Although it may seem crazy at first, renting a car and driving in Morocco is one of the best experiences you can have in our neighbouring country. It will allow you to reach lesser-known places, stop along the way in small villages, drive along narrow roads that cross incredible landscapes, and in general, have more freedom and independence to travel around Morocco.
Ok, but what is it like to drive in Morocco ? What are the roads like? Do I need a rally course taught by Nasser Al-Attiyah to survive? In short: driving in Morocco is not as risky as it may seem. Below we delve deeper into the topic and give you the best tips for driving in Morocco safely and for renting a car.
How to Rent a car in Morocco
If you plan to visit several areas of Morocco, if you have enough time and you don't mind driving in a foreign country, where you will find everything on the road, renting a car is the best option for travelling around Morocco!
But we advise against it in these three cases :
- You have little time and you want to focus on getting to know a city and doing some excursions during the day. Renting a car for just one day is not a good idea, it usually takes a long time to pick it up, the first few km are a trial run (with the road, with the GPS, with your fellow travellers...) and it may be worth paying a little more for an organised excursion.
- You don't feel comfortable driving in other countries, or you've never done it . In that case, Morocco is not the ideal destination to start with.
- You are travelling alone and you don't want to spend too much money . Renting a car in Morocco is an excellent option if you are travelling as a couple or in a group, so you can divide the transport costs, but if you are alone, it will be more cost effective to travel by bus.
Furthermore, transport in Morocco is not great. Trains are the best option, but the network is quite limited (basically the line connecting Marrakech with Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier, and an internal line between Meknes and Fez that continues eastwards).
There are two major bus companies ( CTM and Supratours ) with different routes throughout the country (check their websites/apps for schedules, prices, etc.) and other local companies for shorter journeys, which can be taken without a reservation by going directly to the bus stations.
Once we have decided to rent a car in Morocco , we have to ask ourselves how to book and with which company? We always recommend using a car rental comparison site like Auto Europe , which is the one we use as a reference for all our trips and we have never had any problems. Basically, it compares between different car rental agencies for the selected dates and pick-up/drop-off points, offering the best options.
You can also take a look at the Discovercars website , which works with many local Moroccan operators as well and with competitive prices. Both are 100% reliable and have good optional insurance.
Get the best price on car rental with the Auto Europe comparator
Here we detail the process for renting a car in Morocco :
1. Collection and delivery data
First you will have to go to their website , enter the pick-up and drop-off city and the dates . You have the option to choose different offices for pick-up and drop-off, as was the case with our first trip through Morocco: we started in Marrakech and finished in Fez, 12 days later.
Important: If your idea is to get to Marrakech , spend 2 or 3 days there and then rent a car to do the road trip through Morocco, you should know that you have two options to pick up the car :
- In the city : Most companies are located in the new area of Marrakech, which can cost around €5-10 to get to by taxi from the Medina.
- At the airport : rentals are usually cheaper, so it may be worthwhile to travel there. A taxi to get there costs 10-15€ and takes just 20 minutes.
The road trip can be reduced to 10 days , and this is the case we use as an example to see prices and conditions… Keep reading!
* Please note that if the delivery time is later than the pick-up time, an additional day's rental will be charged.
2. Comparison between agencies
Below you will see all the rental agency options , sorted by price and type of car. Which is the best company to rent a car in Morocco? To decide, you will have to do a little research and read reviews of some of them, although honestly, we usually book the one with the best prices.
As for the type of car , in this case we chose a mid-range car (a Fiat Tipo), but the most common and cheapest in Morocco is usually the Dacia Logan. The smaller model can easily serve.
It is important that you look at the “ rate details ” for each of the options and check the amount of the deductible, which fees are included and which are not, basic coverage, etc.
* One-way rate
In our case, when returning the car to a different office, a one- way fee will be applied , which will be added to the total rental price. However, this amount is not paid at the time of booking, but must be paid directly at the rental office upon collection.
3. Take out insurance (or not)
The next step is to take out comprehensive insurance . The basic rate includes insurance with a deductible amount (between €1,000 and €2,000), which will be the maximum amount you will pay in the event of an accident or damage to the car. We recommend taking out comprehensive insurance for greater peace of mind.
The insurance offered by Auto Europe is known as " Super Cover " and includes the refund of the deductible for any damage (wheels, windows, roof, undercarriage), theft, fire, etc.
You should know that these insurance policies are offered by the intermediary website (Auto Europe) outside the rental agency itself. How do they work? If you have had an incident upon delivery, they charge you money and they have to give you a certificate of damage, which is what you have to present to Auto Europe to get the amount paid back.
Obviously, you also have the option of taking out insurance directly with the rental agency itself . They themselves will (insistently) offer you their own insurance options when you pick up the car, which are usually quite a bit more expensive. With these insurances, in principle, they should not block any amount on your credit card, and in the event of damage/accident, they do not make you pay in advance.
