Visiting Marrakech – What you should know before you go - Part 4

Moving Around the City

The best way of getting around Marrakech is walking. This mainly because vehicles are not allowed in the narrows alleys of the medina. You should expect to get lost frequently, but there’s always someone who will help you out.

Calèches are the horse-drawn cabs that are located on Place Foucault between Jemaa El Fna and the Koutoubia, and also by the Bahia Palace and Majorelle Gardens. They have signs with fees for typical rides, however, if you want something different then you can negotiate an hourly rate, around 150Dh is reasonable.

A standard taxi is a beige municipal petits taxi and should be metered, however you may have to prompt the driver to turn it on. Most trips cost around 15 Dh and slightly more at night with the 50 percent surcharge. The cabs carry a maximum of 3 passengers at a time.

There are Sightseeing Bus Tours which start at the tourist office in Place Abdel Moumen Ben Ali. These are double decker open-topped buses, they follow two circular routes which take in the Koutoubia, Place des Ferblantiers for the Badii and Bahia palaces, the Menara, Majorelle Gardens and Palmeraie. They operate this service are every 30 minutes from 9am to 5pm. The tickets cost 160 Dh and are valid for 24 hours.

The Moroccan Highway Code is similar to that of France. You give way to those on the right and whoever is on a town roundabout has priority. Speed limits are 40 or 60 kmh in city areas, 100 kmh on open roads and 120 kmh on motorways. The road signs are in Arabic and French. If you want to head south over the Atlas then a 4wheel-drive is a must for travelling on dirt tracks.

Bicycles, scooters and mopeds can be hired at various places, including Bazaar Salah Eddine off Rue de Bab Agnaou and along Rue Bani Marine. However, given the standard of driving you may want to double check your insurance as most policies now excluded the hire of such vehicles. The locals will tell you that you are covered on their hire but it will not cover your medical bills

Car hire is quite expensive with local agencies charging around 600 Dh a day. If you only want a car for the drive over the Atlas, a grand taxi may be cheaper.

Generally, Grands taxis are the best way to do longer trips. They will cost about the same as car hire for the day and you will get a drivert. You should expect to pay about 800 Dh for the whole car on a one way trip to somewhere like Ouarzazate.

Continued in part 5