A guide on how to get from Marrakech airport to the city center and other cities in Morocco using public transport and taxis. The article shows travel prices and talks about the nuances of the airport.
- Marrakech Airport Code : IATA: RAK; ICAO: GMMX
- International airport name : Marrakesh Menara Airport
- Airport address : Marrakech-Tensift-El Aouz region, Morocco
- Local time : UTC +1
- Opening hours : around the clock
- Currency of Morocco: Moroccan Dirham (MAD)
- Passenger turnover at Marrakech Airport: more than 5 million passengers
- Marrakech Airport Location: Morocco, 7 km west of the center of Marrakech, 249 km from Agadir, 244 km from Casablanca
- Airport phone: +212 05 24 447910
- Weather in the vicinity of Marrakech Airport throughout the year: the hottest months are from June to August with an average temperature of +36 °C, the coldest months are from December to February, when the thermometer drops to +19 °C during the daytime.
- Services at Marrakech Airport : ATMs, post office box, currency exchange offices, SIM card sales points, duty free, luggage trolleys, bars and restaurants, prayer room, indoor parking, baggage wrapping, tourist information office, free Internet, Paul coffee shop, points car rental Avis, Hertz.
Brief description of Marrakech Airport
Marrakech Menara Airport is a major transport hub connecting Europe with North Africa and providing flights to many Arab countries. As of 2018, the airport has recently been renovated and some areas are still undergoing renovation work.
There are 2 terminals at Marrakech airport. The transition between terminals is easy, because they are located in the same complex. International and domestic flights operate from all terminals.
What to do upon arrival in Marrakech
Upon arrival at Marrakech airport, I advise you to immediately exchange some money (for example, 200-300 dollars) in order to immediately buy a local SIM card, and then pay for travel on public transport. The Orange SIM card sales counter is located directly in the baggage claim area, where currency exchange offices are also located. A SIM card with unlimited SMS, calls within Morocco and 2 or 4 GB of Internet will cost you 50 or 100 dirhams.
Please note that when departing from Morocco you should not have local currency in your hands – taking dirhams out of the country is strictly prohibited. Therefore, change money little by little during the trip – 100-200 dollars. When exchanging, you will always be given a check, on the basis of which you can change the remaining money at a currency exchange office when you leave the country.
There are only two ways to get from Marrakech airport to the city center – by bus and by taxi.
Bus from Marrakech airport
If you decide to get to Marrakech by public transport, then after collecting your luggage, exit the airport, walk straight past the intrusive taxi drivers, after which you will see the Scania express bus L19. This route operates every 20-30 minutes on schedule from 06:00 to 00:15 in the direction from Marrakech airport and from 06:00 to 23:40 in the direction from the city center to the airport. The bus departs from the Entrée Aeroport stop.
On its route, the bus passes the Menara Mall shopping center, Hivernage Hotel & Spa, Bab Doukkala, Gare de Marrakech main railway station, Jamaa el Fna square, Gueliz area, etc. As far as we understand, the bus stops on demand, so inform the driver in advance where you will get off. The fare is 30 dirhams one way. The ticket is sold in two directions at once, but with the condition that your return to the airport will be no later than 2 weeks after the first trip. The driver only accepts cash dirhams for payment and issues you a ticket in the form of a receipt, which you will need to keep with you. Entry is through the front door, exit through the second and third doors. The bus itself is quite dusty, but not crowded; some express trains even have luggage racks. The bus is very stuffy even in winter, when it’s +20 outside. Travel time by bus to the city center (for example, Gueliz) is at least 40 minutes.
Those who want to save money go even further and get to the center of Marrakech by city bus. The center of Marrakech is served by buses L11, L12, L18, L20, L33 from the Aeroport stop. This stop is located 500 meters from the airport terminals (on Avenue Guemassa). The bus route runs from the M’Hamid area to the international bus station in the Bab Doukkala area near Jamaa el Fna. This bus costs only 4 dirhams one way, but be prepared for bus stops at every corner, lots of people with bags and a smell – it is the least comfortable form of transport from the airport, preferred by locals. As you understand, traveling in such transport will be very tiring.
