Travel

Flight

Airlines

Want a direct flight? Royal Air Maroc is Morocco's only airline with a direct flight from JFK in New York City to Casablanca, with a 20-minute flight to RAK in Marrakech. Their rates do not change much on budget travel websites and remain somewhat consistent throughout the year. From JFK to Casablanca, the flight time is about 7.5 hours. From Casablanca to Marrakech, the flight time is less than 30 minutes. The tickets for both flights will be booked together. Want a cheaper flight or need to travel from a non-New York airport? Other international airlines will have layovers in their European countries, which might be perfect for guests looking to visit Morocco's friendly neighbors. Air France, TAP Portugal, and Iberia Spain are popular destinations less than two hours away. Most bang for your buck? A surprising airline recommendation for those with more vacation interest is Icelandair, which runs a few flights to Morocco via transfers. Iceland offers layover guests shuttles to and from their popular Blue Lagoon and even their capital city, Reykjavík, for very reasonable prices. Pro Tip: The prices of international flights remain the same regardless of how long you stay in your destination country, so it may be more value for your money to plan a vacation as opposed to staying for only one day. Pro Tip: Layovers will save you money. However, it is important to factor in the cost of meals at multiple airports for multi-day layovers. You can bring snacks from home with you on the plane in your carry-on luggage. Pro Tip: Be sure to bring an EMPTY reusable water bottle that you can fill up at water fountains inside the airport AFTER going through security.

Travel Note

Accommodations

You can stay in a hotel, riad, villa, or apartment in Marrakech. These can be booked on numerous travel websites or with the establishment directly. Jordan prefers riads inside the old city's medina because of their authentic charm, lively neighbors, and fresh breakfasts. Salah prefers apartments in the new city because they are private, quieter, and centrally located between the old and new cities. Alternatively, you can rent an entire villa (house) in Touristic Village, which is located inside a planned and gated community. Prices will range from $35 USD (350 MAD) for a 1 bedroom apartment to $350 USD (3500 MAD) per night for a 4-star traditional riad depending on the size and rating of the accommodation. Pro Tip: Morocco is the tourism capital of North Africa with businesses relying on online reviews to maintain their image. Be sure to stay in an accommodation with multiple positive reviews. Don't book a listing with zero reviews, it could be fake. Pro Tip: Bookings riads generally supports the local economy more than renting apartments or villas. However, you can always be on the look out for properties owned by locals. Looking for a more upscale experience? Check out the riad where Jordan and Salah met: Dar Anika: https://riadanika.com/. Rooms are generally between $150 USD (1500 MAD) to $250 USD (2500 MAD) per night and includes a free 4-course breakfast, juice and drink bar, and roof-top pool. Looking for something cheaper: Browse AirBnB for apartments and villas. Pro Tip: Riads and hotels will have reception services that can help you with transportation and vacation planning. Apartments and villas will provide you with a kitchen and laundry room, but you will need to be more independent. Sometimes AirBnB owners will offer you touristic services.

Travel Note

City Transportation

Finding a taxi in Marrakech is not a hard thing to do, but it can be intimidating at first. From the Marrakech airport to your accommodation: The RAK Marrakech airport is centrally located, so your travel to and from will be no more than 20 minutes. Airport taxis are pre-paid from a kiosk outside the airport (don't worry...the taxi drivers WILL show you if you look lost) and is a flat $10 USD (100 MAD) fare with exceptions for larger families. No need to book in advance. Alternatively, your riad, hotel, and sometimes Villa will offer to pick you up from the airport. The standard charges for this range from $30.00 USD (300 MAD) to $45.00 USD (450 MAD) depending on the size of your party. Jordan and Salah's favorite driver may also be available to pick you up from the airport upon advanced request. Please expect to pay him $10 USD (100 MAD) even though he may charge you slightly less! Watch this video for a quick guide.

Train

Al Atlas Rail

For those looking to save money and see the desert landscape that separates Casablanca from Marrakech, you could save some money and fly into CMV Casablanca and take the train. It is a 3 hour trip. Please contact Salah so he can help you book the correct ticket online. It will cost about $35.00 USD (350 MAD) each way or $40.00 USD (400 MAD) for first class. With only 5 daily departures, you will need to book your tickets in advance during tourist season to ensure they do not sell out. The train station in Marrakech is centrally located between the Old City, the Medina, and the New City, shopping metropolis. From there you can walk or take a taxi to your accommodation.

Travel Note

Travel Print-Outs

Worried about communicating with taxi drivers? Who do you call in an emergency? What should you do if you get lost? Print out these travel sheets with English, French, and Arabic and stick them in your phone case or wallet. Pro Tip: If you get lost in the medina, ask a riad or hotel receptionist for help. They are everywhere, often English speaking, and can make calls for you, help you hail a taxi, or give your directions. Uniformed police officers will also help tourists, but may primarily speak in French or Arabic. Pro Tip: Taxi drivers are CASH ONLY. An average 1-3 person cab ride should cost a tourist around $3.00-5.00 USD (30-50 MAD), but be prepared to hear "I don't have any change" or to negotiate a fairer price. 4+ person cab rides will be slightly more expensive. Sometimes taxi drivers will argue with each other over who is going to help a tourist and they can be a bit pushy. It's okay to decline a ride with a taxi driver you don't like and to remind your driver to reset their odometer!