IMPORTANT : In both cases , roadside assistance is excluded . This service is contracted separately from the rental agency and is not included in any insurance.
It should be noted that both the extended insurance and the roadside assistance are optional . You are not obliged to take out anything, but it is true that it gives you a certain peace of mind when driving. We DID take out the Super Cover insurance and did NOT take out the roadside assistance.
At this point of the reservation, optional equipment is also offered , such as child seats, GPS, etc. All at an extra cost.
4. End of the process and payment
The last screen will be to enter personal details and make the payment. You will receive an email with the reservation details, which will be confirmed and paid .
Print the voucher and take it to the agency, along with your driving licence and a debit card (a credit card is no longer necessary, but it is better to check with the company before going) so that they can block the amount of the excess. By the way, a Spanish driving licence is valid for driving in Morocco.
Upon pick-up, you will only have to pay the extra one-way fee (in case the car is delivered to a different office from the pick-up office), to which the corresponding fees are applied (we paid around €80 or €90).
Oh, and one more important thing, this reservation is cancellable and modifiable up to 48 hours before pick-up.
How much does it cost to rent a car in Morocco?
It depends on several factors, such as the season, how far in advance you book, the agency you choose, the type of vehicle... But in general it is not too expensive and ends up being convenient, especially if you can divide the total expense between several people and taking into account the limitations on public transport.
For reference, the daily price of a medium-sized car is around €15-25, to which you should add the cost of insurance, which is around €5-10 per day, and the one-way fee in case you return the car at a different office, which amounts to around €100. So a 10-day rental in Morocco without one-way can cost approximately €200-250
5. When picking up the car
Before you start your trip, make sure you know exactly where the rental office is . For example, on the second trip we booked with “Locationauto” and they don’t actually have an office, they park in the airport parking lot and you do the paperwork there.
It is important that when you pick up the car you check its exterior , the bodywork, the windows, the wheels, the underbody... everything carefully, and have them point out each of the little things you see on the contract sheet. Make videos and photos of all parts of the car (especially the windows).
On our first trip when we handed in the car, they tried to nail a small scratch on the windscreen (which could have been 0.5 cm and wasn't even broken) and we spent about 30 minutes saying that no claim should be made for that reason, until they agreed. But watch out!
Tips for driving in Morocco
Not only will you have to know how to rent a car in Morocco, as we already mentioned, driving on the roads of Morocco is not the odyssey we have in mind. It is true that it has little to do with what we are used to and that we will have a few surprises, but with a little attention there will be no major problem. And to help you do so, we are going to give you a few tips for driving safely in Morocco :
› Driving in Morocco with a Spanish license
The Spanish driving licence is completely valid in Morocco if you are travelling as a tourist, for a period of up to 90 days from the date of entry into the country. It is not necessary to get an international driving licence , although it may be advisable if you are stopped by the police (in fact I always carry one).
› Is it safe to drive in Morocco?
Taking as a reference the routes we have made so far, focused on the south of the country, we can say that driving in Morocco is quite safe . Traffic, except in large cities, is not usually very heavy and the roads are generally in good condition.
Special care must be taken on secondary roads, when passing through urban areas, at night, and it is advisable to drive carefully and patiently, always respecting traffic regulations, to avoid accidents and bad experiences with the police.
› Road conditions
On the 2,000 km route we took from Marrakech to Fez through the interior of Morocco in 2 weeks, single-lane national and regional roads are used in 99% of cases. Except at the entrances to large cities, where they are widened with a few more lanes.
They are generally in acceptable condition , with a safe surface and well signposted. However, we find stretches with quite a few curves (normally when going up mountain passes) and areas under construction , where the speed slows down a lot. For example, the Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass, 2 hours from Marrakech, has been under construction for a long time.
Over the past 10 years, extra efforts have been made to increase expressways, improve the condition of secondary roads and increase road safety. After the pandemic, we returned to Morocco and made another trip by car and we could see that there has been a boost to the improvement of many main roads.
So we can say that in general, the state of the roads in Morocco is not something to worry too much about.
→ On this website you can see the state of the roads in real time (accidents, traffic jams, road closures, etc.): www.admtrafic.ma
One thing to keep in mind is that average speeds will be reduced. These national and regional roads pass through many towns, where speed limits are reduced.
If your route is through the north or along the west coast, you will pass through toll highways with better conditions (we will discuss them below).
› Tolls
On the route from Marrakech to Fez and on a circular route from Marrakech to the desert via Agadir and Essaouira, we did not encounter any toll roads, except for the section between Meknes and Fez . Toll roads are concentrated on the west coast of Morocco , and the price is not excessive.
→ You can calculate the routes and the price of tolls on the same website: www.admtrafic.ma .
