Travelling in Morocco by car is the most common and most convenient way to get from city to city. If you need to catch an early-morning or night time flight, you will have to travel during dark hours (especially during the winter months). For people concerned about Morocco road safety, a frequently asked question we receive is, “Is it safe to travel by car in Morocco?“. The short answer is yes. You are unlikely to encounter any issues travelling by road in Morocco, even at night time, but we have prepared a longer answer below.
Morocco Road Safety
The roads connecting the major cities in Morocco – such as Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Tangier and Fes – are generally well-maintained and free of congestion thanks to the toll system. Morocco has a good network of toll expressways that were recently built and significantly decrease travel time between cities, while improving safety and decreasing the number of accidents. The number of road accidents in Morocco has been decreasing for six consecutive years thanks to campaigns by the ADM (Autoroutes du Maroc) to increase awareness about road safety.
The rural roads connecting Tangier to Chefchaouen, or the roads connecting Chefchaouen to Fes, are also well-maintained and perfectly safe to navigate. Our drivers regularly drive between Tangier, Chefchaouen and Fes, and are very familiar with these roads.
While there is a clear difference in standard between driving in Morocco and a European country, a careful and sensible driver is highly unlikely to experience any problems. Moroccan drivers may drive faster than you are used to, and driving in the cities can be frustrating due to traffic and the apparent lack of order, so it’s important to drive defensively and allow plenty of time to reach your destination. With this in mind, the road system in Morocco is more organised than some other African countries.
Our drivers are experienced in driving in Morocco and have been doing so for many years. We are fully licenced and insured to transport tourists. We always drive responsibly and at an appropriate speed.
Driving in Morocco at Night
We work 24 hours a day, so if you need to travel in Morocco at night, one of our drivers will be able to pick you up. The main roads connecting the major cities (like the Autoroute connecting Casablanca to Marrakech) is a modern and well-maintained expressway, and is safe to travel at night. The traffic on the toll roads also tends to be very quiet at night time.
Travelling at night time on the more isolated roads (like the one to Chefchaouen) is also safe, and our drivers regularly drive on these roads during the dark hours. The most important thing is that our drivers are well-trained, sensible and drive appropriately according to the road conditions. Night-time driving in Morocco is not something to be worried about.
Driving in Morocco in Winter
Weather conditions are a valid concern because heavy rain can cause road closures during the winter. Of course, road closures and adverse weather conditions are out of our control, however in this event we would do everything possible to get you to your destination as planned. This could involve waiting for the road to re-open, or taking a significant diversion. Please bear in mind that extreme weather like this is uncommon, and happens once every few years. Snow is also extremely rare even in the mountains and is highly unlikely to affect your journey.