Renting a Car in Morocco – Everything You Need to Know

Thinking about renting a car in Morocco? That’s a fantastic idea! But before you hit the road, let me share some unique things about driving in Morocco, including a few tricky scams you can definitely avoid.

Choosing the Right Car for Your Trip in Morocco

The type of car you rent in Morocco really depends on where you’re going:

• Heading into the mountains or desert? → You’ll probably need a 4WD. The Atlas Mountains and the Sahara aren’t places for a tiny city car. You may be alright with a 2WD SUV or a powerful car if you do not plan any off-road, however, keep in mind that roads can be steeps and/or unsealed.
• Sticking to coastal roads and local adventures? → A compact or mid-range car works great. On my last itinerary of the Moroccan coastline, I rented, for example, a Peugeot 208, which costed just €10 per day—a total bargain!

Where to Rent Your Car in Morocco

You’ve got two main options: international chains or local rental agencies. I’ve rented from both, and honestly, the main difference is that international companies usually speak English meanwhile the local operators may speak only French.

On my last trip, for example, I used a local operator that spoke an almost non-existing English. Of course, my French was even worse. That is why I always have on my mobile Google Translator, which not only helped a ton talking with the rental guy but it was also essential dealing with a few accommodation owners.

Driving License Requirements

Morocco is pretty chill about licenses. If yours has a photo and is in a readable format (latin letters), most rental companies will accept it.

That said, some might ask for an International Driving Permit (IDP)—especially if you’re relying on credit card insurance for coverage. You can usually do that in your country for around $20 USD.

Car Rental Insurance – What You Need to Know

Cars will be rented with the mandatory Third Party Liability (TPL) insurance which covers injuries and damage that you may cause to others while driving the car.

Theft Protection and Roadside Assistance are quite often included, although with a deductible

Most, if not all rentals include also a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), but the deductible can be steep—sometimes up to $1,000-$2,000 USD.

I am not an insurance advisor, but let me explain what this means based on my experience and a practical example.

The CDW is your basic protection against damage to the rental car. Think of it like this – if you scratch the car, dent it against a post, or get into a minor accident, CDW will cover most of the repair costs.

BUT – and this is important – you’ll still need to pay the deductible (also called excess). Let me give you an example:

Say you get a scratch that costs $1,000 to fix, and your deductible is $500. With CDW:

• The insurance covers $500
• You pay $500 (the deductible)

That’s why I always recommend getting full insurance with zero deductible. Sure, it costs a bit more per day, but it gives you total peace of mind. Trust me, I once had a $4,000 repair bill that was completely covered because I had full insurance – I didn’t pay a cent!

Just be aware to read through your full insurance because it may not cover

• Tires
• Windscreen
• Mirrors
• Undercarriage
• Interior damage (this is quite common)

There are 3 ways to organise your full insurance:

• Check if your credit card covers the deductible. It may, especially when it includes a travel insurance. If it does, no need for extra insurance. This is the cheapest and quickest option. Mine for example includes a full insurance, but with the own deductible, which defeats the purpose.
• Get full insurance online (via the aggregator DiscoverCars I previously mentioned). It’s only $8–10 per day, way cheaper than at the counter.
• At the rental desk. They’ll try to upsell it as much as they can, even if you have already organised yours. They will charge $20–30 per day. The only benefit I see is that they are more relaxed and the drop off takes zero time, but honestly not worth the extra cost.

Public Transport vs. Renting a Car

Yes, Morocco has decent public transport, but it’s sloooow. Example:

• El Jadida → Marrakesh → 3 hours by car, but possibly a full day with buses and transfers.

A rental car gives you freedom, lets you visit small villages, and is often cheaper than public transport if you’re traveling with friends or family.

With the bus you will not be able to stop wherever you want to eat or take photos. The bus or train will take you from A to B and than you will have to organise your own local experiences or trips, which can be time consuming and at the end even more expensive.

The greatest benefit of public transportation is lower cost, if you are travelling on your own, and a relaxed experience, you jump on a bus and you can have a nap to the next destination.

Personally I do not find driving in Morocco a stressing experience. In fact, outside the major cities, traffic is almost non existing.

