Morocco Mini Guide
   Source: World Travel Guide

Overview

As you relax in your hammam (steam bath), tuck into your tagine (stew), bargain in the souks or slide into your comfy caftan (ankle-length gown)  - Moroccan trends much copied elsewhere but never equal to the originals - you may be surprised how easily you slip into another culture and another century. In these small signature moments of pleasure, Morocco warps all sense of time and place as surely as a desert mirage.

To get your bearings, just look to the horizon. You will notice refined minarets and rugged mud-brick ksour (fortifications), sparkling coastline with silken sand and striped canyons carved out of the High Atlas Mountains. Morocco has been staunchly independent throughout its history yet remained open to ideas, creating a heady mix of cultures, religions and languages with ancient roots and a strikingly modern outlook. The influence of Romans, Arabs and Europeans is spotted in monuments throughout the country. Though you will hear French spoken in city boulevards - a vestige of the 50-year French Protectorate - a half-dozen Berber languages and Moroccan Arabic are still widely spoken. So is Morocco Mediterranean, African, Arab or Berber? Correct answer: all of the above.

For centuries travellers have crossed shifting sands and braved mountain passes in search of mythic Morocco, expecting to be dazzled by its royal palaces, unexpected oases, distinctive handicrafts and spectacular feats of hospitality. Modern-day Morocco doesn't disappoint. Whether you've come to relax in family-style riads (guest houses) or stretch your imagination on treks to distant Berber villages, you'll meet Moroccans who go out of their way to exceed your expectations. The people who have called Morocco home for millennia have proved themselves adaptable to Sahara Desert silences and chatty market-day medinas (old towns), mingling in Tuareg trading posts and ancient mellahs (Jewish quarters). The greeting that reaches your ears today echoes across the centuries: Ahlanwasahlan, you are welcome in Morocco.

Passport/Visa

Passports

Passport valid for intended period of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

Passport Note

Visitors should ensure that their passports are stamped when they enter the country.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months.

Visa Note

(a) Visa extensions are possible upon request at the nearest police station. (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Money

Currency

Moroccan Dirham (MAD; symbol Dh) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of Dh200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of Dh10, 5 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes.

Currency Exchange

Moroccan Dirhams can only be obtained in Morocco. The most convenient way to obtain Dirhams is through an ATM, where official rates automatically apply, but daily withdrawal limits can seem low for customers paying cash for rugs in the souks. National currencies should be exchanged at official bureaux de change only (identified by a golden sign); changing money in the street is illegal. There is no commission charge and visitors will be issued with a receipt which they must keep in order to exchange Moroccan currency back into the original national currency upon departure.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

Some credit cards are accepted in larger restaurants, hotels, guest houses and the occasional shop in the souks.  Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs in larger towns.

Traveller's Cheques

To avoid additional exchange rate surcharges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Currency Restrictions

Restrictions apply.

Banking Hours

Mon-Thurs 0830-1230 and 1500-1830, Fri 0830-1200 and 1500-1830.

Health

Vaccinations

Food and Drink

Bottled water is the best bet for short-term visitors. Water sources outside main cities and towns may be contaminated and sterilisation is advisable. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Freshly cooked meat and fish served hot is advised. Most produce is grown organically, without chemical pesticides or fertilisers. Vegetables are typically served cooked, and fruit should be peeled.

Other Risks

Vaccinations against tuberculosis and hepatitis B are sometimes recommended.

Health Care

There are good medical facilities in all main cities, including emergency pharmacies (see postings in pharmacy windows listing the nearest pharmacie du garde, or after-hours pharmacy) and clinics in major hotels outside normal opening hours. Government hospitals provide free or minimal charge emergency treatment.

Getting There

Getting There by Air

The national airlines are Royal Air Maroc (AT) (website: www.royalairmaroc.com), and its twin low-cost carrier Atlas Blue (8A) (website: www.atlas-blue.com).

Approximate Flight Times

From London to Casablanca is 3 hours; to Tangier is 2 hours 30 minutes. From New York to Casablanca is 6 hours 30 minutes.

Main Airports

Casablanca (CMN) (Mohammed V) is 30km (19 miles) south of the city (journey time - 35 minutes). To/from the airport: There are taxi services into Casablanca and train services available to Rabat. Facilities: Outgoing duty-free shop, post office, banking and bureau de change, restaurant, bar, tourist help desk and car hire.

Tangier (TNG) (Boukhalef Souahel) is 11km (7 miles) from the city (journey time - 20 minutes). To/from the airport: Bus and taxi services are available into Tangier. Facilities: Outgoing duty-free shop, banking and bureau de change, restaurant, bar, tourist help desk and car hire.

Other international airports include Fes (FEZ), Marrakech (RAK) and Rabat-Salé (RBA).

Departure Tax

None.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Tangier and Nador in Morocco proper, and the Spanish-held ports of Ceuta and Melilla. Several lines from Europe serve these ports.

Ferry operators include FerriMaroc (tel: (950) 274 800; website: www.ferrimaroc.com) and Trasmediterranea (tel: (902) 454 645; website: www.trasmediterranea.com). There are cheap and regular car- and passenger-ferry links between southern Spain and Tangier and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the north Moroccan coast. Most links are roll-on, roll-off car ferries except where shown. The routes are from Algeciras to Ceuta (Sebta) (car ferry); Algeciras to Tangier (hydrofoil and car ferry); Tarifa to Tangier (hydrofoil); Gibraltar to Tangier (hydrofoil and car ferry); Almería to Melilla or Nador (car ferry); Málaga to Melilla (car ferry); Almería to Nador (car ferry); Gênes (Italy) to Tangier; Alicante to Orán; and Almería to Al Hoceima.

There are also car ferries between Sète on the French coast (between Béziers and Montpellier on the Golfe du Lyon) and Tangier run by Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation.

Getting There by Rail

Rail links between Morocco and Algeria are currently suspended. Trains can be caught from London Victoria to Gare du Nord in Paris, and then Gare d'Austerlitz to Algerciras. From here ferries can be caught to Morocco.

Getting There by Road

The best road link is from southern Spain or France via passenger/car ferries. The road link on the north Algerian border is currently closed. Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.com) serves destinations in Morocco.

Climate

The Moroccan climate varies according to season and region. The coast has a warm, Mediterranean climate tempered on the eastern coast by southwest trade winds. Inland areas have a hotter, drier, continental climate. In the south of the country, the weather is very hot and dry throughout most of the year, though temperatures can drop dramatically at night, especially in the months of December and January. Rain falls from November to March in coastal areas, and the country is mostly dry with high temperatures in summer and a cooler climate in the mountains. Marrakech and Agadir enjoy an average temperature of 21°C (70ºF) in the winter.

Required Clothing

Lightweight cottons and linens are worn during summer, with warm mediumweights for the evenings, during the winter, and in the mountains. Waterproofing is advisable in the wet season, particularly on the coast and in the mountains.

Contacts

Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the UK

49 Queen's Gate Gardens, London SW7 5NE, UK
Tel: (020) 7581 5001.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700; 1000-1300 (visa section); closed UK and Moroccan national holidays (open until 1500 during Ramadan).

Moroccan Consulate in the UK

Diamond House, 97-99 Praed Street, London W2 1NT, UK
Tel: (020) 7724 0624.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1230.

Moroccan National Tourist Office in the UK

205 Regent Street, 2nd Floor, London W1R 7DE, UK
Tel: (020) 7437 0073.
Website: www.visitmorocco.org

Moroccan National Tourist Office in the USA

20 East 46th Street, Suite 1201, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 557 2520.

Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the USA

1601 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 462 7979.
Website: www.moroccanconsulate.com