A Guide to Driving in Morocco – Debunking the Myths
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 29 Oct 2024
Do you want to explore Morocco, outside of the major towns and cities? Well, the best way is with a rental car! Here, we talk about our six weeks driving around the country, what we learned, essential things to know, as well as a warning not to believe everything people say on the internet!
Driving in Morocco was one of the most unforeseen highs we’ve had in our years of independent, international travel. We drove 6000 kilometres over six weeks, from mountain passes to coastal tracks and, ironically, by the end I was actually really furious. Everything we experienced on this trip was unanticipated – with my expectations purely based on the things we’d read about before we embarked on our journey.
The thing is, Morocco is a surprisingly vast and diverse country, one that seemed best explored independently by car. Most tourists use tours, private drivers or, very occasionally, public transport to get around. However, these transport methods significantly reduce the flexibility and freedom of a trip around this startlingly scenic, safe and friendly nation.
I’m unsure where this continuously perpetuated fear of self-driving in Morocco has come from, but we’re here to ensure that visitors arriving in this country are confident, keen and eager to get off the beaten track to explore beyond the conventional tour bus routes. Correcting some of the misinformation across the internet right now is the least we can do for a country we love so much.
So, for all the visitors that wouldn’t hesitate to rent a car in Italy, England or the United States, but might be uncomfortable doing the same in Morocco, we’re going to debunk a few myths!
IN THIS GUIDE //
Driving in Morocco
WHY TRUST OUR OPINIONS?
IS IT SAFE TO DRIVE IN MOROCCO?
– STATISTICS
– MYTHS AND LEGENDS
– MY THOUGHTS
WHY YOU SHOULD SELF DRIVE IN MOROCCO
RENTING A CAR IN MOROCCO
– RETURNING YOUR RENTAL CAR
– WHAT LICENSE DO YOU NEED?
– DO YOU NEED A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE?
– CAN WOMEN DRIVE IN MOROCCO?
– OUR RENTAL EXPERIENCE IN MOROCCO
GAS STATIONS IN MOROCCO
TIPS FOR PARKING IN MOROCCO
– STREET PARKING
– PARKING LOTS
– IS PARKING HARD TO FIND IN MOROCCO?
WHAT ARE ROADS LIKE IN MOROCCO?
– ROAD SIGNS
– ANIMALS ON THE ROAD
– PEDESTRIANS
– DRIVING IN MOROCCO AT NIGHT
– POLICE CHECK POINTS
– TOLL ROADS
– ROUGH ROADS
– HORNS AND LIGHTS
– DRIVING IN MOROCCAN CITIES
NAVIGATING IN MOROCCO
ROAD RULES IN MOROCCO
FINAL THOUGHTS
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Why Trust Our Opinions?
I’m going to write some mildly controversial comments within this post, so why should you trust us?
Obviously, most of what we write here is subjective and based directly on our experiences, like everyone else. However, you should trust our evaluation because we’ve driven rental cars (plus tuk-tuks and motorbikes) in many countries across the world for months at a time (we almost always max out our visa lengths). We’re road trip obsessed. These destinations include Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Oman, Jordan, Mexico, Costa Rica, Tunisia, much of Europe, plus several years around the United States, and more.
Having driven hundreds of thousands of kilometres around the world, we can categorically say that our 6000-kilometre self-driving Morocco adventure was one of the most pleasant – by far – and we want to share a positive view of this magnificent nation.
IF YOU’RE ALREADY DECIDED – CAR HIRE FOR MOROCCO
We always rent our vehicles all over the world, including our recent trips in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Jordan and Morocco, with Discover Cars. They’re often the most affordable, plus they paid out immediately on an insurance claim we made when our car took some heavy damage in Sicily. Find out more about why we fully recommend them.
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TAKE A LOOK BELOW OR CHECK CAR RENTAL
Is it Safe to Drive in Morocco?
Yes, it is safe to drive in Morocco. I hate this enquiry about any country, because it’s a loaded question.
Before we left for our road trip, we read *numerous* Tripadvisor-type reviews. These, and other online reports warned that it was best to travel by tour or private driver, as drivers and roads were generally unsafe in Morocco. This turned out to be the total opposite of our experience (and I’m glad I ignored them all!).
Having spent nearly six weeks driving from top to toe in Morocco, we think it is as safe to drive in as any other country. (If not more so than some – looking at you Italy and the United States. Both these places I’ve witnessed the most shocking road behaviour, aggressive drivers and completely avoidable accidents).
We found Moroccan drivers to be some of the most courteous and friendly in the world. Not only did Morocco feel safe to drive around, but we genuinely can’t wait to go back and explore more.
Statistics
Statistically, Morocco has a slightly higher road fatality rate than the United States (according to the World Health Organisation, Morocco’s road deaths per 100,000 people is 17, versus 13 in the United States). However, Morocco also has significantly more motorbikes (in 2022, Morocco’s traffic was 36% motorbikes vs. about 3% in the USA). Motorbikes are far more vulnerable and will inevitably result in a slightly higher death rate (in 2022, 40% of fatalities were motorbikes and another 25% were pedestrians in Morocco).
