USEFUL INFORMATION, DATA AND TIPS

USEFUL INFORMATION, DATA AND ADVICE

Currency of the country:

The official currency of Morocco is the Dirham, and you may see it in some shops contracted as MAD. Its approximate conversion with respect to the euro is 1 euro = 11 dirhams; Due to the fluctuations of the currency of the day the exact conversion may be somewhat different, but as a rule the value of the euro will be somewhat greater than ten
Sometimes the value of the dirham.

To change the money, the ideal is to do it in the cabins of the changes of time that are in the country, as well as in the port, in the airport, or in the different points of change that are in the city. It is not advisable to change in the street, since it is necessary to give you a valid change of currency: ten in an account that you may return with money to spare, and if you want to change back to euros, it will be necessary to proof

Payment Methods:

The most usual way to pay in Morocco is also effective, but you can also pay with a credit card. In addition, you have a higher or lower charge.

Bargaining:

Bargaining is a fundamental part of Moroccan life and is used mostly in the souks. Do not be in a hurry once the bargaining has begun, you have to taste it and take it with a sense of humor.

 

Phone:

The international telephone code of Morocco is +212

Clothing:

Contrary to what is usually thought, it is not necessary to carry out any type of specific clothing to
The time to visit Morocco: any western clothes will be appropriate.
It is necessary to emphasize that, in the case of women, it is not necessary at all.
What is recommended, in order to maintain an atmosphere of respect, you can not wear too short or too deep necklines, or by the extension of clothing that may appear
provocative

 

Gastronomy:

Moroccan food is delicious and varied, its cuisine can be tasted both in luxury restaurants, as street stalls or in the small cafe-restaurants that dot any city or town. The typical Moroccan dishes are COUS-COUS, TAJIN, BROCHETTES, HARIRA, PASTELA … among others, without forgetting their great pastries, sweets made with almonds and honey, a
Delight for the palate.

After lunch, drink at any time, nothing better than a mint tea, a symbol of visitor attention.

 

Vaccines:

First, we must indicate that it is not necessary, nor much less mandatory, to respond to the vaccine
An antimalarial treatment for travelers in Europe.

In this sense, there is a series of recommendations for a part of the government for all people who make any trip abroad. Specifically advise the vaccination of hepatitis A and B and
Of tetanus-diphtheria.

As we mentioned, they are recommendations about diseases of worldwide distribution and that in
in no case are they necessary.

Finally, although we do not belong to this section, it is advisable to consume bottled water, as the part of Morocco itself can cause discomfort when our body is used to it.

 

Electricity:

All plugs are European type, so that citizens of the continent can use electronic devices without using any adapter. In the case of being a non-European citizen, although in the circumstances you should use universal network systems, it is recommended, before making a trip, to buy a European adapter.

As in Europe, in most cases, grounding. In the rest of the sites the characteristics of the network may vary depending on the age of the building and the area.

 

Documentation and visas:

Citizens of the European Economic Community and the United States have not been visited for travel in the country, but also have the ability to meet a minimum expiration of 3 months with respect to the arrival date.
For the rest of the countries we recommend consulting with the corresponding consulate.

 

Time difference:

Morocco has a time difference with respect to Spain in one hour less. For the rest of the countries, we recommend consulting your time difference with respect to Spain and
from there it is deduced that it corresponds with respect to Morocco.

 

Language:

The official language of the country is Classical Arabic, although a diary is used, both in the domestic environment and in conversations or inc.

 

Weather:

Morocco is a country that has great heterogeneity in its geography, which implies that in order to talk about climate, it is necessary to differentiate parts; can be divided into four basic climatic zones, we will distinguish the north (coastal area and mountains of the Rif) with a Mediterranean climate, the west coast with oceanic climate, the mountainous area of ​​the interior, with continental climate, and finally the southern area of ​​the mountains of the Atlas, with desert and semi-desert climate.
Both in the area of ​​the Mediterranean coast and the Atlantic, as well as the plains of the interior of the north, you can enjoy mild temperatures and strawberries, with somewhat hot summers and mild, wet winters. These increase appreciably once we enter the interior or we go to the south, increasing the temperature difference between day and night, and reaching 40 degrees of temperature in the desert areas during the summer months.

 

Alcoholic drinks:

Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol for religious reasons. That makes it somewhat complicated to consume in bars and restaurants, but not impossible, especially if the establishment intends to serve mainly foreign clientele.

In addition, any bar or restaurant that intends to serve alcohol to foreigners has to pay an extra fee to the government, which ends up affecting the final price of the drink. As a guide, a beer can cost between 2 euros and 2.5 euros, and a bottle of wine up to 10 euros.

 

How to get:

There are multiple means to access and many countries from which to do it, but bearing in mind that a large percentage of Moroccan tourism comes from Spain, since it is usually scaled from here and also the Spanish traveler usually has more preference for the country , we will focus on the main ways of getting from the peninsula:
The plane is the international means par excellence and the way to directly access more cities, by having several. The most common are those of Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech and Tangier, reaching the last two Ryanair company from several points such as Seville, Madrid or Girona.
The boat is the most used and economic way by those tourists who come from Andalusia and want to know the north of the country.
There are ports of all kinds, from Casablanca, where cruise ships stop for day trips to Tangier, where most tourists and Moroccans cross the Strait of Gibraltar.
In Tangier there are two ports: first we have Tangier Vile, located opposite the wall of the medina. Departing from Tarifa, they cost approximately € 60 per ticket and a journey of 35 minutes.

It has the disadvantage of being very dependent on the weather conditions, being able to close for several hours if the waves and wind were unfavorable. As a main advantage, in addition to the short crossing, is its frequency, leaving practically every hour.