Taxi from Marrakech airport
A taxi from Marrakesh airport refuses to charge the official fare of 70 dirhams and, depending on your nationality, can charge 200-800 dirhams (20-80 euros). Even the owner of the apartment, which we rented through a website with friendly Airbnb hosts and which is located 3.5 km from the airport, offered us a transfer for 200 dirhams. The conclusion from all this is to order a taxi in advance and not to suffer from long negotiations and bargaining with dishonest taxi drivers upon arrival at Marrakesh airport. Keep in mind that even if you know how to bargain well, this will not help you much with taxi drivers in Morocco, especially when traveling from the airport, because they have organized a mafia here, strangled Uber and do whatever they want.
Travel time by taxi from the airport to the center of Marrakech will be from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the traffic situation. If you want to save money and nerves, choose a city bus. If comfort and convenience are important to you after a long flight, we advise you to order a taxi transfer in advance at a fixed price without overpayments.
Rent a car at Marrakech airport
Besides Marrakech, do you want to visit other Moroccan cities, attractions and desert? Then your option is to rent a car. There are certain specifics when renting a car in Morocco. Due to heavy traffic and constant traffic jams, tourists are not recommended to travel to city centers by car, but use it only as a means of transportation between major cities of the country: Marrakech – Casablanca, Casablanca – Tangier, etc. Traffic on the roads in Morocco is often chaotic: motorcyclists jump out here and there, impeding the movement of both cars and pedestrians, and many make dangerous overtakes on the highways.
It is recommended to rent a car not in local, but in international rental offices – Avis, Hertz, Sixt through the Rentalcars website. Although you will most likely be asked for a higher rental price, you will have full insurance coverage in case of unforeseen circumstances. When renting a car, make sure it has air conditioning. You can rent a car immediately upon arrival in Marrakech – rental offices are located in Terminals 1 and 2.
To rent a car in Morocco, you must be over 18 years old. During your trip, do not break the speed limit – on most roads the speed limit is up to 50 km/h, and there are police officers everywhere who love to fine tourists.
Rent a car at Marrakech airport
Besides Marrakech, do you want to visit other Moroccan cities, attractions and desert? Then your option is to rent a car. There are certain specifics when renting a car in Morocco. Due to heavy traffic and constant traffic jams, tourists are not recommended to travel to city centers by car, but use it only as a means of transportation between major cities of the country: Marrakech – Casablanca, Casablanca – Tangier, etc. Traffic on the roads in Morocco is often chaotic: motorcyclists jump out here and there, impeding the movement of both cars and pedestrians, and many make dangerous overtakes on the highways.
It is recommended to rent a car not in local, but in international rental offices – Avis, Hertz, Sixt through the Rentalcars website. Although you will most likely be asked for a higher rental price, you will have full insurance coverage in case of unforeseen circumstances. When renting a car, make sure it has air conditioning. You can rent a car immediately upon arrival in Marrakech – rental offices are located in Terminals 1 and 2.
To rent a car in Morocco, you must be over 18 years old. During your trip, do not break the speed limit – on most roads the speed limit is up to 50 km/h, and there are police officers everywhere who love to fine tourists.
How to get to Marrakech airport?
If you decide to get to Marrakech airport by bus, allow enough time for the journey. The fact is that the L19 bus runs on average 3 times per hour. In the center of Marrakech, the stops are very poorly marked, there are no route numbers, and often there are not even names. You can tell that this is a stop only by the crowds of people.
The bus runs on schedule, but is always late, because there are constant traffic jams in the city, no one gives way to the bus, no one lets you through when leaving stops, and there are no dedicated lanes for buses. Timetable: approximately every hour 3 buses – at 07, 27 and 47 minutes. Buses are sometimes 10-15 minutes late.
We left our apartment in Marrakech about 4 hours before departure in order to easily pass through security at the airport. Please note that before boarding, your passport will be checked a total of 5-6 times, plus allow time for filling out the migration card. Make sure you have money with you for water/coffee/snacks at the airport – cards are not accepted anywhere here, even in the European cafe Paul.