Driving in Morocco – What to Expect

• Moroccans drive on the right (same as the US and Europe, excluding of course the UK).
• Automatics are rare and pricey—expect to drive a manual.
• Roundabouts are everywhere, but traffic flows surprisingly well, actually much better than with traffic lights
• Road quality?
  • Highways (speed limit 120 km/h) are great.
  • Country roads (speed limit 80 km/h) are decent but narrower.
  • Rural roads can be tricky—some barely wide enough for two cars or even one car at time.

Tolls in Morocco

• Highways have toll booths—they’re cheap, usually €1-5 per trip.
• Payment is cash only (no credit cards accepted).
• Keep small bills and coins handy!

Common Scams to Watch Out For

Fuel Level Scam (small)

Rentals often come with a half-full tank or even worse an empty tank, making it impossible to return with exactly the same amount.

You’ll probably overfill a little, losing a few euros. It’s not a big issue, just annoying, so try to give it back with the same level without stressing too much.

Fake Damage Claims

Some rental agencies claim you returned the car with new scratches or dents, although the were already pre-existing. Besides being annoying, it can be an expensive scam.

They will try to charge you around $2-300 Euro for a small scratch, more for a dent. And they add up for every “new” damage.

Avoid this by:

Taking detailed photos & videos at pickup. This is essential. It happened to me a few years ago. I did not see a scratch at pickup and it was not included in the documentation.

Luckly I had photos that proved me correct and I saved over 300 Euro.

After that experience, I decided to organise always a full insurance through DiscoverCars. It’s cheap enough. I do not like to be stressed from this rather common scam. Besides, the full insurance covers me from real damages that I may cause. It’s just such a peace of mind.

Gas Stations in Morocco

• Plenty of stations—every 5-10 km on main roads.
• Full-service only—an attendant pumps the gas for you.
• Current price: €1.20 per liter (~$1.30 USD)—cheaper than in Europe.

My Tip: Start looking for a station when your tank hits 25–50%, especially if you are driving in rural areas

Police Checkpoints & Speed Limits

Police frequently monitor speed and run random checkpoints. I woulkd say, on average, I have sees a police checkpoint every 100km or even less.

I see this as a great thing, to be honest with you, because people tend to drive more carefully and following the rules. If you stick to the speed limit, you’ll be fine.

I spoke with other travelers that they heard about police bribes, but I’ve been stopped a few times and only had my documents checked. SO I am not sure if this is more of a legend or the bribe was related to a speeding ticket.

Just a reminder. If you get fined for speeding, you must pay on the spot, so carry cash.

Parking in Morocco

In big cities like Casablanca or Marrakesh, parking is tricky. Plan ahead. Check Google Maps and look for “Parking”, zoom in in your destination area and usually you find a spot. Expect to pay between 5 Euro during the day and 8-10 Euro for 24 hours/night parking.

Most parking areas have attendants in blue or yellow vest,they’ll watch your car for a small tip. I think that most are not official operators but a 2 Euro tip will ensure your car is safe, so not a big deal.

Important, check out the the curb colors:

• Red & white = No parking
• Blue & white = Parking allowed

Moroccan Driving Culture – What to Expect

It’s like Southern Europe—if you’ve driven in Italy, Spain, or Greece, you’ll be fine. In fact, I find driving in the southern coast of France much more stressing than in Morocco.

Even scooters are not that bad. They certainly try to sneak through the traffic in the cities but there are not as many as in cities like in Italy or Spain.

Be aware of animals on rural roads. Goats, sheeps, and stray dogs may pop up unexpectedly, especially in the dark

Also, you may be not anymore used to it but in Morocco kids still play in the streets, especially in small villages or rural settlements. Drive cautiously when passing these areas.

Avoid Driving at Night

You will notice it straight away how rural roads have little to no lighting. Add that pedestrians & cyclists rarely use lights and stray dogs and livestock sometime wander onto roads.

That’s way I always highly suggest to plan your driving day to arrive at your destination before sunset.

In cities, it’s not as bad thanks to streetlights.

My video

Final Thoughts

That’s the full lowdown on renting a car in Morocco! If you’ve got questions, drop them in the comments section. I usually reply in no-time