Moroccan Airports: For those flying to exotic Morocco, it is important to know information about the specifics of the country’s airports, passport checks, and transfers to cities. As most tourists travel to Agadir and Marrakech airports, in this article you will find basic information that will be useful for a convenient start in Morocco.
Passport control and entry cards
European Union citizens traveling to Morocco do not need a visa, but the 3-month limit cannot be exceeded in any one stay. Travelers are required to carry a passport valid for at least six months during the trip. You will not be admitted to Morocco with an identity card.
After landing at any Moroccan airport, you will first have to pass passport control points. If more than one aircraft lands at the same time, the queues at passport checks are considerable, so after getting off the plane, do not delay and go quickly to the checkpoints. Sometimes a passport control officer may ask you to show you a plane ticket, a phone option is great. Free internet is available at most airports. You will pick up your suitcases after passport control. You will be stamped with your unique arrival number and date.
IMPORTANT! When departing from Morocco, at all Moroccan airports, even if you only travel with hand luggage, no matter which airline, you must first travel to your airline box where other passengers ’luggage is checked in and pick up a special ticket (even if you have a printed one).
You can buy Moroccan SIM cards at most airports, I definitely recommend doing so at the airport, and ask to top up your bill on the spot.
Currency
You can also exchange euros for Moroccan dirhams (international code MAD) at the airport. There is a long-standing myth that dollars need to be transported to Morocco. This is completely untrue, if you have euros, carry euros, if you live in England, carry pounds. When changing currency, you will need to show your passport and be sure to recalculate whether you received the correct amount. If you have received large banknotes, try asking them to be shredded. There are many ATMs at airports, so don’t be afraid to use them. When withdrawing money from an ATM, you will pay commissions in the same way as when exchanging currency. Here, Swedbank charged me a commission of EUR 4 for withdrawing EUR 200 from a Marrakesh ATM.
- 10 Dh / dirhams = about 0.90 euro cents.
Transportation to the city
Marrakech Menara Airport | Moroccan Airports
The center of Marrakech can be reached from the airport in two ways: by taxi and by public transport. The price of bus No.19 is 30 DH, it is parked outside the airport behind the taxi rank, it will take some time to get to the country. The bus stops at Jem El Fnaa’s main square, as well as at the train station. There is free Wi-Fi on the bus, and drivers usually speak English. If you buy a bus ticket in both directions in advance, it will cost 50 DH. The last bus leaves around 9 p.m.
Taxis at the airport will always be available, but their price always depends on the payment negotiated. Although there is an official notice at the airport that a small taxi to the city costs 70 DH, a rare taxi driver will offer you such a price. My advice – don’t pay more than 100 Dh for a full taxi. More about the peculiarities of using Marrakech taxis can be found here. By the way, the airport itself is located in Marrakech, about 5 km from the old town, even closer to the new part, so don’t believe it if a taxi driver says the new part of the city, Gueliz, is far away.
An alternative, even cheaper option to get to the city is to leave the airport area on the main road and stop a taxi there. If the taxi driver turns on the taxi, you should not pay more than 40 DH. Alsa Bus No. 1 is on the same road. 11 stop, it also stops in the main square. However, these buses run without a specific schedule, they will not take you with a lot of luggage because they simply will not fall – buses are usually overcrowded. Price – only 4 DH.
Agadir Al Massira Airport | Moroccan Airports
Agadir Airport is about 20 km from the city. There is no public transport from the airport itself except for taxis. The price of a taxi is fixed – 20 euros (if no more than 3 people go to the same hotel). You can also order this shipment through me, especially if you are a larger company of people, just fill out the form here.
A cheaper option, as in Marrakech, is to get out of the airport area and on the way, at the roundabout, catch a big taxi to Agadir. Or wait for the local Alsa company bus number 22, which costs 4 DH, to take you to Inezgane. From there you can catch a large shared / grande taxi or other buses to the center of Agadir for a similar price. However, I recommend the bus option only to those traveling with hand luggage, not afraid of adventure in finding buses/taxis, as buses run without schedules, and Inezgane itself is a flawed town in search of a suitable bus stop (from personal experience).
Have a nice trip!
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