GETTING THERE
Arriving by plane
Royal Air Maroc (AT) (Internet: www.royalairmaroc.com) is the national airline. Good flight connections with Royal Air Maroc from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt / M., Munich, Geneva and Zurich.
Lufthansa (LH) flies from Munich to Marrakech.
Austrian Airlines (OS) operates in winter between Vienna and Casablanca and Agadir in the triangle. Morocco is also served by Eurowings (EU), Air Berlin (AB), Swiss International (LX), Air France (AF), Alitalia (AZ), British Airways (BA) and KLM (KL).
Swiss International (LX) also flies to Marrakech from Geneva.
Air Arabia Maroc (3O) flies from Frankfurt to Marrakech.
Note on arriving by plane
Departure tax for tourists: € 9.00 or € 36.00 for first-class passengers. The departure tax is included in the flight price.
Flight times
Frankfurt – Casablanca: 3 hours 40 minutes; Zurich – Casablanca: 4 hours 40 minutes
Departure fee
An exit tax is included in the flight price.
Arrival by car
The best road connection is via Algeciras in southern Spain or France with one of the car / passenger ferries (see above ship). If you travel to the country by car, you have to leave the country by car, unless you have a special permit from the Moroccan customs authorities.
Long-distance bus: Eurolines buses (Internet: www.eurolines.com) travel to and from Morocco. There are bus connections between Germany and Morocco, timetable and tariff information is available from the Eurolines agency in Germany (Deutsche Touring GmbH), Am Römerhof 17, D-60486 Frankfurt / M. (Tel: (069) 79 03 50. Internet: www.deutsche-touring.com).
Note on arriving by car
Crossing the border to Mauritania via the Western Sahara is not recommended because of the mining of the border area. The road connection to the northern Algerian border is currently closed.
Arriving by train
The rail connections between Morocco and Algeria are currently closed (the route runs from Oujda in Morocco via Oran to Algiers). Tangier got a new train station in Moghogha, 5 km outside the city center. From here the planned tunnel to Spain is to be built by 2010.
Arrival by ship
The main ports are Tangier, Casablanca and Ceuta. The following shipping companies call at these ports: Compañía Transmediterránea (Internet: www.trasmediterranea.es) and FerriMaroc (Internet: www.ferrimaroc.com) (from France, Spain and Italy).
Note on arrival by ship
Car passenger ferries
The ferry companies are FerriMaroc (Internet: www.ferrimaroc.com), Trasmediterranea (Internet: www.trasmediterranea.es) and Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation. Inexpensive scheduled ferries connect southern Spain with Tangier and the Spanish enclaves on the northern Moroccan coast on the following routes:
Algeciras – Ceuta (Sebta) (car ferry);
Algeciras – Tangier (hydrofoil and car ferry);
Tarifa – Tangier (hydrofoil);
Gibraltar – Tangier (hydrofoil and car ferry);
Almería – Melilla or Nadar (car ferry);
Málaga – Melilla (car ferry);
Almería – Nadar (car ferry);
Gênes (Italy) – Tangier;
Alicante – Orán and
Almería – Al Hoceima.
Car ferries from the Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation also operate between Sète on the French coast (between Béziers and Montpellier on the Golfe du Lyon) and Tangier.
ON THE GO
Traveling by plane
Royal Air Maroc (AT) (Internet: www.royalairmaroc.com) offers scheduled flights from Casablanca to Agadir, Dakhla, Fez, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Oujda and Tangier.
On the way by car / bus
The main roads, especially in the north and northwest of the country, are passable in all weathers. Inland, south of the Atlas Mountains, travel becomes more difficult, especially when crossing the Atlas during the winter months. A coastal road is currently under construction between Tangier and Saidia, which will be 560 km long when completed.
Long-distance bus: Good bus connections between the larger cities, mainly private buses. The two largest companies are CTM (nationwide) and Supratours (Internet: www.supratourstravel.com). Buses between most major cities and villages run frequently and regularly. They can be very crowded. It is advisable to get to the bus early to get a seat. Fares are low, especially on regional transport. It is customary to tip the conductor for loading luggage. You can rent air-conditioned buses from several bus companies.
Taxis can be found in the larger cities. Only Petits Taxis have a meter (see below for city traffic). Larger taxis that can be shared with other passengers are used for overland transport; the fare should be agreed in advance.
Rental car:The major car rental companies have offices in most of the larger cities, including Agadir, Casablanca, Essaouira, Fez, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat and Tangier. The minimum age is 21.
Documents: National driver’s license. An international driver’s license is required when renting a vehicle. Liability insurance and international green insurance card (must be written valid for Morocco) required. Insurance can also be taken out on site.
Note on traveling by road
Safety advice: The Rif Mountains should not be traveled alone because of frequent attacks by drug dealers. In particular, the routes between Chefchaouen via Ketama to Al-Hoceima and the road from Ketama to Fez should be avoided.
Traveling in the city
Bus: There are extensive bus networks in Casablanca and the other major cities. You can buy tickets in advance. S-Bahn: In Casablanca, the S-Bahn runs from Ain Sebaa to Mohammed V Airport. Taxi: There are numerous Petits Taxis with taxi meters in the cities.
On the go by train
According to youremailverifier, the Moroccan rail network run by the Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) (Internet: www.oncf.ma) connects, among other things, Oujda in the northeast with Casablanca on the west coast and Tangier on the north coast with Marrakech inland. The most important connection leads from Fez to Rabat and Casablanca (also night trains). There are also regular train connections from Casablanca to Marrakech (western route) and from Kenitra to Rabat. Main
routes:
(a) Marrakech-Casablanca-Rabat-Meknes-Fez-Oujda (every 2 hours);
(b) Marrakech-Casablanca-Rabat (every 30 minutes);
(c) Marrakech-Casablanca-Meknes-Fez and
(d) Casablanca-Rabat-Tangier (eastern route).
There are air-conditioned express trains, fast suburban commuter trains (Trains Navettes Rapides (TNR) and the so-called Trains Ordinaires, which connect all stations of the Moroccan route network with one another. Reservations are only possible for express trains.
Special prices / discounts: Children under 4 travel for free, Children aged 4-12 at half price. With the weekend ticket you get a 25% discount (the route must be at least 180 km long). Groups of at least 6 people receive a 20% discount.
Note on rail travel
A high-speed line is currently under construction from Tangier to Casablanca via Kénitra and Rabat, which will reduce the travel time from 5:45 hours to 2:10 hours from the end of 2015.
