on our blog, we still recommend that you get a printed travel guide. Here we can highly recommend the Stefan Loose travel guide. Loose travel guides are characterized by the fact that they are quite detailed and very well researched.
The new edition of Stefan Loose’s Morocco travel guide was published in 2019 and is so quite up to date. Our conclusion: Perfect for all individual travelers!
You can buy the travel guide here: Stefan Loose Morocco
2. Entry into Morocco Good news: Austrians and Germans do not need a visa to enter Morocco. On the plane you will receive a immigration card, that you have to fill out. The border police will take the card and may ask you a few questions. That was it already.
The same procedure awaits you a second time at departure. If you work in journalism or in any other field that could be a thorn in the side of the police, you should be prepared for a slightly longer question-and-answer game. That was the case for us, but all in all things are going relatively smoothly, so don’t worry!
3. Accommodation tips for Morocco: Where to stay? Traditionally, in Morocco one stays in so-called Riads. Riads are traditional multi-storey buildings that have a magnificent courtyard and often a grandiose roof terrace. Viewed from the outside, it is often hard to believe what an oasis is hidden behind the entrance gates of a riad.
We swear: Nowhere else in the world do we have such a high density of great and stylish accommodation experienced as in Morocco. In larger cities you will be overwhelmed by the offer. If possible, we definitely recommend staying in a riad. For about 70 until 100 Euro per night you get for two people a very nice room with breakfast.
Here you will find all our recommendations: Hotel tips for Morocco
4. Food and drink in Morocco In Morocco people love the combination of sweet and salty and so dried dates, apricots and raisins are used in many dishes. Let’s be honest: We’re totally into it.
Typical for Morocco is the so-called Tajine, a dish that is prepared in the clay pot of the same name and often with Couscous is served. This stew mostly consists of meat and vegetables, but there are also meatless options.
Although we liked Moroccan food, to be honest we got a bit bored with the cuisine over time. Often the same thing is served and, especially for vegetarians, the selection is unfortunately quite limited, unless you go out to eat in hip trendy places. Meat is eaten with pleasure and often in Morocco, but vegetarian dishes are unfortunately less common on the menu than in some other countries.
One exception is the breakfast, which is almost always very bread- and carbohydrate-heavy . Breakfast is included in most accommodations. You will almost always be served different plates, including Moroccan pancakes, bread, jam and homemade yoghurt.
5. Religion and culture: tips for behavior & clothing In Morocco Islam known to be the state religion. You know that in advance and you can prepare for it. Unfortunately, this means, among other things, that the patriarchal structures are very visible. It’s mostly men on the streets.
We therefore recommend that women in particular do not wear skimpy clothing. For example, wide blouses are practical, long ones trousers and long dresses and skirts. Believe us: As a tourist, you immediately attract attention anyway, so it’s simply more pleasant to be dressed as covered as possible.
There is no headscarf obligation, but admittedly: In direct sunlight, even we like to use a cloth. Exchanging affection in public is a no-go in Morocco.
Good to know: Non-Muslims are only allowed to visit two mosques throughout Morocco visit – Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and Moulay Ismail’s Tomb Mosque in Meknes. But don’t worry: there are beautiful palaces and madrassas in Morocco that you can visit.
6. Safety in Morocco: How safe is a trip to Morocco? One of the questions we are asked most frequently were: Is it safe to travel to Morocco? First of all, we advise you to read the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Austria) or the Foreign Office (Germany). That should always be the first point of contact when it comes to security.
Of course we’ll also be happy to report on our personal experiences, and that’s what follows the good news. Nothing ever happened to us in Morocco. We haven’t had any negative experiences. We were not robbed or unpleasantly harassed. Yes, we probably paid too much for one or the other piece, but that’s about it.
