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The question of how to get to Morocco has many answers, depending on the place of origin of each traveler. In this page we show you an overview of the options you have in your hand, taking into account the different means of transport you can use to enter and move around the country.
Being such a large country and so focused on tourism, Morocco offers many options to enter its territory. The two most important are air and ferry, but there are also less common ones available. We review them below.
Traveling to Morocco by plane is the most comfortable, fast and varied way for every tourist. The country has more than a dozen international airports, served by numerous air routes from other countries. In addition, the network of domestic flights, operated mainly by Moroccan airlines (Royal Air Maroc, Air Arabia Maroc), expands the possibilities for those who want to reach their destination directly by adding a stopover.
These are the international airports in Morocco, and a summary of their connections:
In addition, there are other smaller airports that can be useful for travel within the Moroccan territory, such as Errachidia, Beni Mellal, Bouarfa or Smara.
In any case, we suggest you check beforehand the status of these routes, since companies may modify their availability or frequency according to their operational needs.
The boat is the other great option to travel to Morocco. There are four main ports in the country, and two ways to reach them:
Some companies operating regular ferry lines to Morocco are Balearia, Trasmediterranea, Armas, GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci), Grimaldi Lines, FRS, Inter Shipping and Africa Morocco Link.
The boat and, above all, the plane are the most common ways to travel to Marrakech for tourism. However, there are others that you can also take into consideration: they are not exactly the most comfortable or the fastest, but we mention them because of their existence.
This is one of the most novel and unknown options to reach Morocco. This option is based in Ceuta, the Spanish autonomous city located on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar, on African soil. Since Ceuta does not have an airport and does not have much space to do so, its heliport was launched as an alternative, which has an operation similar to that of an airport, but with capacity for helicopters only.
At the time of writing (February 2023), the only company operating in this heliport is Hélity, with a service already consolidated for years and with two regular airlines connecting Ceuta with two points in the south of the Iberian Peninsula:
In this way, Ceuta can become the gateway for a traveler coming from Spain, although in this way it is necessary to take into account the border formalities to be carried out at the land crossing between Ceuta and Castillejos (Fnideq).
In addition, also as of February 2023, the approval of two more direct airlines (Algeciras – Tangier and Algeciras – Tetouan) is in process, pending bureaucratic approval at the European level.
Some companies have international lines that depart from different points of Europe and go to the south of Spain, where the traveler transfers to take one of the ferries mentioned above and, already in Moroccan territory, continue in another coach. The ticket to be purchased already includes this transfer, as they are sold as a pack.
In any case, you should keep in mind that it is not a very popular system among tourists. And the companies that usually offer these routes may modify the routes or cancel their service based on operational reasons at any given time. The Spanish Alsa, the Belgian Eurolines or the German Flixbus are some of the companies that have been offering this service in the past, but we recommend you to check their availability or not at the moment of designing your trip.
Those wishing to enter Morocco in this way must rely on the passage of the Strait of Gibraltar by ferry, with the consequent bureaucratic formalities (consult the company operating the service). Some of the above ferry lines usually have the capacity to transport passengers and vehicles. This is a very common solution in the so-called Operation Crossing the Strait, when thousands of Moroccans residing in Europe cross the strait with their vehicles in this way.
Therefore, to get to Morocco in your own car or motorhome, you will have to travel mainly to Algeciras, the largest port in southern Spain, being the AP-7 highway the main entrance to the city, coming from the Costa del Sol (Malaga).
If you are considering entering Morocco from Algeria from the east, you will have to give up this idea for the time being: due to diplomatic problems between the two countries, mainly resulting from the disparity of criteria on Western Sahara, the border crossings are closed. And it seems that the situation is going to continue for a long time.
The border post between Morocco and Mauritania, to the south, is at El Guergarat, in Western Sahara, but due to its remoteness from other tourist destinations, it cannot be considered as an option to reach Morocco. And of course, the vast natural border of the Sahara between Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria makes it an insurmountable obstacle, also for tourists.
If you are already in Morocco and what you want is to know the different ways to move around the country, you will see that the options are even more numerous and oriented to different traveler profiles.
As mentioned in the section on airports, there are many flights between the country’s tourist destinations. These routes are chartered by Moroccan airlines: Royal Air Maroc and Air Arabia Maroc. Casablanca airport is the real hub of the domestic flight network, but not all flights necessarily pass through it.
This is the list of domestic connections between the different Moroccan airports:
As with international routes, the availability and frequency of domestic routes may be subject to variations or even cancellations depending on the operational needs of the companies. Therefore, we recommend that you check if your route is in effect for your travel dates or if new ones have arisen.
The train is a means of transport that is not available to access Morocco from other countries, but it is valid to move between some of its cities. The Moroccan railroad network is one of the most extensive and functional in Africa, but still does not cover the entire territory.
In Morocco, broadly speaking, there are two types of trains to move between different cities and regions:
It is one of the most popular means of transport in Morocco, because its lines reach places where the train does not and, in addition, at very competitive prices. Coaches are becoming more modern and comfortable, so it can be a valid option for more independent travelers.
The main transportation company is CTM, with a wide variety of lines and destinations. For long journeys, Supratours stands out, with very high levels of comfort. The Spanish company Alsa also operates some intercity and urban bus services. However, due to mergers, name changes or terminations, this list of companies may be modified.
If you decide to drive your own car in Morocco, you must cross the Strait of Gibraltar by ferry and have all documents in order, both for the driver and the vehicle. We explain it in more detail on the
page dedicated to bureaucratic issues
.
Once in Moroccan territory, you will be able to move along its roads easily. There are more and more well paved and maintained highways connecting the main cities, which are usually toll roads. Conventional national highways are still the available option in less densely populated areas, especially in the south and between small towns.
It will do you good to know some important details about driving in Morocco:
The rental car option deserves a special mention, available at offices located in major cities and tourist destinations. The main multinationals in the sector have a presence in the country, with service conditions comparable to those of other countries. And if you want to bring in a car rented from another European country, you will probably find that the contract conditions do not allow this option.
Cabs are a very popular means of transport among the Moroccan population, and are not only used regularly to move between two points in the same city, but also to travel between several cities relatively far apart.
There are two types of cabs:
After reviewing all the ways to move around Morocco by road, we leave for the last the most recommended way for tourists: the private vehicle with driver. It is the most comfortable and safest way to move around the city and the different regions within a circuit, ideal for optimizing time and worrying only about enjoying what is before your eyes. And in many cases, the road trip is an experience in itself, especially in the valleys of the southern Atlas and on the desert tracks.
Chic Morocco can provide this service throughout your tour in Morocco, in vehicles of maximum comfort, air-conditioned and perfectly equipped if it is necessary to go into the desert. And our drivers know every road, every detour and every shortcut, as well as the possible dangers to avoid.
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Travel agency and DMC specialized in private and tailor-made trips to Morocco.
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