It is also worth noting that road fatalities have been decreasing year-on-year, with a 16% drop between 2012 and 2022.
A current issue in Morocco is around the wearing of seatbelts and helmets. Although legally required to do so, people often neglect them. This is assumed to have increased the fatality rate.
The average age of cars in Morocco is also older, often without airbags and the more advanced safety features that are commonly found in the shiny, enormous SUVs of the United States.
So, to summarise, if you drive a well-maintained rental car in Morocco and wear your seatbelt, we think you’ll have a good time!
Myths and Legends About Driving in Morocco
So, we did a bit of light research before heading off on our Morocco road trip.
I started reading about driving in Morocco and, if friends hadn’t previously done a road trip there, I’d have been immediately put off. Rarely did anything we read imply that it was a smart idea to drive in Morocco without a *significant* amount of caution.
Here are some random excerpts:
◊ ‘staying in your own lane is a concept not remotely entertained in Morocco’
◊ ‘There are more erratic, aggressive drivers’ (than in Europe, USA or Australia)
◊ ‘Lanes of the road are never respected or kept to.’
◊ ‘Car hire companies always try to…charge you for damage’
◊ ‘Animals on the Road: Other than on the A roads, these are everywhere’
◊ ‘Not for the nervous or easily flustered’
◊ ‘Car-hire companies throughout the world always give you the hard sell…regarding excess insurance.’
◊ ‘police will scam you’
◊ ‘you will often see locals ignoring traffic lights altogether’
◊ ‘Moroccan drivers don’t know how to use their mirrors or indicators’
◊ ‘Do not attempt to drive through any of the major cities in Morocco’
Some of these are subjective, anecdotal statements or suggestions, others are measurably untrue. However, I can personally say that in our experience, none of these were accurate, beyond the usual in any country. For example:
Speeding | some people in Morocco do speed, but nowhere near as much as in Italy and the United States, for example. So why highlight it as a big issue?
Not for the nervous or easily flustered | it’s possible that if you are nervous and easily flustered, you probably shouldn’t be driving in the first place (I joke, mostly!). However, this statement is so subjective and wishy washy, but it immediately scares people – how nervous, how flustered? I’m always nervous in a new country, no matter how much I travel – should I never drive?
Police will scam you | this blanket statement is categorically false, for the most part. Of course corruption exists, but it’s unlikely to impact you, especially as a tourist, and since 2017, police have even been required to wear body-cams. To make a big fuss from such a very rare occurrence tars the entire country with an unfair brush. We’ve written about all our interactions with the police further down. Of all the reports I read – nobody had *actually been* scammed or bribed, but everyone mentioned it!
‘Car hire companies always try to hard-sell you insurance and charge you for damage’ | no, they don’t. They just don’t. It can happen, but it doesn’t often happen. I have, however, had people try to aggressively sell insurance me in the United States, numerous times, and try to scam me for damage I didn’t do, as recently as June 2025.
I guess what I’m saying is: take everything you read about driving in Morocco with a pinch of salt. People drive safely there every day, and so can you.
MY THOUGHTS ON ALL THIS
The language people use matters. The tone people use matters. If something you read is dripping in unconscious bias, overly dramatic language, and lacking in real life examples, move on.
If I’m honest, there are lots of (I’m assuming unintentionally) ignorant, Western-centric comments that verged on inappropriate, and the subtle bias was shocking. A lot of the current writing on this topic is dated, condescending, full of blanket statements and, to be complete honest, riddled with ethnocentrism.
It seems like a few people had a bad experience, which was then parroted around and now everyone thinks that all the police in Morocco are corrupt. You get what I mean, right?
Also, on a separate note, if people believe that drivers in Morocco are bad, why would they recommend hiring someone from Morocco to drive them around?
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Why You Should Self-Drive in Morocco
Morocco has a well-established and wide reaching public transport network, including buses, trains and shared taxis, plus countless organised tours from major tourist hubs. Hitchhiking is also an accepted form of travel and very useful in rural areas. So, why is it even necessary to self-drive in Morocco?
Flexibility | you choose a timescale that suits you, one that you can change at any time, plus you do not need to prebook accommodation far ahead of time.
Exploration | there are so many places to be found off the main routes, having a car lets you search them out.
Cost | group tours and private driver costs quickly add up, whereas petrol and car rental prices in Morocco are very reasonable when compared to European destinations.
Fun | it’s honestly such a fun country to drive in, by far one of the most enjoyable for us.
Scenery | Morocco is one of the most scenically spectacular countries in the world (although I didn’t realise this until I was there – pictures really don’t do it justice).
Avoid the crowds | it’s nice to have a meal, stay at a guesthouse and drive roads where there aren’t touts expecting tourists all day long. Interactions with people are different and less guarded.
