World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Marrakech  - Road
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 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. By law, both driver and passengers must wear seat belts or face an on-the-spot fine. The minimum age for driving is 21 years. As Morocco is an Islamic country, no alcohol level at all is permitted when driving, so foreign drivers should refrain from any drinking. 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 the International Driving Permit is not required. Further information is available from the Touring Club du Maroc (tel: (04) 279 288).

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 - 3.5 hours; Agadir - 4 hours; Fez - 10 hours.

Coach services:
All urban and intercity routes leave from Marrakech's central bus station, located on Bab Doukkala. Eurolines (tel: +44 (0870) 514 3219; web site: www.eurolines.co.uk) runs a service to Casablanca from London via Paris, which takes 60 hours. Services between Morocco's major cities and towns are run by the CTM coach company (tel: (04) 434 651; web site: 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. It is often worth purchasing bus tickets in advance, from the main bus station. Although this is no cheaper, it will guarantee a seat, which is particularly advisable on routes that run a limited daily service.



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