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| Home > City Guide - Marrakech - Getting There By Road | ||
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Getting There By Road Driving in Morocco can be a pleasure, as it has a good network of uncongested roads. However, driving within cities can be much more stressful because of a general disregard for road etiquette and busy traffic. The official speed limit is 100kph (62mph) outside towns and 40kph (25mph) in urban areas. Driving is on the right. There are frequent road blocks, so drivers should keep their papers accessible. By law, both driver and passengers must wear seat belts (front seat) or face an on-the-spot fine, when driving out of town. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. As Morocco is an Islamic country, no alcohol level at all is permitted when driving. Roadside police officers have been well trained to spot drunken driving and will not hesitate to pull cars over. All foreign driving licences are acknowledged by the Moroccan authorities, so an International Driving Permit is not required. Further information is available from the Touring Club du Maroc (tel: (04) 427 9288). Emergency breakdown service: AXA Insurance Company (tel: (02) 267 272) offers nationwide breakdown cover for foreign motorists. Routes to the city: Marrakech is linked to Casablanca by the P7, to Fez by the P24 and to Agadir by the Tizi n’Test and Tizi n’Tichka Atlas routes. Driving times to Marrakech: From Casablanca – 3 hours; Agadir – 3.5 hours; Fez – 7 hours. Coach services: All urban and intercity routes leave from Marrakech’s central bus station, Place El Mouarabitène (tel: (04) 443 3933), just outside Bab Doukkala (on the northwestern edge of the old city). Eurolines (tel: +44 (0870) 514 3219, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.co.uk) runs a service from London to Marrakech three times a week (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday). It takes 60 hours and costs £93 single. Services between Morocco’s major cities and towns are run by the CTM coach company (tel: (04) 443 4651; website: www.ctm.co.ma). The national train company, ONCF, operates express bus services from the train station at Avenue Hassan II between Marrakech and Essaouira, Agadir and Laayoune in the Western Sahara. Bus tickets can be purchased in advance, from the main bus station. It is no cheaper but it will guarantee a seat, which is particularly advisable on routes that run a limited daily service. |
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