These are the toll prices for some important sections :
- Marrakech – Casablanca (250km): 82D (€7.5)
- Casablanca – Rabat (70km): 23D (€2)
- Rabat – Tangier (240km): 91D (€8.5)
- Fez – Meknes (50km): 13D (€1.2)
The payment method is the same as we know it, either with an electronic number plate reader system, or by collecting a card at the first booth at the entrance to the motorway, which is then handed in at the exit booth, where payment is made. By the way, payment is only in cash (card payments are not accepted at the moment). There is also a self-service toll system, but we do not think it would be interesting for a tourist trip.
> Traffic
On our route we didn't notice it as crazy. At the entrance and inside of large towns, or on main roads, it may be considerable, but it wasn't a big problem. The greatest concentration was on mountain passes or slopes, where trucks go at top speed and it is difficult to overtake them due to the number of curves.
WARNING: Even if there is no road traffic, you must bear in mind that on secondary roads it is very easy to come across donkeys, carts, dogs, flocks of sheep, children going to school... Caution !
It's a different story in Marrakech, Agadir or Fez (and we assume the rest of the big cities), where you have to be extremely focused and patient to be able to get out. There are loads of cars trying to enter the roundabouts at the same time, motorbikes coming out from all sides, pedestrians... Pay attention to both sides, and be determined.
› Maximum speed and radars
On toll roads , the maximum speed is 120 km/h . On secondary roads, it is between 80 and 100 km/h . When you are passing through a village , it is reduced to 60 or 40 km/h . It is important that you pay attention to the changing limits and stick to them, because it is very common to get a speeding ticket in Morocco.
Although they were announced, we did not see any fixed radars, but there were several points with mobile radars hidden in the same direction as you were going, and once you fall (they are usually in areas with low speed limits, in towns, etc.), they wait for you up front where they fine you, normally with 400 dirhams in cash. In that case, you may be able to "negotiate" the amount and reach an agreement... But it is better not to rush and forget about problems.
› Entry and exit in the villages
Every time you enter or leave a large town, you will see a police checkpoint with a sign telling you to either stop or slow down (in Arabic and French). Be careful with this, because we were used to only slowing down at a stop sign, and they tried to fine us.
If a stop is requested, pay attention to the officer who will gesture to you that you can continue.
Get IATI travel insurance with a 5% discount here
› Police controls
We were worried that they would stop us constantly to take money from us, but it wasn't that exaggerated. The controls they do in the villages are usually aimed more at the Moroccans themselves than at tourists. In short, they always let us through without any problems .
Yes, we were stopped on a few occasions, the one mentioned above at the checkpoint, another time when we hit a stop sign in the middle of a roundabout (a fine in itself) and on the previous trip because we overtook a tractor on a solid line, although in this case we were not fined.
The controls that you are going to catch are usually placed at strategic points, for example at stop signs that are difficult to see, a few meters beyond a speed limit sign when entering towns, etc. The feeling we have is that if you comply with the traffic regulations , you will not be fined. To do this, always be very careful.
Although several travelers told us on Instagram that their experience was different: several were fined (apparently unfairly) and others were given problems for silly things, in order to "fix" the matter with a few bills :-/ And the fact is that many police officers know that renting a car in Morocco is one of the most interesting options for tourists.
› Watch out for roundabouts
They are a real hoot… We found two types of roundabouts : the classic ones we are used to, where the one who is already inside has the right of way, which used to be the most common and largest. And others where the right of way was given to the cars that were joining, so you have to let them pass even if you are already inside the roundabout. The latter were the least common, but you should know that they exist. To be able to differentiate them, there are signs that indicate it a few meters before reaching them (like a yield sign).
› Parking in Morocco
In most of the towns where we spent the night or the places we visited, there were free parking areas without any problems. But friend, in the big cities it is a different story. There it is best to ask your accommodation a day in advance for the nearest PAYING parking. We always prefer to leave our car in this type of parking (with surveillance) , rather than risk parking on some street. The price is usually around 20 or 30 dirhams per day.
There are also parking lots "guarded" by bouncers, especially in tourist areas, and all they do is ask you for a coin when you leave.
› 4×4 or conventional car?
We don't think it would be worth it to spend more to rent a 4×4. If you're going on a more or less touristy route and you don't plan on going off-road, a normal car is more than enough.
› Gasoline price
Gasoline in Morocco is cheaper than in Spain, although after the pandemic and the energy crisis, it has risen considerably. Calculate approximately €1.40/litre .
→ You can see the current price of gasoline in Morocco here
On the other hand, there are plenty of gas stations , but our rule (after almost getting stranded a few times on other trips) is to fill up when the tank is half full. After not being able to pay with card at the first few, we ended up just taking out cash.
We hope that all these tips for renting a car in Morocco and driving in Morocco can help you have a wonderful trip in this incredible country. You know, get rid of your fears and rent a car in Morocco , it's the best way to explore it thoroughly.
