The Road Rules

The highways are excellent. Morocco has built over 1,800 kilometres of autoroute — toll motorways linking Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, and Agadir. They are well-maintained, well-signed, and mostly empty. The tolls are cheap: Marrakech to Casablanca costs about 100 dirhams. Pay in cash at the booth.

The secondary roads are where it gets interesting. The N-roads connecting cities are two-lane, shared with trucks, donkeys, pedestrians, and the occasional flock of sheep. Overtaking happens on blind corners. Headlights flash to communicate a vocabulary of meanings — "I am coming through," "go ahead," "there is a police checkpoint ahead." Learn the language quickly or hire a driver.

Police checkpoints are frequent, especially on the roads south of the Atlas. You will be waved through most of them. When stopped, hand over your licence and rental documents, answer the questions calmly, and do not argue. The officer is doing his job. A smile helps.

You need an International Driving Permit alongside your home licence. Most rental agencies accept a home licence alone, but the police want to see the IDP. Get one before you travel — they cost about 20 dollars or pounds from your auto club.

Fuel is available everywhere. Stations are frequent on main routes and accept cash. Some accept cards. Diesel is cheaper and more common. Fill up before crossing the Atlas passes — stations thin out on the southern roads.

The Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 metres) is the main route from Marrakech to the south. It is paved, open year-round, and spectacular. It is also 130 kilometres of hairpin bends through mountains. Allow three hours, not two. In January and February, ice is possible at the summit. Snow tyres are not a thing here — they just drive slower and hope.

Do not drive at night outside cities. Unlit trucks, pedestrians in dark clothing, donkeys with no reflectors, and potholes that appear without warning make night driving genuinely dangerous. Plan your journeys to arrive before dark.

Or skip the car entirely. Hire a driver for the day. A professional driver with a comfortable vehicle costs 800-1,500 dirhams per day depending on distance. He knows the roads, the checkpoints, and the fastest route to anywhere. You get to look out the window.