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Travel & Visa
Morocco enjoys an excellent network of roads. There are direct flights to Morocco from all over the world including North America (Montreal, New York and Washington D.C.), Europe and the Middle East.
Get in Morocco
Air
RAM (Royal Air Maroc) operates domestic flights from Rabat to major cities nationwide. Between any other two points, you will usually have to change planes at Rabat, unless both points are stops on a single Casa-bound flight. In general flight is expensive but it will save you a lot of time. Casablanca - Mohammed V Airport (CMN/GMMN) International Airport is about 59 miles from the center of Rabat.
Sea
Car Ferry Services are available from Algeciras to Tangier as well as from Sete, France to Tangier. Passengers can also be ferried from Gibraltar to Tangier. Further information may be collected at the Moroccan National Tourist Office.
Train
The trains in Morocco are very comfortable and fairly inexpensive. They cover a limited network of routes, but travel between the major cities. They are easily the best option. They are reliable, comfortable, fast, and efficient.Trains arrive from Rabat hourly, and regularly from other destinations such as Casablanca. For more information visit the oncf websiteand in particular the timetable.
Going around In Rabat, petit taxi (small taxi) is a good option. All taxis are equipped with a meter.
Shared Taxi
The Shared Taxis are one of the best features of Moroccan transport. They operate on a wide variety of routes and are much quicker than the public buses. The fares are very reasonable. The taxis are usually big Mercedes cars carrying six passengers.
Bus
Buses are usually cheaper than the shared taxis and they do more regular routes. Shared Taxis will bring you to your destination much faster, but the buses are far more comfortable and safer.
Car
There aren't many problems with driving a car in Morocco. The speed limit in town is 60km/hour and outside town on the highways (autoroutes) it is 120km/hour, and 100km/hour otherwise. By law all drivers and passengers are required to wear seatbelts. However you should be careful of driving at night. It is legal to drive without lights at up to 20km/hour and there are many cyclists, animals and hikers at night. There are many car rental depots, though you should have insurance and they are very expensive. The petrol prices in Morocco are also fairly high.
Motorbike
Motorcycling in Morocco is increasing each year. Although you should be careful of your safety at night, you will be able to visit all the sought after places for the enthusiast. It will be advisable to take a good tool kit and puncture repair kit.
Visa Information and Requirements
Most of the European and North American nationalities do not need a visa to travel to Morocco. The complete list of nationalities exempted from a visa can be found in the link www.maec.gov.ma. Other nationalities have to arrange for their visas through the Moroccan Embassy in their country.
In order to obtain a Visa, the organizers will be glad to assist you with an official invitation letter, or other needed documents, provided we receive request (including passport number) before (date not defined yet).
For more information, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Morocco web site: www.maec.gov.ma
Rabat
Rabat is the second biggest city after Casablanca. It is famous for all the historical monuments in the Kingdom and the luxurious carpets and rich embroidery. A good thing about Rabat is that you can easily explore the city on your own without the help of a guide. This gives you time to chat with locals in the cafes who do not depend on the money of the tourists.
Things to See & Do
The Medina
Rabat's Medina is all there was before the French arrived in 1912 it's a dense sector that is nestled between the sea and the river with stone and white washed buildings.
Archaeological Museum
Rabat's Archeological Museum is probably the most important in Morocco. It hosts an exceptional collection of roman-era bronzes. Descriptions are in French and the museum guide will also be glad to give you a tour in French.
The Palace Museum
The palace itself was built in the seventeen century and is home to exhibitions of Moroccan arts and culture that are usually very fascinating.
The Andalusian Gardens
The Andalusian Gardens surround the Palace Museum and were constructed in the twentieth century by the French. It is the meeting place for woman on Friday and Sunday afternoons and is filled with the lovely scents of trees, bougainvillea, herbs and flowers.
Cuisine
For a capital city, Rabat is very quiet and offers a number of excellent restaurants, clubs and pubs. The Medina is home to a few very good cafe-restaurants. The restaurants here are moderately priced and inexpensive. In the Ville Nouvelle you will find a fine selection of Moroccan and French restaurants for five-star cuisine and also a few Oriental Restaurants for a change in cuisine. Click here for more restaurants in Morocco, traditional Moroccan Cuisine and Recipes.
Getting Around
With the city centre of Rabat being very compact, all the points of interest are in walking distance. Local Bus services can be very useful and they are marked very clearly. Petit and Grands taxis can be found at the airport, the train station and at Boulevard Hassan. Take note that Petit taxis are not authorized to operate between Rabat and Sale.
Rabat Ville's main train station is right in the middle of the Ville Nouvelle, just a few minutes walk to most of the hotels, so it is best to arrive in Rabat by train. There is even a bureau de change and a car rental office on the station platform. The main bus terminal is situated in Place Zerktouni - three kilometers west of the centre by the road intersection for Casablanca and Beni Mellal Grand taxis from Casablanca and Fez will drop you off at the main bus station. Rabat's airport is seven kilometers km north of Rabat and grand taxis are the only public transport operating from here. It isn't difficult to catch one.
For further information about getting Morocco, please visit Wikitravel.