Our specific safety tips Travel in pairs if possible. Of course there are also many who travel alone through Morocco – including women. To be honest, we personally found it very pleasant that we were traveling as a couple. Avoid the medina at night. The medina (i.e. the old town) of some cities consists of very narrow streets. Especially at night, these dark alleys are really not a feel-good zone. Try to avoid walking at night. We recommend this especially for women traveling alone. Carry valuables not for show. We ourselves are the kind of people who are often too lazy to stow away the (apparently expensive) camera safely and instead let it hang loosely around their shoulders. Ideally you shouldn’t do this – especially in crowds. Don’t be fooled by self-appointed guides. In Marrakech, on every corner someone will offer to show you the way to “La Place” (i.e. the big square). In truth, he wants to take you to his shop to sell you something or he really shows you the place and then, of course, asks for a tidy sum of money. Our tip: If you really get lost, it’s better to ask a woman for the right way. Cities vs. rural regions: We personally found the men in larger cities (especially in Marrakech) many times more intrusive and unpleasant than in rural regions. For example, while tips are constantly being asked in the cities (e.g. for photos), people in the country are much more reserved. We will tell you more tips for photography further down in this blog article.
7. Tips for transport: Driving through Morocco Morocco läs It is ideal to travel with a rental car. There are several reasons for this:
First of all, the main streets mostly in good condition. Even with a small car you can easily reach most places. The traffic is very limited away from the larger cities. It can sometimes happen that you don’t meet any other cars far and wide. In Morocco right-hand traffic, so you don’t have to get used to it. Most locations are bilingual signposted (English, Arabic). The prices for a rental car are comparatively cheap: For our Peugeot 301 we have for a week about 250 Euro (excluding Navi) paid. Rental a car in Morocco – what do I have to consider? Provider and deductible We booked our rental car through Sunny Cars booked. We have only had good experiences with this, because if you book through Sunny Cars you will receive comprehensive insurance including reimbursement of the deductible in the event of damage. Sunny Cars acts as an intermediary here: You book your car on the Sunny Cars website and pick it up from a local car rental company (e.g. Hertz, Europcar etc.).
What means a reimbursement of the deductible? If, for example, you make a dent in the car, you will receive the deductible from Sunny Cars refunded. However, if you book the rental car “with a deductible” (this is the case with many other platforms), you have to pay a certain sum (usually a few hundred euros) in the event of damage.
Here you can search for cheap rental cars (fully comprehensive): Sunny Cars
Is it safe to drive through Morocco with a rental car to drive? Honestly: We had our doubts at first, but it was absolutely no problem! The roads are mostly in very good condition. There is little traffic. We have never met any dubious people. We only avoided driving at night, but mainly because it’s easy to miss a pothole.
Other tips for renting & driving in Morocco We are happy to take care of the renting of the car itself at the airport, because there is usually less traffic than in the stations in the city and you can get used to the traffic conditions in peace. We picked up our car on the day of departure from Marrakech for two reasons: On the one hand, you don’t need a car in Marrakech and we were able to save costs. On the other hand, as soon as you drive towards Medina, the traffic is simply hair-raising. We didn’t want to do that to ourselves.
We bought a navigation device, but we wouldn’t recommend it. The high cost (approx. 12 euros per day) are in no relation to the benefit. In addition, many places could not be found in the navigation system and we had to rely even more on our sense of direction and the map in the travel guide. Better download an offline app for your smartphone. That makes a lot more sense.
A international driver’s license is usually not necessary when renting and we were never asked for it on site. Nevertheless, we recommend that you get one – if only for insurance reasons. You can get the international driver’s license easily and without any problems at about 30 euros at ÖAMTC (Austria) or ADAC (Germany ) can be issued.
In larger cities you should do without the car, it saves time and nerves. It is best to park the rental car as close as possible to the accommodation (e.g. in a guarded car park or ideally in the hotel car park) and take a taxi for the duration of your stay or cover the distances on foot.
Police controls in Morocco What many stories are circulating about on the internet are the Police controls in Morocco: Yes, it’s true. They are everywhere and you too will most likely be checked if you travel to Morocco in your own car.
Our personal experience: The Moroccan police are never negative noticed. Even when we were stopped after crossing a restricted line during an overtaking manoeuvre, the policeman was very understanding (“French campervans are always slowly, I understand that.”)
Corruption is definitely an issue: The height of our punishment we have negotiated down by half. Otherwise, the control was very regulated.
8th. Transport in the cities: Tips for driving a taxi Even in the larger cities (Marrakech, Fès, Casablanca etc. ) you can reach most on foot. For longer distances it is common to take a taxi. A basic distinction is made in Morocco between Petit Taxi and Grand Taxi.
