20 tips for traveling to Morocco
Before traveling to Morocco you should read these 20 tips to help you prepare and organize your trip so you can make the most of this beautiful country, full of incredible landscapes, colors, and smells.
Passport:
First of all, before starting your trip to Morocco, check your passport. It must be valid for at least 6 months. If you can, take a photocopy with you as well.
Visa:
Secondly, For Spaniards no visa is necessary. Although the maximum time of a tourist trip for all nationalities is 90 days. We also recommend you to take a pen to fill in the entry form to Morocco and to have at hand the address of the hotel or Riad where you are staying, as you will be asked for it.
Embassies and consulates:
Write down the phone number of your embassy and the schedule they have. They can help you or advise you of any circumstance or doubt that happens. In our case, we needed to call the Spanish embassy which is in Rabat, here is the link.
Vaccinations:
It is not necessary for any kind of vaccination to go to Morocco. Although depending on which areas you visit, vaccines are recommended: Tuberculosis, Hepatitis A.
Insurance:
Before leaving on your trip, take out travel insurance. It is important to travel with peace of mind and to cover any accident or unforeseen event that may occur. We use the one offered by Mondo and if you contract it here you will have a 5% discount.
Appropriate clothing:
To visit some places in Morocco such as the Rabat Mosque, Madrassas, Palaces … it is advisable to wear clothes that cover the shoulders and knees, especially for women.
Avoid wheeled suitcases:
There are unpaved streets in Morocco and some are narrow and crowded making it difficult to go with a wheeled suitcase. Also, if you are staying in riads, most of them do not have elevators and you have to climb many stairs so we recommend that you take a backpack.
Electricity:
It is like the one we have in Spain, no adapter is required, it is 220V.
Language:
The official languages are Arabic and French. In the more touristy areas, they speak a little English and/or Spanish.
Currency Exchange:
If you have to change currency, do it in Morocco, either at the airport or in the medina of any big city like Fez or Marrakech. We have the B next card, ideal for traveling, as it does not charge commissions for withdrawing money abroad and it is totally free to do it. If you get the card from this link you will get 5€ for free.
Drones:
You can NOT enter the country, except with prior authorization, with any type of drone, even if it is merely recreational. We leave you a link with a map of the countries where you can fly Drones and those that are prohibited.
Driving:
If you drive in Morocco, always respect the speed signs, especially at the entrances of the cities. There are many radars and police controls and they usually stop a lot and even fine tourists.
Valet parking:
Whenever you park your car there is usually a valet who is usually paid 2 dirhams (20 cents) for each time you are parked. They usually do their job very well and keep an eye on your car.
Photography:
Do not take pictures of people on the street or in stores without asking permission first, it is offensive to them. There are restricted places to take pictures, especially public buildings, palaces, and military zones.
Alcohol:
The sale of alcohol is forbidden, you may be served in a night bar some local beer. However, they are usually non-alcoholic beers.
Bargaining:
Bargaining is part of the culture, you have to win the purchase by agreeing on a price with the seller. There are stores that have prices displayed, which means that there is no need to haggle, they are fixed prices.
First aid kit:
Take a small first aid kit with basic medication: mosquito repellents, analgesics, and inflammatory, antacids, primperan, biodramine, antihistamines, sunscreen, and dressings for first aid. If you take any medication such as diazepam, it must be with a doctor’s prescription. We were asked for it.
Try gastronomy:
One of the best things in the country is the food, especially the tajin, couscous, and sweets with tea, they are delicious!
Animals:
They use animals as tourist attractions, either in the squares of the main cities as camels or dromedaries for the desert. Avoid paying to avoid contributing to animal abuse, as they are often chained and in poor conditions. Let’s travel responsibly.
Last of the 20 tips:
Before traveling to Morocco or any other country it is advisable to take a look at the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Here is the link to the recommendations for traveling to Morocco.
If you are thinking of making a trip to this incredible country, you might be interested in seeing the 11-day route through Morocco that we have done to get some ideas or the post we have about discovering Morocco through the senses.
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