Driving in Morocco: an Alternative Perspective
It was with some trepidation that we pulled away from the car hire kiosk at Marrakech airport in our shiny new Kia. We’d done our research and, in doing so, had read countless reports of travellers falling victim to Morocco’s corrupt traffic enforcement officials. One YouTuber recounted being pulled over three times on the same stretch of road and ‘fined’ for what were seemingly imagined traffic offenses. And so, pockets stuffed full of notes to pay off any apparent traffic violations, we set off.
Shame on us. We spent 12 days driving around Morocco and we didn’t experience this once. Not one single traffic infringement fine.
Yes, we were required to stop at countless checkpoints – this is standard practice for driving in Morocco. But the majority of the time we were waved on through. Only once were we asked to show the papers for the car and that ended up being a very positive interaction.
So would we recommend hiring a car in Morocco? Absolutely. It’s safe, convenient, and offers you the opportunity to see parts of the country that you’d almost certainly miss if you were on a package tour or relying on public transport hubs.
Below are our top tips for navigating Morocco by car.
1. Hire a Small Car
You don’t need that 4X4 off-roader. Even if you’re planning to negotiate the mountain passes, Morocco’s roads are of a great quality and you’ll be just fine with a small car. You might even be grateful for it on some of the narrower city roads. We recommend a small SUV like a Dacia Sandero or a Kia Sonet – something just large enough to give you a slight edge on the roads. We found that this also made the car hire very affordable.
2. Navigation
It’s 2023. You’re going to be just fine with Google Maps. We had very few problems with accuracy but we would recommend downloading your map to view offline. To do this, simply make sure the area you want to navigate is visible in Google Maps on your smartphone screen, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, and select ‘Download offline map’. We were good for signal 90% of the time but found that Murphy’s Law held true and it typically dropped out just as we were approaching confusing junctions. Overall, navigation in Morocco is a breeze, and major settlements are signposted in English.
3. Toll Roads
If you can afford to rent a car in Morocco, you can afford to use the toll roads, and we definitely recommend it. Traffic is little to non-existent, the road quality is stellar, and it’s unlikely to ever cost you more than 80 MAD. We also made good use of the modern and reliably placed service stations. We always advocate slow travel but if you really do need to get across the country quickly, you can’t go wrong with the toll roads.
4. Checkpoints
Like we said up top, you will need to stop at checkpoints, and frequently. They’re usually marked by traffic cones, a set of decreasing speed signs, and perhaps a patrol car. In all cases you should slow right down to a crawl, roll down your window and give the officials a friendly smile. In the vast majority of cases, they just want to make sure that you’re complying with the rules and will give you nothing more than a cursory glance to ensure you’re wearing your seatbelt. Keep your travel documents and any car hire papers in the glove compartment just in case you’re asked to present them.
5. Speed Limits
What’s the speed limit in Morocco? Your guess is as good as ours! We filled our bingo card up pretty quickly, encountering signs denoting the following limits: 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, 120 (kmph – not mph!). Speed limits will also change in quick succession, dropping from 100 to 80 to 60 in a few short metres so you need to be on your toes. If in doubt, opt for 60kmph and don’t be afraid to be the slowest car on the road. Moroccan drivers are used to variable vehicle speeds and they’ll happily overtake you if you’re going too slow for their liking. As a general rule of thumb, speed limits tend to be:
40 in city and town centres
60 in urban areas
80/100 on rural roads (depending on whether it’s single or double lane)
120 on highways
6. Roundabouts
This one caught us out and, had we not almost been t-boned by a bus, we might never have known. Most roundabouts in Morocco are straightforward but, where a roundabout is controlled by traffic lights, those signals take precedence over usual roundabout rules. This means that if you are already on the roundabout when the lights for an adjoining road giving way to the roundabout turn green, the traffic on the green light takes priority. You will be expected to stop and wait for a gap in the traffic before exiting the roundabout, even if that traffic is joining the roundabout to your right.
7. Beeping and Flashing
Moroccans are an expressive people who are not shy about communication, and the art of beeping and flashing is a language unto its own. We quickly learned that being flashed by oncoming vehicles often meant that we were approaching a checkpoint – even if that checkpoint was a further 3km down the road – or, on one occasion, that we were approaching a road traffic collision. While surfing in Taghazout, we couldn’t work out why our driver was manically beeping at the car in front, until he explained that the car was speeding and he happened to know there was a speed camera right around the corner. If you can’t figure out why someone is beeping or flashing at you, it’s most likely to warn you of a hazard.
8. Sharing the Road
You’ll find yourself sharing the road with more varied types of road users than you may be used to. Horses and carts, donkeys, camels, bicycles, scooters and even the odd stray dog are all frequent users of Morocco’s roads, whether that’s in the cities or on the open roads in between. In and around many of the cities, bicycles and motorbikes are designated their own lane but when it comes to overtaking some of the slower vehicles – namely quadrupeds with a cart in tow – just take it slow and give them lots of space.
9. Overtaking
That leads us nicely onto our next point. One of the things that Morocco’s Gendarmerie is really hot on is overtaking. You may not cross the unbroken white line in the middle of the road to overtake another vehicle – even if that vehicle is a painstakingly slow-moving horse and cart. You must wait until road markings (a broken white line) indicate that it is safe to do so. Once safe, pull out to the left and give the vehicle a beep to let them know you’re there (unless they’re an animal, of course!).
10. Hitchhikers
Hitchhiking is quite a normal way to get around in Morocco; unfortunately, not everyone can afford a car or even a donkey and cart. Picking up hitchhikers is seen as a way that tourists can help the local community, and having a local in the car can be useful if you do encounter any problems on the road. We gave one lady a 50km lift to the market and, while we only had half a dozen words of Arabic between us, had a great time having her along for the ride and she was incredibly grateful to us. Obviously exercise some caution around who you choose to stop for, but don’t feel that it’s something to be avoided entirely.
11. Coffee Dudes
The concept of a café varies across the world, and we came to affectionally refer to Moroccan roadside cafes as ‘coffee dudes’. Consisting of a small van with an elaborate barista coffee machine installed into the back of it, you’ll find them dotted along Morocco’s roads, usually on the edge of town with a couple of plastic chairs scattered nearby. Stopping at one is a quintessential Moroccan experience, and the coffee isn’t all bad either! Make sure you take your litter away with you.
And that’s it! Those are our top tips for driving in Morocco. Think we’ve missed something? Let us know in the comments below. Most importantly, though, have fun on your Moroccan roadtrip and remember: always stop at the places in between.