Morocco is a country that truly has so much to offer, with its imposing snow-capped mountains, its canyons and sand dunes as far as the eye can see, its remote Berber villages and bustling medinas of imperial cities, and it’s beautiful Atlantic coastline. We arrived in Morocco from Europe with our small van, and drove from north to south, collecting carin this article all the must-see places, useful tips, and answers to any doubts you may have about them, such as safety and requirements for driving in Morocco!
Driving in Morocco in your own vehicle is an adventure not to be missed! Check out our article to find out more!
Getting around Morocco
In our opinion, the best way to get around Morocco is to have your own car or van with you, or alternatively to hire one locally. You can check prices for car rentals in Morocco here. In Morocco, you won’t find many options for getting around within the country. Trains, buses and minivans are often not reliable or available. You can get information on bus and train tickets here.
Renting your own car when traveling gives you the freedom to discover the country at your own pace, and it’s often cheaper too! When travelling we always use DiscoverCars.com. They check all the local companies and find you the best car at the cheapest price! Check out DiscoverCars.com here.
If you are looking for adventure, hitchhiking is also a good method of getting around the country! We have seen many locals using this method of travel, making it popular with tourists as well.
Note: Travelling with Ben, I did not have the chance to test how Morocco is for girls travelling alone. Consequently, as Morocco is still a Muslim country, I would not recommend hitchhiking for girls travelling alone. Completely OK for those travelling with girlfriends and/or boyfriends.
Alternatively, if you do not have your own car or cannot rent one, we recommend booking an organised tour. There are many tour operators in Morocco offering all-inclusive tour packages to visit the most beautiful destinations. Booking a tour takes the stress out of using the slow and often unreliable public transport options.
Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar
If you arrive in your vehicle from Europe, you will have to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. We took the ferry from Algeciras in Spain, and headed to Tangier Med in Morocco. We heard from other travellers that this is the cheapest route, and in addition, at the port of Tangier Med the checks on your van will be shorter. The overall experience was pleasant, although ferry schedules are often unreliable as they are often delayed. The crossing is therefore likely to take no less than 6 hours in total, even though the strait is only 10km long!
Note: Travel insurance is a must for any trip abroad, especially when hiring a car. Even if problems rarely occur, it is better to be covered in case they do. We use SafetyWing and recommend it to anyone travelling the world.
Some tips for your crossing:
- Online tickets usually cost more than they should. Buy your tickets in person before arriving at the port at one of the stands/booths you will find on the street marked ‘selling tickets to Morocco or Tangier Med’. There are several ferries leaving every day and you will never risk not finding a seat. Also, the prices will be lower and you won’t have to queue. We paid €250 in total (two people and the van, round trip). If you want to be flexible about the return date, you can ask for a return ticket with an open date at no extra charge.
- Take all the car’s identification documents with you, such as the car registration, insurance and coupon, as you will be asked at the border when entering Morocco!
- Be careful, because drones are not allowed in Morocco. At customs they will check if you have drones, and if so, they will confiscate it. Not declaring it is at your own risk in case they catch you using it in Morocco during your stay.
- Do not take your SIM card from the sellers at the port. They will be ready to sell you ‘the bargain of the century’ for around 50 euros! Don’t trust them! We only paid 5 euros for 7 gigs of internet in any local shop that has ‘Telecom Morocco’ written outside! An alternative is buying an eSIM before you arrive. We use Airalo when travelling to get connected before we arrive in the country. Check out the Airalo eSim for Morocco here.
- Bring your passport on the ferry, because you will be asked to have your passport checked on board. Another tip is to enter and get in line immediately! The controls will be long.
Driving in Morocco: Everything you need to know
Do you need an international driving licence?
No, you do not need an international driving licence to drive in Morocco. The important thing is to have a valid driving licence in your country of origin. I had an Italian licence, and Ben had an English one, and we always got away fine at police checks!
Is it safe to drive in Morocco?
We found driving in Morocco generally safe. Some Moroccans drive in a slightly reckless manner, so you have to be a bit careful and not speed too much with the car/van. But if you pay some attention, and avoid driving at night when visibility is poor, you should not run into problems.
