Car rental in Marrakech

Plan your route before you set off. Hertz Morocco recommends a GPS or a phone map app for getting around Marrakech. Road signs are in Arabic and French. If you are staying in the medina, ask your accommodation in advance where the nearest car park is and how far you will walk with your luggage.

At roundabouts, priority to the right applies unless signs say otherwise, so cars entering from your right may have right of way. Check the signs at each roundabout.

For trips into the Atlas or towards the desert, drive in daylight. The UK government warns that poor lighting makes night driving dangerous, with pedestrians and animals on the road, and that mountain roads can be especially hazardous in bad weather. ADAC, the German automobile club, adds that some vehicles drive without lights at night and that some stretches have sand drifts and potholes.

Stay on paved roads. France's foreign ministry advises against off-road driving, and some rental terms forbid it: Hertz Morocco's ban driving on unpaved roads and exclude damage off asphalt roads from cover. Fuel is easy to find in cities but harder to find in rural areas, so fill up before long trips. On the mountain motorway to Agadir, France's foreign ministry calls for extra care around trucks on the descent into Agadir.

Expect the rental company to block a security deposit on a credit card in the main driver's name when you collect the car. Hertz Morocco, for example, takes the deposit only on a valid credit card in the driver's name and does not accept cash or cheques. Its terms set the deposit equal to the excess, which is the share of any damage you would pay yourself. Because the deposit follows the excess, it changes with the cover you choose, so check the amount in the rental terms before you pay.

Hertz Morocco says the amount stays blocked for the rental period and is released automatically when you return the car. Under its terms you pay for missing fuel and for damage up to the excess, and you are liable for fines and penalties linked to your use of the car. Buying the rental company's excess reduction lowers what you would pay after damage, so check on your voucher what it covers. Make sure your card limit covers the deposit plus your travel spending.

Visitors may drive in Morocco on a valid foreign licence for up to one year from the start of their stay, according to France's foreign ministry, which strongly encourages an International Driving Permit. The permit is an official translation of your licence and must always be carried with the original. The UK government says UK drivers need the 1968 version of the permit along with their licence, because Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 version. Rental terms differ too: Hertz Morocco's general terms ask non-EU citizens for an international licence. Each company also sets its own minimum age. Hertz Morocco, for example, requires age 21 and one year with a licence, or age 23 and two years for some categories.

Traffic drives on the right, and road signs are in Arabic and French. According to ADAC, the German automobile club, the speed limit for cars is 40 km/h in built-up areas (up to 60 km/h where signed), 100 km/h outside them and 120 km/h on motorways. The posted signs always apply. Morocco's road safety agency NARSA reminds drivers that everyone in the car, front and rear, must wear a seat belt and that children under 10 must sit in the back. Phone calls while driving are allowed only with a hands-free system. The alcohol limit is zero, and the UK government warns that any alcohol found in a test leads to a fine and possible imprisonment.

Motorways run by Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM) charge tolls. You can pay in the toll lanes in cash or by bank card, or use a Jawaz electronic pass in the lanes marked with the Jawaz sign. Driving or stopping on the hard shoulder is strictly forbidden except in an extreme emergency. Red and white stripes at the roadside mean no parking. Approach police and military checkpoints slowly, and stop or drive on only when signalled. Carry your licence, insurance papers and the car's registration documents at all times.

After an accident with injuries, always call the police. For a medical emergency, call 141, Morocco's national toll-free number. Minor damage can be settled with a joint accident report (constat amiable), but don't sign a report you can't read. Tell the rental company quickly, because its terms may set a deadline: Hertz Morocco's ask for the report within 24 hours. Rules can change, so check the rental terms before booking.

Morocco's official tourism site recommends visiting Marrakech from March to May and from September to November. Summers are very hot, and winter days are mild with cool evenings. Summer is also when many Moroccans living abroad come home: in 2026, Opération Marhaba ran from 10 June to 15 September, and Marrakech airport was one of its reception points. Book well ahead for summer travel.

Roads also get busy around Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, whose dates move each year. Autoroutes du Maroc warns of heavy motorway traffic at these times and advises planning trips in advance and checking live traffic in its ADM Trafic app. Book early for these periods, especially if you need an automatic car.