Μαρόκο: Διαμονή στη χώρα

Categories of Restaurant

 

• Cheap restaurants

These are small stalls where one finds the Moroccan working class style.
One finds soups, kebabs, snails, fish and seafood at low prices.

• Fast-foods

Generally serve a "European" food, in particular chawarma and pizzas, as also sometimes tajines or couscous.

• Restaurant

Top of the range restaurants, offering varieties of tajines as well as fish based European dishes for example

Rules For Eating Out

A tip of few Dirhams is expected

Price Indications

Food Specialties

Moroccan food is prepared with exquisite spices, vegetables and fruits, fish and meats. It is influenced by Arabic, French and Andalusian Spanish cuisine.

Specialty dishes include:
- B'ssara: broad bean soup that is usually eaten for breakfast with toppings such as olive and cumin and a side of bread
- Kebabs: pieces of beef or chicken marinated with spices
- Couscous: tiny wheat flour pasta granules, similar to rice, often served with meat and vegetables
- Lamb barbecue: whole lamb roasted on a skewer
- Pastilla: served with pigeon, chicken or seafood, this recipe contains flavours from the Middle-East and North-Africa
- Tajines: a clay pot dish that uses red or white meat and is made with a sauce of vegetables or dry fruits
- Fish chermoula: a coastal dish of fish marinated in herbs and spices before being grilled over hot coals

Popular desserts:
- M'hancha: known as a Moroccan almond snake pastry, this dish is made from flattened and coiled pastry that is stuffed with almond paste
- Ma'amoul: shortbread pastry stuffed with nut varieties like pistachios, walnuts and almonds and mixed with fillings like dates and figs

Drinks

Tea is found everywhere. A particular favourite consumed by Moroccans is Chinese green tea, which is garnished with mint and sugar. Coffee is also another staple drunk by many Moroccans.
Fresh fruit juices are varied and popular.

Alcohol is relatively rare, though the Meknès region produces pleasant wines.

Dietary Restrictions

The only dietary restriction in Morocco is the prohibition of consuming pork.

Table Manners

Traditionally, the right hand is used for eating.

Means of Transport Recommended in Town

Recommendation

'Small taxis' of different colour according to the cities are a practical and relatively cheap option (they are equipped with taximeters).
Buses are not very reliable and dilapidated.

Maps of Urban Networks

Mapblast
UT Library on line
ViaMichelin

Urban Transport Agencies

Independent Agency of Urban Transports of Casablanca (RATC)
Independent Agency of Urban Transports of Rabat (RATR)

Find an Itinerary

Taxi Companies

Taxi-Essaouira

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Rabat - Sale (RBA)	9 km / 6 miles	private cars and shuttle vans	-	-	Available
Casablanca - Mohammed V (CMN)	25 km / 16 miles	MAD 200-300 / 30-40 min	MAD 20 / 45 min	MAD 35 / 30 min	Available
Marrakech - Menara (RAK)	6 km / 4 miles	MAD 60 / 10-15 min	MAD 3	-	Available

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Recommendation

There is a safe and comfortable rail network run by the State, which connects most cities west of the Atlas Mountains, including Fes, Meknes, Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech. This rail network is called Office National des Chemins de Fer. First class tickets are quite cheap, for example a 15 hour journey from Oujda to Marrakech costs MAD 420. Rail travel is a fairly reliable option as timetables rarely change and are often posted within the station or can be viewed on the ONCF website. Most luggage, even bulky items like bicycles, can be taken as carry-on. Announcement of upcoming stations are usually made in Arabic or French and many stations are poorly sign-posted, so it is wise to be aware of the scheduled route.

There exists a rather dense bus network in Morocco, which is both cheap and fairly popular. The main lines are those of Morocco Public Transportation, SATAS, Trans Ghazala and Supratours Travel. Fares can be as low as MAD 40 for a one-hour journey between Fes and Meknes, and even the 12- to 15-hour long-haul routes cost no more than MAD 300. Most towns in Morocco have a main bus station, called a gare routière.

To access more isolated areas, collective cars known as grands taxis, or 'big taxis', must be used. Grands taxis are usually old Mercedes sedans and can be found near bus stations, train stations and busy streets. These taxis always travel with six passengers. Multiple seats can be bought if one is in a hurry or wishes for more space.

Rail Companies

Railway National Office

Airlines

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Travelling By Yourself

Recommendation

While driving around Morocco is quite easy due to the comprehensive road network and numerous European-standard motorways (called auto-routes), it is quite risky for the uninitiated as accidents occur often and there is not a high level of road-safety awareness. Consequently prudence is required and driving at night is not recommended. The auto-routes connect major cities, such as Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Meknes, Marrakech and El Jadida.

Drivers must carry their driving license and passport at all times in case they are pulled over by the police. In Morocco, cars are driven on the right-hand side and at round-abouts drivers give priority to those entering. In traffic-heavy areas the speed limit is around 40kmph, on open road it is 100 kmph and on the motorways the speed limit is 120 kmph. If caught speeding, on-the-spot fines begin at MAD 400.

Driver's License

Foreign driving licences are accepted, as well as international driving licences.

Conditions For Renting a Vehicle

Very easy and a good solution. Moroccan agencies charge good tariffs.
But, as everywhere else, be wary of being swindled.

Rental Agencies

Europcar
Auto Escape
Moroccocar
Car Rental in Morocco

Tolls or Taxes

The owner must pay the 'annual special fees on the motor vehicles'.
Tolls are on the autoroutes of the country.

Road Maps

Morocco Weather
On the World Map

Find an Itinerary

Marocou

Traffic Conditions Online

Parking Facilities

Numerous reserved car parks exist. Usually, some Dirhams are directly given to the car park attendant.
Majority of the locations along the streets also have a regular car park attendant.

Rules of the Road

Minimum Driving Age

18 years minimum

Side of the Road For Driving

Right-hand side driving

Speed Limits

100 km/h outside the built-up area and 60km/h up to the last house.

Safety Belts

Obligatory in the front as well as at back

Permitted Amount of Alcohol in the Blood

No tolerance

National Roads Organizations

Ministry of Equipment and Transport

Quality of Communications

Numerous telephone shops offer local and international calls at reasonable prices.
Mobile telephone network covers the majority of the territory (excepting mountainous areas) and seems practical even if the calls are expensive.

Telephone Codes

To Make a Call From Morocco, Dial 00
To Make a Call to in Morocco, Dial +212 + 6 for mobile phones or 212 + 5 for fix phones.

Number of Digits of National Telephone Numbers

9 digits

Mobile Telephone Standards

GSM

National Mobile Phone Operators

There are 3 operators who by order of importance are: Maroc Telecom, Orange and Inwi

Availability of Internet

Internet Suffix

.ma

National Internet Access Providers

There are more than 500 service providers, but only 2 access providers: Maroc Télécom through its subsidiary company Ménara and Inwi.

Access in Public Places

Wifi has developed rapidly and is already present in certain cafés, bars, restaurants and reading centers of big cities.

Access in Hotels

Wifi is available in certain big hotels as well as in certain riads.