Driving in Morocco: A Practical Guide for Visitors

For most visitors, yes. Morocco has a modern motorway network linking its main cities, national roads in generally good condition and clear signage in Arabic and French. Many travellers find a car is the most flexible way to combine cities like Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and Marrakech with the Atlantic coast, the Atlas Mountains and the desert.

What takes some getting used to is the driving culture. City traffic can feel busy and improvised, with scooters, taxis, buses, pedestrians and the occasional horse-drawn cart sharing the same space. Outside the cities, the challenge is different: long distances, winding mountain roads and villages where people and animals walk along the roadside. Drive calmly, anticipate, and give yourself more time than the map suggests.

Morocco drives on the right and overtakes on the left, like most of continental Europe. Road signs follow international conventions, and the familiar red octagonal stop sign usually reads stop or its Arabic equivalent. The rules are similar to what you know at home, but they are enforced, so it pays to follow them closely.

Unless signs say otherwise, the usual limits are 120 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on roads outside built-up areas and 60 km/h in towns. Lower limits are common near schools, roadworks, junctions and village entrances, where you may see 40 km/h or less, so watch for signs rather than relying on these figures alone.

Speed checks are frequent. Fixed speed cameras are installed on many roads and motorways, and police and gendarmes also use mobile radars, often placed just after a speed limit drops at the entrance to a town. A good habit is to slow down as soon as you see a town sign and to stay at or below the posted limit until you see the end-of-limit sign.

Fines can be issued at the roadside. If you are stopped, stay polite, follow the officer's instructions and ask for an official receipt for any payment. Remember that, as the renter, you are responsible for traffic offences committed during your rental.

Checkpoints are a normal part of driving in Morocco. You will typically find them at the entrance and exit of towns, on main roads and near roundabouts. The police (Sûreté Nationale) work in urban areas, while the Royal Gendarmerie covers roads outside the cities.

When you approach a checkpoint, slow right down and be ready to stop if an officer signals you. Often you will simply be waved through. If you are stopped, officers may ask for your driving licence, passport or ID, and the vehicle documents. Keep them together in an easy-to-reach place so the check takes only a minute.

Morocco's motorways (autoroutes) are run by Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM) and are tolled. They connect the main cities, including Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir, and are generally the fastest and most comfortable way to cover long distances. Service areas with fuel, cafés and toilets are found at regular intervals.

You usually take a ticket when you enter the network and pay at a toll plaza when you leave, or pay at barriers along the route. Toll prices depend on the distance and vehicle category and change from time to time, so check the current rates before you travel. Keep some dirhams in cash for tolls, and look for the lanes marked for your payment method: some lanes are reserved for the Jawaz electronic badge.

Even on motorways, stay alert. It is not unusual to see pedestrians crossing or animals near the fences, especially close to towns, and slow vehicles may use the right-hand lane.

Casablanca, Marrakech and the other big cities have heavy traffic at peak hours. Expect lane changes without much warning, scooters filtering between cars and taxis stopping suddenly to pick up passengers. Keep a safe distance and use your mirrors constantly.

Roundabouts deserve extra care. Priority rules are not always applied in the same way, and drivers already on the roundabout cannot always count on others giving way. Follow the signs at each roundabout, slow down on entry and watch what other drivers are actually doing rather than what they should do.

For parking, you will often see attendants in high-visibility vests who watch over cars in a street or car park in exchange for a small payment. Some city centres also have paid zones with meters. Avoid parking where the kerb is painted red and white, and never leave valuables visible in the car. The old medinas are mostly closed to cars, so park nearby and continue on foot.

Roads such as the N9 over the Tizi n'Tichka pass between Marrakech and Ouarzazate are paved and well used, but they are narrow in places, with tight bends, steep drops and slow trucks. Overtake only when you can see far ahead, use a lower gear on long descents and be prepared for roadworks. In winter, snow can affect the High Atlas passes, so check conditions before you set off.

In the countryside, pedestrians, cyclists, donkeys, sheep and goats share the road. Many rural roads are unlit and vehicles without proper lights are not unusual. For these reasons, plan long journeys so you arrive before dark whenever possible.

Distances also take longer than they look. A route that seems short on the map can take hours once you add mountain sections, villages and photo stops. Build in breaks every two hours or so.

Fuel stations are easy to find in cities and along motorways, and they are usually staffed: an attendant fills the tank for you. Tell them clearly which fuel your car takes. Diesel is called gasoil and petrol is called essence or sans plomb. In remote areas such as the south-east, stations can be far apart, so fill up whenever the tank drops to around half.

In an emergency, the usual numbers are 19 for the police in towns, 177 for the Royal Gendarmerie outside towns and 15 for the ambulance and fire services. Save your rental company's contact details in your phone before you set off.

If you have an accident in a rental car, contact the rental company straight away. NZN's terms require an amicable accident report (constat amiable) or a police or gendarmerie report after an accident, and a declaration to the authorities in case of theft. Without these documents, the insurance may not apply.

If you are hiring a car, read the conditions before you book: mileage limits, deposit, insurance cover and who is allowed to drive all make a real difference on a long trip. With NZN Car Rental, mileage is unlimited and you can drive throughout Morocco during the agreed rental period. No rental or security deposit is collected; a mandatory 10% advance toward the rental price is paid before delivery and the remaining 90% on delivery, by cash or card.

NZN delivers and collects cars in town or at the airport in Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier, Fez and Rabat, with the meeting point and time agreed on WhatsApp. The driver must have held a licence for more than one year and present a valid ID card or passport, and the minimum age is 21 for categories A and B and 25 for larger categories.