Overtourism | it’s actually a great thing for both residents and the environment to explore other areas – Morocco’s narrow streets and small markets can only take so many people. It is a fantastic idea to spread the love a little.
DRIVING IN MOROCCO – AT A GLANCE
Max speed limit – 120 kph
Side of road – right
Gas units – litres
Gas price (octane-95) – 13.37 Moroccan Dirham (MAD)
Blood alcohol driving limit – 0.2 g/l
Legal driving age – 18
Legal car rental age – 21
Typical transmission – manual
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Renting a Car in Morocco
There are major car rental companies all over Morocco. If you’re flying into one of the main international hubs, such as Rabat, Marrakech, Fes, Tangier or Agadir, the airports will be chock full of well-known car rental companies. The actual process of renting a car in Morocco is the same as in most other countries.
To rent a car in Morocco, you will need:
◊ to be aged 21 and above
◊ a valid driver’s license (and possibly an International Driver’s Permit – see below)
◊ a passport
◊ a credit (not debit) card in the driver’s name
You will check out your car with an attendant, confirm the type of gas needed and be provided with a “carte grise” or “grey card” which is an electronic registration card that contains details about inspections of the vehicle and its insurance. You’ll also be given proof of rental and a rental contract.
Returning Your Rental Car
According to our car hire company, you should really clean your car before returning it – we didn’t and ours was a state after six weeks (and 6000 kilometres) of driving all over Morocco. The car clerk said we should have been charged, but since we had rented the car for so long he let us off – another example of Morocco not being money grabbing.
What License Do You Need to Drive in Morocco?
There is conflicting information on whether or not you need an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) to drive in Morocco. We have read multiple sources that state you do not need one and others that claim you do!
According to the UK Foreign Office, United Kingdom citizens are required to travel with both a 1968 IDP and valid driving license in the car when driving in Morocco.
Your home country driving license is valid for up to a year in Morocco before you must swap it for a local Moroccan license (most tourist visas are valid for up to three months, so this is not really an issue). Check your own government’s website for details on whether or not you need an IDP to drive in Morocco legally.
We were not asked to provide an IDP when we picked up our rental car.
Do You Need a Four-wheel Drive in Morocco?
You do not need a four-wheel drive vehicle to get around Morocco, the main roads are well maintained and sealed.
We chose the smallest possible two-wheel drive car and at no point did we wish for anything larger. A smaller car is actually far easier when parking in cities and for driving around narrow rural roads.
Just make sure your passengers and luggage fit!
Can Women Drive in Morocco?
Yes, both resident women and foreign women visitors can drive in Morocco. We saw plenty of women driving around on their own, especially in the cities.
Our Rental Experience in Morocco
We rented from Marrakech Airport through Discover Cars (the aggregate company we always use because they have great insurance – we learnt the hard way with some major damage in Italy). Find out more about them in our detailed review.
Our choice was the cheapest, smallest car model and we received a tiny automatic Kia Picanto – a perfectly comfortable car for our trip (we actually have a manual Kia Picanto at home!).
The car rental agents were super friendly and spoke fluent English (as did all the rental company employees in Marrakech’s car lot – we ended up lost in the giant car park and had to ask a bunch of people for directions).
They thoroughly checked the car and insisted we video and photograph it, along with their own checks.
The car had zero issues for the entire 6000 kilometres we drove it and, when we returned, the employee thought he spotted some damage. He carefully checked his paperwork and realised it was there from before. It was all very honest and candid.
The Kia Picanto did struggle with aircon a little in the heat (but every Kia Picanto we’ve ever rented has had this issue – it’s the identical problem we had when driving in Tunisia), so we would recommend getting the next car model tier up in the summer season.
Third-hand stories online made it seem like we should expect issues with the rental car or be forced into taking additional insurance, but that was not the case.
ROAD USERS IN MOROCCO
Taxis | these are the worst drivers, always (in almost all places in the world!)
Cars | polite drivers. Often pulled over to let us pass and we don’t even drive fast, flashed headlights to let us know about police checkpoints coming up or dangers on the road.
Bikes | less prevalent outside of cities but in the villages roving gangs of (non-threatening) children will often be seen.
Mopeds/Motorcycles | common – note that the two are considered the same.
Buses | we’d read that the drivers are like crazy people, but from what we saw, this wasn’t the case.
Pedestrians | probably the worst after taxi drivers. Zero care for cars as they walk along the sides of roads with, and against, the traffic flow.
Horse/donkey drawn carts | slow moving but easy to avoid as they stick to the side of the road. You might also come across some horse drawn carriages in parts of more touristy places like Meknes and Marrakech.
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Gas Stations in Morocco
Gas stations are ubiquitous in Morocco, it’s unlikely you’ll ever find yourself too far from one. However, if you’re going anywhere particularly rural, it’s worth checking your route in advance. Don’t let your fuel tank get too low, especially if you have a small car – it might drop quicker than you are used to, especially along steep mountain roads!