On the other hand we have Tangier Med, 35 kilometers from the city and receiving the boats that depart from Algeciras. They are more bulky, used for transporting goods but also as an alternative when the weather is bad (by better supporting the gusts of wind) or when you want to cross with a car, to offer better rates.

 

Ways to enter Morocco:

As we have already mentioned there are mainly two means of transport to cross the strait: by boat and by plane. It is also possible to travel by car, but even in that case you must cross by boat, leaving the vehicle in its hold.

• Enter Morocco by sea:

Morocco has several different ports, from those destined for cruise passengers who want to make a small excursion. Assuming that this entry is addressed to those whose goal is tourism, two will be the main ports, both located in Tangier.
The first is the one called Tangier Vile, located opposite the wall of the medina, with a journey of 35 minutes and starting from the port of Tarifa. The second is known as Tangier Med, located on the outskirts and approximately 35 kilometers from the previous one, with an hour and a half journey departing from Algeciras.
Which to choose? In general, and provided that the weather conditions are favorable, the first is recommended: the journey is shorter and the procedures are simpler. However, if you want to cross by car or there are problems in the strait the best thing would be to go to the Algeciras: the boats are larger, which means they are slower, but the rates for transporting vehicles are cheaper.
Once clear from which port to depart, you must go to the window of the shipping company, where they will provide two documents: the voucher of the ticket and the entry form.
With both documents and identification (valid passport with a minimum expiration of three months and visa if you do not belong to this list of countries)

 

• Enter Morocco by sea:

Morocco has several different ports, from those destined for cruise passengers who want to make a small excursion. Assuming that this entry is addressed to those whose goal is tourism, two will be the main ports, both located in Tangier.
The first is the one called Tangier Vile, located opposite the wall of the medina, with a journey of 35 minutes and starting from the port of Tarifa. The second is known as Tangier Med, located on the outskirts and approximately 35 kilometers from the previous one, with an hour and a half journey departing from Algeciras.
Which to choose? In general, and provided that the weather conditions are favorable, the first is recommended: the journey is shorter and the procedures are simpler. However, if you want to cross by car or there are problems in the strait the best thing would be to go to the Algeciras: the boats are larger, which means they are slower, but the rates for transporting vehicles are cheaper.
Once clear from which port to depart, you must go to the window of the shipping company, where they will provide two documents: the voucher of the ticket and the entry form.
With both documents and identification (valid passport with a minimum expiration of three months and visa if you do not belong to this list of countries) you will go to the ship. On rare occasions it will only be necessary to present the DNI (mainly day trips, although some circuits also operate under these conditions) but this variation is produced by specific agreements of the wholesaler with the Moroccan authorities.
The first control will correspond to the shipping company, which minutes before departure will check that you have the ticket in order, then go through the baggage control. There you will be scanned by your belongings, and immediately afterwards you will present your identification in the police window.
As soon as you access the inside of the boat, it is recommended to fill in the entry form provided, as it must be delivered there. It is a procedure in order to control who enters and leaves the country, as well as for statistical reasons.
It must be submitted to the ship’s authority along with the identification, so that it corroborates the data and stamps the corresponding stamp in the passport.
Once you arrive in Tangier, at the exit of the ship, another policeman will ask for your passport, to verify that it has the seal. Afterwards you can go to the terminal and go through a baggage check again, to start enjoying the trip.

And on the way back?

When returning the process is similar, although not identical, since most of the procedures are carried out in the port itself: there you must first pass the Moroccan police control, where the passport will be provided as the exit ticket. The fact that you have to deliver it here and not inside the boat will be responsible for the main jam occurs at the beginning and that it is so advisable to go with enough time in advance, approximately 60 minutes, especially on long days. transit.
The data to be filled will be the same as on the way out, and it will only be necessary to scan the luggage, return the passport to another Moroccan policeman, who will verify that it has been sealed and finally, before entering the access gateway, give the ticket to the responsible for the shipping company.
Within the ship it will not be necessary to carry out any procedure, and when landing in Spanish territory you will pass the Spanish police control, where the passport and luggage will be checked, to finally leave the port.

By car:

If you have chosen to cross by boat accompanied by a vehicle there are two differences that you should know, based on the necessary identification and the way to travel through the port. In addition to the documentation that corresponds to each person, you must have the corresponding to the car, ie: the registration certificate (commonly known as a gray card) and the international insurance certificate (also called green card). You should also fill out the so-called D16 ter model, with intentions similar to the entry form but referring to vehicles. You can pick it up at the time of entering the port.
Finally, if you do not own the vehicle, you will have to present a signed declaration from the owner expressing your consent or, if rented, the rental contract, where it must be stated that you can leave with it to Morocco. Needless to say that all these documents must be accessible until you say goodbye to the country.

With respect to how to enter, the steps to follow will be exactly the same as if you do it without a car, only at all times you will not need to leave this one, since you will have another access enabled.

• Enter Morocco by air:

This is the most usual way for international travel, taking into account that this way you can directly access different points of great tourist interest, such as Marrakech. It is also widely used by Spaniards who do not reside in the south of the country.
Once you have landed on Moroccan soil, you will go to the arrival area to pick up the shipping form to fill it out.

At your turn, you will hand in the card along with your passport, you will pass the metal and luggage control, collect your luggage (in case you checked in) and you can leave the airport.

Finally, if you go for your account almost in all probability you need to use a taxi. If that were the case, at the airport exit you will have indicated the rates in a panel. I advise you to fix yourself so that they do not try to overcharge you.
On the way back, the process will be exactly the same: check in the baggage if necessary, pick up and fill in the departure form, hand it in with the passport to the authority, pass the police and metal control, wait for the door to be shown , show the ticket and passport to the person responsible for the airline and walk the catwalk that allows you to access the plane, heading back to your place of origin.