Travelling Around Morocco
Responsible Travel
We promote travelling less and seeing more - an opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture. We recommend use of public transport where good
services exist, giving you a chance to enjoy the journey - and it's kinder to the
environment!
We are happy to advise on the options suitable for your
chosen itinerary and to book drivers, vehicles and guides.
"The taxi drivers and guides were a perfect mixture of the professional and personal. I felt looked after, safe and actually 'liked' as a guest. That's some achievement in an age when service usually means working to some jaded formula for customer-care rather than attentive, unobstrusive support. S Forrest, 02/07
Please note that if you choose our "Real Morocco" option, self-drive is not usually necessary - we
provide transport for trips and the rest of the time it's easy to get around the local area
either on foot or by using public transport.
A-Z of Travel Options
A rich variety: from public transport (horse drawn taxis, bicycles, camels, horses as well as the more conventional coaches, buses, trains and shared taxis) to private taxis and car hire (self drive or with driver and/or guide).
Airport Transfers On arrival we always arrange for a transfer by
taxi, minibus or car.
Bicycle Hire We can advise on where you can hire bicycles. In Taroudant we have our own to hire for a moderate fee, usually cheaper then bringing your own by air.
Buses & Coaches A luxury coach with air conditioning costs about £4 for the 2.5 hour journey from Essaouira to Marrakech or about £5 for the Agadir - Marrakech route.
Camels & Horses You could opt to do a 6 day horse trek up the unspoilt Atlantic coast from Agadir to Essaouira. Camel rides would normally be of shorter duration. See our Trekking page for more details. Horse drawn taxis (caleches) in Marrakech and Taroudant are great fun and can be used as an orientation tour. All of Marrakech's 300 Caleche horses are now registered with the Society for Protection of Animals Abroad for a regular MOT!
Car Hire We use a local company in order to support the local economy and at the same time save you money. Full insurance including CDW (collision damage waiver) is included- most Moroccan companies do not offer this cover. We can offer self drive or a car with driver.
Our driver, proved without a doubt the most influential factor in making the holiday such a success. He proved to be not only a very competent driver but he soon became the ideal travel companion for his friendliness and good sense of humour, his ability to find those hidden treasures and deserted backroads. He seemed to have friends and acquaintances who were always happy to see him and extend their warm welcome to his fortunate customers. We really cannot thank him enough for showing us the authentic Morocco that he is justifiably proud of. P Foxall 4/07
Please be aware that driving in Morocco requires some quite different techniques from the UK - for example, you may meet horses, donkeys, bikes, cars and lorries on the same narrow street! Some typical costs are:
| Typical Car | Weekly Cost | Air Con |
| Toyota Starlet | £200 | no |
| Toyota Yaris | £227 | yes |
| Toyota Corolla | £272 | yes |
| Toyota Avensis | £370 | yes |
Please ask about other vehicles but note we don't encourage 4WD due to the high fuel
consumption, environmental impact and reasonable quality of roads.
Fuel costs are similar to the UK for petrol.
To book a car, simply let us know your requirements and we'll take
care of the arrangements for you. A deposit is payable to us, the remainder being due when you collect the vehicle.
Shared public taxis are an experience, but rarely have seat belts. They are a similar price to buses and coaches but depart more frequently between all major towns - though you may have to change taxis en route.
Private taxis We can recommend taxi drivers known to us who can be reserved for you either before or during your visit. A fee of around £40 is typical for a 2.5 hour journey. You can expect much higher standards than in public taxis, for example seat belts, but be aware that they may not always be as you might expect at home.
Private taxi with guide
For trips starting
or ending in
Taroudant
area we can thoroughly recommend Mohamed and Mafoud, two educated and interesting guide. They speak good English, are always
punctual and are careful drivers. Their vehicles are comfortable Mercedes taxis with seat belts for up to 4 passengers. For journeys of 2 or more days away from home, he charges about £85 per day including
fuel.
About our private guide/taxi driver: "What really made the trip was Mohamed. The knowledge and understanding of our needs was faultless. Things like knowing where the best views were to watch a sunset or the nearest clean loo proved invaluable. I would unreservedly recommend him as an alternative to self drive to anyone. We would have never seen or learnt anywhere near as much as we did if it were not for him. R Clark, Oct 05
4x4 with guide
If travelling to the deep south, you may want to hire
Catherine as your driver & guide. She is a skilful driver, good company
and knows Morocco well as a result of living and working there. Her
vehicle has 3 rows of seats and can seat up to 6 passengers with seat
belts. She charges around £110 per day including fuel.
About our 4x4 guide/driver: "We thoroughly enjoyed our 4 days with Catherine and wished we'd had the extra day with her. She is good company, an excellent driver, flexible and it was really nice for Sally to have female company where most of the guides are male. We would certainly recommend her. K Lomax, Feb 2004
Trains There is an excellent and inexpensive train service linking
Marrakech
with Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes,
Fez
and Tangier. Even first class is
cheap. Note that you should choose the rapide service if time is at a
premium. Supratours is an excellent coach company which offers connecting
buses from train stations to all major towns and cities without railways
eg to
Essaouira, Agadir and Ouarzazate from Marrakech.
Here's a link to a fascinating and informative article written by one of our clients, Roger Sargent, after his trip to Morocco by train in Nov 06.
Walking We offer treks with mule support through the High Atlas Mts for up to 7 days duration. See our Trekking page for more details.
Price Comparisons
Bus ticket in comfortable a/c coach from Essaouira to Marrakech (2.5 hours) - £4 per person.
Train Fez- Marrakech first class about £18 for a 7 hour journey
Car hire from £24- £36 per day, plus fuel - similar prices
to the UK. Driver from £20 per day.
Mercedes taxi & guide £60- £85 per day including fuel.
People Carrier or minibus with driver and fuel for 5-17 persons from £105- £145 per day
Naturally Morocco Limited - Experience the Real Morocco
Tel: 01239 710 814 UK local rate: 0845 345 7195