Main petrol stations | the majority of petrol stations we visited were Afriquia, Petrom, Shell and Vivo Energy, with Afriquia being our favourite (they’re so shiny).
Refuelling | an attendant will always fill your vehicle with fuel for you.
Payment type | card is often accepted at the larger petrol stations, but cash is always welcome everywhere (have some just in case).
Fuel costs | gas is reasonably priced compared to much of Europe. A litre of octane-95 gasoline costs around 13.37 MAD and a litre of diesel is 11.47 MAD (as of October 2024).
Fuel types | in Morocco, petrol/gas is called ‘essence-sans plomb’ and diesel is call ‘gazole’.
Tipping | depending on any extras like washing windows, up to 5 MAD is typical.
Facilities | larger gas stations often have nicer shops and decent bathrooms.
Tips for Parking in Morocco
Car parking in Morocco was our biggest concern before arriving, however it wasn’t anywhere near as much drama as we thought it would be. Before arriving, we did a decent amount of research about each place and everywhere either had obvious street parking, open lots with ‘guardians’, modern multi-storey car parks with automated barriers or specific secure parking.
We were never ripped off or felt uncomfortable leaving our car.
Street Parking
Paid parking | paid on-street park areas are colour coded in Morocco. The bays/curbs are yellow and white or green and white striped. Costs vary depending on location but are usually 2-3 MAD per hour. Increasingly the tickets are becoming available from machines on the pavement, rather than the ‘guardians’.
Do not park on curbs marked with solid yellow, solid red or red and white stripes as these are no parking zones. Risking getting your car clamped or, worse, towed, isn’t worth a quick pop into the shops. Some sections of road are signed with no parking signs (a filled in blue circle with a red line through and red border) which means you shouldn’t park between the two signs.
Free spaces | if there are no people around, there are no coloured curbs and no prohibitive signs, you can park! Lots of small/medium towns just allow people to park along the side of the road (Ouarzazate springs to mind).
Free parking is popular in any tourist place (except on Sundays when all parking is free).
Parking Lots
In larger cities, we mostly parked in large, designated parking lots. Generally, this was straightforward – you choose your car park, pull into it and a man will miraculously appear and tell you where to park, guiding you as needed. It all works surprisingly well. Sometimes you may get something placed under your wiper or on your windscreen to denote payment (like a bit of paper with writing on or a twig or lollipop stick).
These parking lots are always monitored, and we were never worried about anything happening to our car or any belongings left in them. In fact, all the car attendants were super friendly. Payment is made in cash when parking or when leaving. For example, in Meknes and Fez we paid on arrival after stating to the attendant how many nights, whereas in Essaouira and Chefchaouen we paid upon leaving.
We’ve read that, occasionally, an attendant will ask to keep the keys so cars can be moved around. This never happened to us once though. We’d recommend reading reviews on Google before choosing a specific parking lot in Morocco. Many mention scamming tourists, however, we never had any issues, although we always tried to avoid anywhere which had consistently bad comments.
Anytime you visit a medina, there will almost certainly be an enormous open car lot outside the medina walls (cars cannot generally get into a medina). Sometimes you can easily spot these lots on Google Satellite – they tend to be huge.
The cost to park in Morocco in extremely reasonable. We paid between 5-20 MAD for daily rates and 20-30 MAD for overnight stays.
Is Parking Hard to Find in Morocco?
We didn’t struggle to find parking in Morocco, paid or otherwise. Essaouira was the busiest for parking and the only time we weren’t able to park in our preferred place. However, we had read about this being a potential issue, so had an adjacent backup option (there are always back up options for parking in Morocco).
What are Roads Like In Morocco?
The main roads in Morocco are excellent. Toll roads are immaculate, most larger roads through cities are high quality and, generally, rural village and mountain roads are great. In major cities, many roads have decent street lighting too, so driving at night is not difficult.
However, there are a few exceptions (as with almost anywhere). In some more rural areas, you’re more likely to find an unpaved road or sections with potholes.
In Morocco, there are four classifications of road. Here’s a rough guide of what to expect (although they vary considerably):
A roads (Autoroutes) | these are high quality, modern dual-carriageways, with tolls and rest-areas. Pretty boring, but fast.
N roads (National) | these connect major towns in Morocco with well-sealed, wide roads.
R roads (Regional) | single lane for each direction of traffic. Road quality varies considerably.
P roads (Provincial) | as with R roads, these are regularly a single road for both directions of traffic with a gravel shoulder to pull over into for overtaking vehicles.
The major roads in Morocco are all sealed, whereas R and P roads can be unsealed (called ‘pistes’). These pistes are generally gravel or dirt roads and occasionally may require high clearance or careful driving to navigate potholes. In rare instances, a dedicated four-wheel drive vehicle would be needed – it’s unlikely you’ll find yourself on this type of road, though, unless you’re looking for them (which we did in our Kia Picanto!).