Road conditions
Road conditions in Morocco vary greatly depending on where you are. Large cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech and coastal cities such as Essaouira and Agadir are well connected by toll roads, and free highways. These roads are wide and safe, comparable to many European motorways.
In the mountainous and desert inland areas, it is easier to find roads that are narrow, bumpy or under construction. The situation is especially problematic in the High Atlas area after the terrible earthquake that struck Morocco in September 2023. In any case, by being careful and driving calmly, we never had any major problems reaching our destinations with our van.
Watch out for police and checkpoints!
Be extremely careful at checkpoints when driving in Morocco! You will find countless of them, and unfortunately the police often try to take advantage of tourists. In Morocco, you will see two types of road signs when you find a checkpoint: ‘Rallentir‘ with a speed limit of around 20km/h, and ‘Arrête‘, which is the stop sign. When you see the latter sign, come to a complete stop and stay put until the police signal you to move on! We slowed down almost to a stop, and seeing that the two policemen ignored us while continuing to talk to each other, we moved on. Immediately, they signalled for us to pull over and told us that we had to wait for their signal before we could pass. After 10 minutes of negotiation, we settled it with ‘only’ a 13 euro fine, but be careful not to fall for it!
Is free camping in Morocco safe?
The answer we feel like giving is: it depends. It depends on where you are. Our advice is to download the park4night app if you don’t have it yet and look at other travellers’ reviews of different places. We did six nights of free camping and found no problems. We relied on the reviews of other campers (we only trusted the places that had 4 stars and up) and we also relied a lot on our own feelings and if we felt safe after looking around the area.
Generally, along the coast it will be easy to find other vans and it tends to be safe, while in the mountain and desert areas it can be good to make sure you are not alone, or ask locals if they think the area is safe to stay overnight. The locals will be able to tell you if it is possible to camp undisturbed, or if there might be cases of theft. Be careful in the vicinity of towns.
Note: Bare in mind that campsites in Morocco are really nice and extremely cheap. You spend between 4 and 10 euros in total for a night’s camping, so if you feel unsafe, go to one of the many campsites available in Morocco. No need to book in advance!
What to do when visiting cities
When visiting cities, we always preferred not to sleep in the van, but to leave it at the edge of town and stay overnight in the medina. Nothing untoward ever happened, and we never had to pay to leave the van anywhere. The strategy we adopted was to park the van quite far from the centre and then take a 20-minute walk (or take a taxi) to the hotel. This way we were able to park our van in quiet areas away from the hustle and bustle of the city centres.
An alternative is to leave your car in the paid car parks around the city. This way, you will have a 24-hour guard to ensure that nothing happens to your van/car. However, the cost can be up to EUR 10 per day for this type of service.
Note: Vehicle wardens wear a semi-official uniform. If you are approached by unofficial people, it is best to leave without giving any money. A good practice in Morocco is always to look around when parking, and possibly agree beforehand on the cost of any service, so as not to incur extra charges.
Wherever you decide to leave your car/van, avoid moving during the evening, but only make such moves during the day!
Driving in Morocco: Things not to miss
Below is an interactive map and list of all the places not to miss if you are planning a roadtrip to Morocco with your car, van or camper van! If you want to know more about the must-see destinations, check out our one-month Morocco itinerary here!
Interactive map
1. Chefchaouen
For the complete guide to things not to miss in Chefchaouen, check out our article here!
2. Fes
For the complete guide to what not to miss in Fes, see our article here!
3. Merzouga: the Sahara Desert
4. Todra and Dades Gorges
For the complete guide to activities in the Todra and Dades Gorges, see our article here!
5. Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou
For the complete guide to things not to miss in Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou, see our article here!
6. Marrakech
For the full guide to the 5 best tours from Marrakech, see our article here!
7. Imlil and the High Atlas
For the complete guide to activities and places not to miss in the High Atlas, see our article here!
8. Essaouira
For the complete guide to things not to miss in Essaouria, see our article here!
9. Rabat
For the complete guide to things not to miss in Rabat, see our article here!
Conclusions
Driving in Morocco is a unique and exciting experience, and the best way to visit this extraordinary country, rich in culture and nature. We hope this article has been helpful in answering any questions you may have had about it! If not, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment and we will be happy to answer and help you.
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