The Petit Taxi (small taxi) is – as the name suggests – a very small car that can also pass through narrow streets. A Grand Taxi (Big Taxi) tends to be used for longer distances , ie between two cities or for destinations that are a little outside of the city. The fare is basically determined by a taximeter, but of course they will try to convince you that it is not working at the moment. Therefore, you should either ask another driver or – if you can’t drive a meter – negotiate the fare in advance.
Prices vary from city to city – depending on how much the people are used to tourism. For example, in Marrakech, 50 or more dirhams for a short distance. But you should pay a maximum of 30 dirhams. In Casablanca we often only have for a longer distance dirhams paid. At night you have to reckon with a surcharge.
9. Travel expenses Morocco: This is how much money you need Currency & Payment in Morocco Morocco’s currency is the Moroccan Dirham (abbreviated MAD). 1 Euro is approximately 05,70 Dirham (as of beginning 2015). With the prices written in Morocco, you simply leave out a zero at the end to get the approximate euro amount.
Withdraw money you can easily use the ATMs (cash dispensers). If you are from Austria, then make sure before you leave your bank that the GeoControl function is disabled. You can usually do this online.
Travel costs in Morocco: price level and price examples How much does it cost in Morocco…?
Double room in a beautiful riad in Marrakech: 30 until 100 Euro per night Car rental for a week: 200 until 250 Euro Taxi ride in Marrakech or Fès: 20 until 30 Dirham Dinner for two in a nice restaurant: 200 Dirham Entrance to the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech: 80 Dirham Admission to Bahia Palace in Marrakech: 50 Dirham We would describe the price level in Morocco as somewhat lower than in Austria or Germany. So don’t expect Morocco to be a really cheap travel destination.
Tip In Morocco, tipping is not only desired for many services, but is expected. In the restaurant there are 5 to 10 Percent appropriate. We also usually have about for the service staff in accommodation until 20 Dirhams per day left in the room.
If you ask for directions or if you take someone’s picture, they will he or she may also ask you for money. We then have about 03 until 20 Dirham given.
10. Photographing in Morocco: Tips & No-Gos Morocco is a paradise for photography enthusiasts. And yet you have to keep a few things in mind: Especially if you want to photograph people (and Moroccans are really photogenic, as our photo series shows), you should always ask for permission. In larger cities where people are used to tourists, you will almost always be tipped if you want to photograph someone.
An extreme example is the Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of people who earn their daily bread as a photo model. Unfortunately, money is often not asked for very politely here.
On our trip we preferred another way of getting great portraits: We often simply bought something from someone and then changed the person a photo requested.
It should be considered that in Islam the pictorial representation of people is forbidden or not welcome. You should keep this picture ban in mind when taking photos, especially if you are in strongly religious areas. If in doubt, we would advise against taking a photo and would rather withdraw than attract attention.
Military facilities and people in uniform (police, security guards, etc. ) should not be photographed (thanks to Ricky for pointing this out).
11. Internet & Apps for Morocco Mobile Internet: SIM card in Morocco Meanwhile one is also traveling d aran used to being online all the time. Therefore, we would really recommend that you buy a local SIM card for your smartphone locally. It’s great for navigating from A to B and you can also look for tips for restaurants or sights at any time.
You can buy the SIM card directly at the airport. It is important that your smartphone is unlocked for all networks (ie not limited to one provider). Usually, the SIM card is inserted and activated directly by the employees – so without any problems. The price depends on the data volume, but in general SIM cards are quite cheap.
The network coverage in Morocco is good, although sometimes it is not There are places where you have no network. You often have to do without reception, especially in lonely stretches of land between cities. The reception is very good in the cities themselves.
Otherwise WLAN is also widespread in Morocco: Most hotels offer WLAN. However, the speed often leaves a lot to be desired.
Useful apps for your trip to Morocco Google Translate (loading download the French package so that you can use it offline as well): Especially in rural areas, many speak little or no English, but French. maps.me or CityMaps2Go (download the Morocco map so you can use it offline too ): Perfect for marking individual sights and restaurants. Map app (iPhone) or Google Maps: Great for navigating from A to B. Happy Cow: Here you can find vegetarian restaurants near you.
Transparency: Affiliate Links818497 This blog article contains our personal recommendations in the form of so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something through the links, we will receive a small commission. For you, this does not change the price at all. A thousand thanks from both of us!
Do you have any other tips for Morocco? Do tell us in the comments. We look forward to your experiences!