Road Signs
Road signs in Morocco are pretty much the same as in Europe. Stop signs look like stop signs, roundabout signs look like roundabout signs, toll signs are just like the “péage” signs in France, and speed signs are in English numerals rather than Arabic (we were caught out by this with Arabic numbers in Saudi Arabia!).
Animals on the Road
Something that is brought up often when reading about driving in Morocco is animals in the road. It has been said, over and over, that the roads are full of camels, donkeys, horses, dogs and goats.
Our experience is far less dramatic though. We saw almost no animals on the road, at all! There were quite a few men with donkey carts, but they aren’t exactly wild animals, and plod along just like a cyclist in my home country would. These are easy to pass and just another kind of traffic (and not difficult to spot!).
We saw a man in the road haranguing a cow in Agadir and some camels by the side of the road near Merzouga (camels are always with people, though, unlike Saudi Arabia and Oman where they go rogue and wander wherever). There were a few goats with people that crossed the road, too. But over six weeks and more than 6000 kilometres of driving, I would say that we saw fewer animals on the road than in the American Southwest, for example. And far, far fewer than in Oman or Sri Lanka. Last night, in the UK, we nearly hit a fox which is closer to hitting an animal than we ever came in Morocco.
Bumping into animals on the road in Morocco just doesn’t seem like a huge issue, so maybe we were just lucky? But for us to travel that far and see almost none at all? It just seems unlikely if that actually was a common occurrence.
Pedestrians
Pedestrians, unlike animals, are often found on the road in Morocco. People just seem to walk anywhere! Whether you’re in a small village, enormous city, or at the top of a mountain, there will probably be someone, somewhere to watch out for.
It can get a little tiresome in small towns, especially when busy markets are on, but other than that, it’s no different to avoiding hazards when driving past a school in England or dodging all the neighbourhood cats.
Driving in Morocco at Night
We rarely drove after sunset in Morocco but would advise against it in more rural areas simply because there are no road lights and driving in the dark is no fun. In the towns and cities, we found it fine to drive at night because, for the most part, everything was lit and you just follow the person ahead of you!
If you plan accordingly, you should never need to drive at night in Morocco.
Police Checkpoints
The police in Morocco that we encountered spoke French and Arabic, but not so much English.
There are obvious checkpoints everywhere, often at the entrances to towns. Temporary road signs tell you to slow down (‘ralentir’) to usually 10-20 kilometres an hour, where there are a couple of police waiting. Sometimes they even stand on roundabouts, which seems counterproductive to the flow of traffic, yet somehow, everything seems to just work.
Police will stop anyone breaking basic rules, like speeding or crossing the solid white (no overtaking) lines. If you did something wrong, just pay the fine – if you try to bribe an officer, you can be jailed. The police will also stop you for routine checks. Sometimes the police will wave you on almost as soon as you have stopped, other times they will request documents to ensure you are driving legally. Out of the hundreds of checkpoints we passed, we were asked to stop at three.
Contrary to expectations, our experiences with police in Morocco were completely positive. One time we were pulled over for not coming to a complete stop at a roundabout (it was a confusing one) but were allowed to go after a polite explanation in French by a smiling officer. We were never pulled over for no reason, singled out for being a tourist, or felt pressured in any way by the police in Morocco. However, we never speed and obey the laws (as anyone should when visiting another country) to the best of our knowledge.
Toll Roads
Morocco has toll roads, like many parts of Europe. We didn’t use a huge number of them, but when we did, it was to zip down sections of the Atlantic coast as fast as possible. We found the toll roads to be fast, well maintained and easy to understand.
The A roads (autoroutes) in Morocco link major cities and have a maximum speed limit of 120 kilometres an hour. According to the Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM), there are over 90 tolls roads in Morocco currently, covering around 1800 kilometres of A-roads.
If you want to avoid tolls in Morocco, it’s totally possible to do so, just set your satnav to circumvent them. We just chose a few to cut down the length of driving days.
How they work | tickets are picked up upon entry to the toll road and then paid for in cash at the toll booth upon exiting, or when the toll road ends. It’s exactly like every toll we’ve paid in mainland Europe (although much less expensive).
We paid all tolls in cash as our rental car didn’t have a toll card. Ensure you choose the right lane, because to pay cash, you need a manned booth. There are automated toll card-only counters, so make sure not to drive in one without a valid Jawaz/DKV/UTA toll card (it’s obvious, don’t worry).
Vehicle classifications | toll roads in Morocco are charged by the class of vehicle (Class 1, 2 and 3) and the distance driven. Most cars are class 1, enormous SUVs and caravans will be Class 2, and anything huge will be Class 3:
Class 1 | vehicles with two axles, and a height 1.3 metres or under
Class 2 | vehicles above 1.3 metres in height with more than 2 axles, or vehicles towing something (e.g. trailer or caravan) with a height of 1.3 metres or under
Class 3 | any vehicles with more than 2 axles and over 1.3 metres in height
Costs | In total, we paid ten tolls in Morocco, which only totalled 189 MAD. The highest toll we paid was 42 MAD, and the lowest was 5 MAD. For further information on how much your toll route will cost, check the ADM website which lists route prices.
