Destinations
Morocco attracts tourists with Arabic and African exoticism, the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic and the endless Sahara Desert. Ancient Fez and white Casablanca, vacations in Essaouira and Agadir, colorful markets and fine cuisine – all about Morocco.
Morocco is a country of temptation, an oriental beauty who skillfully flirts with an enchanted guest. Located in North Africa, but not part of the African Union, it is otherwise full of paradoxes. Beautiful and wonderful attracts people from all over the world: in the west – the rage of the Atlantic, in the north – the gentle waters of the Mediterranean Sea, in the south – space reliefs of the Sahara. And in the heart – colorful cities, where the hot temperament of the Black Continent, the millennial Eastern traditions and modern technologies of the West blended.
Behind the chic hotel’s façade is probably an ancient mosque, a shopping mall accustomed to the European look – a noisy market that spices aromas of spices, a trendy spa with an exclusive thalasso menu – a secluded beach with idyllic landscapes.
The country has a European classification of hotels. Most of the hotels are Arabic-style, most are on the coast. Hotels of 2-3* are located on a distance of 500-600 m from the sea, 4-5* – closer to the coast line – 200-300 m. There are options directly on the first line of the beach. Meals – often half board, but you can find “all inclusive”.
Service at hotels differs from European in the direction of greater simplicity. In this case, the “star” classification is very arbitrary: the hotel of 5* may simply not have a hair dryer and shampoo in the room, while in the neighboring 3* all this will be available. There is no European clarity in the work of the staff.
For vacationers of 13-30 years there are so-called “youth hostels”.
Some 4* and above hotels have heated seawater pools. Many 4-5* hotels are equipped with their own fitness clubs and thalassotherapy centers.
The voltage in the mains in new buildings is 220 V, in the old – 110 V, the frequency is 50 Hz. Sockets are standard European, with grounding.
In Moroccan cuisine, fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood and, of course, spices are widely used. Like everywhere else in North Africa, couscous is the head. It is made from ground wheat grains and served with stew of meat, vegetables, tomato paste and spices. Another national dish – “tagine”: stewed with vegetables and seasoning lamb, chicken or fish (cooked differently in different parts of the country). The popular first course is thick harira soup, the best pastries are pastilla puff pastry, ginger biscuit, gingerbread pie with different toppings, and kab al-gzal with almond paste. Traditional Moroccan drinks – sweet mint tea and coffee: usually very strong and hot, often with cardamom. Coffee with milk is much less common and is called “kahu kashe”.
The country produces the finest wines in North Africa: the reds of Buluan, Cabernet President, Taleb, Pierre Antoine, Cardinal Amazir, and the white Valpierre.
The cheapest food is sold in the markets: if you take basic precautions, eating here is safe enough. In big cities and resorts, snack bars are open: from typical McDonald’s to colorful food establishments with Spanish bocadillos sandwiches, French baguettes, Mexican tortillas and other borrowings. There are fish, French, Italian and international restaurants. Fast food snack costs from 25 MAD, lunch at the cafe – from 40 MAD, dinner with alcohol in the restaurant – from 70-150 MAD per person.
Materials are from the site: tonkosti.ru
Unfortunately, getting to Morocco from Ukraine will not work directly. Transplants are needed, and not one! But it only makes our journey more interesting. After all, in each city of change we can make a stop and look at additional country and city!
Connecting to Brussels is possible with Wizzair and Ryanair airlines. From € 114. By Wizzair we get from Warsaw to Brussels. Budget tickets can be found almost always, from 78 PLN (19.5 EUR) round trip or 39 PLN (10 EUR) one way.
Connecting flight to Paris with Wizzair and Ryanair airlines.
Flights cost from 149 Euros round trip. We get Ryanair from Paris to Fez (a city in northern Morocco, one of the imperial cities), with ticket prices from 56 euros round trip or from 26 euros one way. Also from Paris we can fly the same airline to Marrakech from 60 Euros round trip or from 30 Euros one way. And in the capital of Morocco – Rabat from 52 euros round trip or 26 euros one way.
We take Wizzair from Lviv or Kiev to Milan. Tickets cost from 1770UAH (98 Euro) round trip or 790UAH (43 Euro) one way. From Milan, EasyJet flies to Marrakech. Ticket prices from € 61 round trip or € 21.51 one way. We only fly with little carry-on luggage.
Buses are the most popular mode of transport in the country, so it is sometimes difficult to buy a ticket. All of them are equipped with air conditioning, travel is inexpensive (30-300 MAD depending on distance). The largest carrier is CTM, tickets are sold at bus and coach stations and buses do not stop on the routes.
The trip from Casablanca to Agadir will cost 250-270 MAD, from Rabat to Fez – 75-100 MAD.
For long-distance and suburban trips, so-called “big taxis” are also used: minibuses for 6 people who leave after filling all the seats in the cabin. Fare (20-50 MAD) is negotiable in advance, is divided into all passengers and paid to the driver upon arrival.
The northern and central parts of the country have a well-developed ONCF rail network, connecting Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Meknes and Marrakech. Traveling by train is safe, prices are low: it is possible to get from the capital to Meknes for 70 MAD, to El Jadid – for 75 MAD. The fast trains are quite comfortable and air-conditioned, with bars or buffets almost everywhere.
There are few city buses and they are quite rare (interval 20-25 minutes, fare 5-10 MAD). There are no timetables for the stops, and the stops themselves are often not marked, so you will not be able to do without the locals’ advice.
Exotic fans who have money can buy a camel and use it as a private vehicle. On average, a single-hued dromedary costs around MAD 10,000.
To rent a car in Morocco, you need to have an international driving license, credit card and be over 21 years of age. Here it is a very popular service, often the car is rented “complete” with the driver.
There are many rolling international offices, prices are low. A mid-range car rental costs about MAD 450 per day. Taxes, mileage, insurance, roadside assistance and transportation costs are all charged separately depending on the type of car. In large resort areas, it is recommended to reserve your car in advance. Before making a lease, you should pay particular attention to the technical condition of the car: often the car has hidden defects that will have to be paid on return.
In most cities there are small taxis, which can accommodate up to 3 people with the possibility of getting on the road. They are clearly visible thanks to the bright color, the flag and the roof rack. Fare – about 10 MAD per 1 km, to determine the price with the driver is better in advance (bargaining is more than appropriate), as there are no meters in such cars. City travel costs on average 10-50 MAD plus tips. Airport shuttle service to Casablanca (30 km) is 300 MAD.
Rabat (6.04km)
Sale (11.47km)
Kenitra (42.06km)
Temara (5.61km)
Moroccan dirham, د.م.
DZA, ESH, ESP
14.98 MAD
30 MAD
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