Rough Roads
We rarely had to traverse any particularly rough roads while driving around Morocco’s countryside.
There are some off the beaten track, crazy scenic, unpaved mountain passes that are a bit hairy, but generally, it’s rare you’ll get in a pickle with a low clearance, two-wheel drive car. We’d often decide to take what appeared to be a wiggly scenic route, rather than the quick option, and it was always fine.
Very rarely, we had to navigate a few extremely potholed, unpaved sections of road, but they’re usually only a few metres long. It was never anything you can’t just manoeuvre around. Also, those types of roads rarely have other traffic so you can take your time. If you just plan to drive the usual route from Marrakech to Merzouga to Fes, for example, you’ll not find a single sketchy section.
Pro tip | use Google Satellite and Google Street View to check out the type of road for your planned route. This isn’t failsafe, but we’ve used it pretty much daily when driving abroad to see if a road is paved and how wide it is.
As with all countries, Morocco has road works. In particular the Atlas Mountains have a lot because of the September 2023 earthquake. Sometimes these can cause long delays (for example, we were stuck on the road out of Imlil for around an extra hour). This kind of delay isn’t common, though. Through road work sections, the roads are often rough, bumpy and dusty, but always passable.
Use of Horns and Lights
Drivers use the horn frequently in Morocco and it is rarely aggressive. It can mean a multitude of things other than impatience/annoyance, most of which are warnings. Mostly, we noticed them being used to notify other vehicles when overtaking. Sometimes it was purely because people weren’t quick enough at traffic lights – then it’s a whole party of people honking each other – I found it pretty funny, and it reminded me of driving in nearby Tunisia.
We were never honked aggressively (as far as I could tell!), and the intent is something you figure out quick.
Another interesting thing we noticed when driving around Morocco was that drivers would often flash their lights at us. At the beginning, this was confusing, but as time went on, we realised it was usually to warn us about police checkpoints (which were miles away still) or upcoming hazards on the road. Sometimes we think it was just to say hello and it became pretty hilarious trying to figure out which was which.
Driving in Moroccan Cities
It’s perfectly okay to drive in Moroccan cities. However, you cannot drive inside the old town medina sections – they’re not designed for cars. Mostly, you’ll find that cars can’t get in, even if there are roads shown on your navigating app.
We never ended up accidently driving into a medina area – they’re easy to avoid. If you somehow manage to, please share the story because it would definitely be an (hilarious) achievement!
Generally, city driving in Morocco is straightforward, but sometimes busy. There were very few places that were, in anyway, stressful. From memory, there is one weird roundabout outside the Marrakech train station and a largish roundabout near Tangier’s train station that were always busy and right of way wasn’t clear. Other than that, I cannot recall a single instance where we were confused or stressed over our six weeks.
NAVIGATING IN MOROCCO
We exclusively used Google Maps for navigating by car (and for public transport and also on foot) in Morocco and it performed perfectly for us. There were no destinations it couldn’t locate, it avoided tolls when we asked, and it didn’t get us lost.
Others have said they successfully used Waze and Maps.me for satellite navigation, so those would likely be just as good (I exclusively use Google because clearly, I hate change).
It is probably also worth downloading some offline maps before you head out on your journey, just to be safe, however we had decent signal in most places in Morocco and didn’t need to (good thing really because I always forget).
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Road Rules in Morocco
Most road rules in Morocco are the same as everywhere else in the world. A few things to note:
Traffic lights | in the United States, turning right on red when the way is clear is normal (we love this and wish England had the equivalent). However, it’s not a thing in Morocco – do not run a red light.
Mobile phones | use of a mobile phone while driving without a hands-free kit can lead to a massive fine of up to 8000 MAD. Don’t do it.
Radar detection equipment | not allowed.
Seat belts | since 2005, it has been mandatory in Morocco to wear seat belts in the front seats in urban areas and in the back seats as well when in rural areas.
Alcohol limits | the legal blood alcohol limit to drive in Morocco is 0.2 g/l. This compares to 0.8 g/l in USA, 0.8 g/l in the UK and 0.5 g/l in France.
Driving side | in Morocco, people drive on the right.
Overtaking | overtaking is a totally acceptable thing in Morocco but be careful of passing over a solid white line. People do get fined for that.
Speed limits | in built up areas the maximum speed limit is 60 km/h, on secondary roads it is 100 km/h and the autoroutes are 120 km/h for normal vehicles. There are signs in most places, like entering towns, to advise of any variations in these numbers.
Roundabouts | the right of way at roundabouts is a bit odd in Morocco, as some have traffic lights which add a layer of uncertainty (especially on the larger ones). If there are no traffic lights, then yield to anyone on a roundabout. If you have a green light, anyone on the roundabout is meant to yield to you. Our advice is to be patient, be aware of weaving bikes and copy the other drivers.
Stop signs | if there’s a stop sign (red octagon with a white border, sometimes with writing in French or Arabic), then come to a complete stop before moving off.
STOPPING TO HELP
Is Morocco safe enough that you can stop by the side of the road to help someone?
We think so.
It was midday and hot, somewhere super rural north of Marrakech. We were driving down a dual carriageway when we saw something large and dark in the distance, lying in the middle of the outer lane.
I assumed it was a large dog that had been hit by a car. We slowed a little, and soon realised it looked like a pile of clothes.
I took a second, closer look, and it was definitely a body – I could see a foot. A figure all dressed in black. We pulled over, my heart rate went crazy and, along with the passengers from another car behind us, ran over to see what had happened.
The body was sort of twitching. I nervously, gingerly pulled away the black cloth from the torso of the shape to find a tiny, curly haired baby. It was maybe six months old, clinging to its lifeless mother.
I just stared at the child. I’ve never been good in stressful situations and this one was a doozy. Two gruff-looking older Moroccan men from the car behind ran over, immediately grabbed the woman and pulled her to safety on the side of the road, handing the baby to me (this, at my grand old age of 40, was the first time I’d ever held a baby).
The men spoke no French, only Arabic. They kept saying repeating something that sounded like ‘maah’. I figured that they may have been asking for Lmaa, or water in Arabic. Nick hurried to the car, retrieved some water, which the men took and quite haphazardly threw over the woman’s ashen face. She came around slowly, her eyes instantly looking around for her child.
Translations are non-existent, so I, even now, have no idea why the woman had collapsed in the road. The only reason I can think is because she was very hot, hungry and thirsty. We gave her some food, more water and were on our way within ten minutes as she seemed okay.
The reason for telling this weird, slightly pointless, abridged story is that we left the car unlocked with the passenger door wide open the entire time we were helping this woman and her child, and at no point were we concerned about theft or a trap.
Reflecting on that moment, I realise that Morocco felt completely safe to us, the entire time.
I also learnt that babies are wriggly and push and grab you far more aggressively and painfully than I’d ever imagined.
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MOROCCAN MOUNTAINS ITINERARY | MUST-SEE HISTORICAL MOROCCAN LANDMARKS
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Final Thoughts – Driving in Morocco
Driving in Morocco doesn’t take an immensely seasoned, highly experienced traveller. All it takes is a basic level of driving competency and the same extra awareness that you’d apply to any other foreign country you’d drive in for the first time.
I’ve said it already, but if you are happy driving in areas of Europe, particularly southern Europe (and you in particular, Sicily!), Morocco will not be challenging at all.
If you’re comfortable driving in your home country, then I’m confident you can drive safely in Morocco, too.
I’m sure that there will be people coming at me for being so positive about a country in which they may have had, or heard about, some kind of negative experience. However, if you drive anywhere for long enough, you’ll have a negative experience – someone genuinely nearly drove into the side of me today on a roundabout in the U.K. while I was out buying tile paint. It happens, everywhere.
I’m not advocating that Morocco is the safest place in the world – my argument is that it’s no less safe than many countries that most people wouldn’t even bother to Google before renting a car.
We hope this little diatribe helps you decide if driving in Morocco is your thing, and that you have a fantastic trip however you choose to travel!
Where to Next?
We’ve mentioned them before, but if you’re going to book a car in Morocco, check out Discover Cars and their reliable insurance. Better yet, check out our review that explains clearly why we think they’re the best rental car broker after driving more than fifty vehicles booked through them.
If you’re still planning your route, have a look at any of our itineraries that might help you choose where to go:
The Coastal Journey – from the European vibes of Al Hoceima on the Mediterranean to windswept Sidi Ifni on the Atlantic.
10 Days in Northern Morocco – hitting up some of the most popular spots, including the epic Fes, Meknes, Tangier and the blue city of Chefchaouen.
Two weeks in the Epic Atlas Mountains – the best scenery and Ait Ben Haddou, Tinghir, the Sahara and Marrakech!
Have a great day!
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Thank you, Claire + Nick
Wow!
I´m from Brasil and me and my girlfriend are starting to plan a trip to Marroco in april 25.
I´ve been searching for information for a few days and this was by far the best source!
So much information, so detailed!
No other word but thank you for taking your time to share it all!
Cheers!
Henrique and Leticia!
Hi Henrique and Leticia,
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. We’re so glad you found our post useful 🙂
Great info! Thank you so much. We are driving our expedition truck to Morocco late this year, and you have set our minds at rest!
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks so much for your comment. I’m really glad you found out post helpful to you 🙂
That was very useful, planing a trip next year from Melilla stopping at Fes and then onto Casablanca and back again as part of our trip through Spain from England, I will need petrol 98 and am told it’s freely available
Thanks for the detailed write-up. I assume based on some of the context that your trip was during some of the warmer months? One of my concerns with self-driving is driving through some of the mountain passes (we are planning to go in February) and being unable to pass due to snow. I also wonder if it is possible to rent a car in Marrakesh and drop off in Fez, then zip back on a train to fly out?
Hi Brad,
Sorry for the late reply – we’ve been moving house!
We were in Morocco heading into winter – during October and November. It wasn’t particularly cold – except for Imlil really high up in the mountains. We didn’t see any snow during that time.
February is part of the snowy season in the mountain areas of Morocco, so you may run into snow, but only when driving the passes (some of which can be avoided). It’s less likely than in December or January but I’d guess there is still a risk. I do know the Tizi N’ Test pass, for example, was closed in January this year due to heavy snow.
One way car rental is absolutely possible between Marrakesh and Fes – there’ll be a surcharge depending on the company you choose but it’s totally doable. Just have a search on Discover Cars, for example. It’s actually a pretty good idea to do a one way car rental because it means you get to take the trains in Morocco too, which is fun.
I hope this helps a bit and you have a great time next year!
This has been a very helpful post in keeping my mind at ease as I will be travelling to Morocco later this month and road tripping for a few days there. Everything online makes it seem like it is very difficult but I am feeling a lot more relaxed and eager to explore! Thanks Claire and Nick!
Incredible post, much more organized information that I thought I could find anywhere. Thank you for taking the time to write all of it.
Greetings from Brazil! Paulo and Pri
Claire and Nick, would you mind sharing which rental company you chose (within DiscoverCars) for your trip in Morocco?
Hi Paulo,
We used Dollar for our rental car from Marrakesh 🙂
This is one of the best long form travel blogs I’ve read in recent times! Your passion for the country and for fellow travelers shines through. I’ve now set my mind to only do roadtrip to explore Morocco. Such beautiful pictures too!
Hi Mohan,
Thank you so much for your lovely comment – means a lot!
I hope you have a great trip to Morocco 😊
Your entire website was so helpful in planning my trip to Morocco, which I just completed. Went with my 2 adult children (23 and 21) – the older one split the driving with me. I got an International Driving Permit, and he already had one – but then forgot it at home. We were pulled over 3 times while in Morocco (yes, there are cops EVERYWHERE). Every time the cops were pleasant! We sped a little by accident where the radar is indicated – were careful to stay UNDER the max after that. We were issued a ticket for 150 dirhams which we paid on the spot. We then got caught in a speed trap where we had left a town but you have to wait until you see the increased speed road sign before speeding up. We were asked for 300 dirhams, then they gave us 100 back, and they didn’t actually write any ticket, so it seemed like they were just pocketing the money. Third time they stopped us just to make sure we knew where we were going, and were waving us onwards when they noticed that my daughter in the backseat didn’t have her seatbelt on. Another 300 dirhams – but I only had 70 cash and they don’t take credit card, so they let us off with a warning.
None of the times were we asked for the IDP. We have U.S. driver’s licenses. I can confidently say for the US license that an IDP is not needed. And that you had better follow the driving laws, they do a great job of enforcing them!
Forgot to include – we used Discover Cars and it was a good experience.
Thank you for your extremely thorough explanation.
I went to Morocco twice in 2023 and was fined £40 for not quite stopping at a check point. I was rolling at about 3mph and expecting him just to wave me through, so it is important to come to a full stop. A lot of my birdwatching mates have also been fined for similar things so be careful. People are generally very friendly.
At petrol stations I simply said “diesel, full” and they should understand that level of basic English, but I think most cars now have stickers inside the petrol cap to tell the attendant whether your car has diesel or petrol, but you should check this to put your mind at rest.
The toll roads I used were excellent but I was always confused which lane to go in, some lanes seemed to have a credit card symbol (is this what they were?) but I always used the lane which had an arrow illuminated above. At toll booths I found that you either paid at the entry toll (they give change) and the man gave you a ticket which you input into the unmanned machine at your exit toll booth, OR vice versa – you took a ticket at any unmanned entry toll booth and paid at the other end at the manned toll booth. I suppose it reduces the need to man every booth, but nevertheless there were effectively two systems – you either pay at the entry toll and take a ticket, or you take a ticket at the entry toll and pay at the manned exit booth after giving him your ticket.
Its also useful when going through towns to have an app open on your phone like maps.me. I avoided large towns but sometimes even mall towns seem to take a while to go through as it seems most houses are built around the single main street. Occasionally at junctions in towns, key roads split and its not always obvious which road you should stay on. This saved me on a few occasions from taking the wrong road. As a single driver this really helped but I believe maps.me now charge for their service but I am sure there are alternative apps available that are free.
Another tip, especially if you are solo driver, is know the names of key towns you are heading in the direction of. Signposts are ok and are in French and arabic.
Be careful if negotiating rougher tracks and especially sand in the spectacular Erg Chebbi sand-dune sector. If unsure get out and test ground with your feet, but as a last resort you can use your driver foot-mats (its your choice as your car hire company may not be too happy but you can of course clean them afterwards) to help get out of sticky sand situations and also use hands as sand-paddles to move excess sand first of all.
Hi Nick,
Thank you for your detailed comment. 🙂