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35 Hotels in Casablanca
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Casablanca Hotels
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Local Travel Info
Internal flights and major international airports for Casablanca
Casablanca Mohammed V Airport is located 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Casablanca’s city centre. The airport serves both internal flights to other Morrocan cities including Marrakech, Agadir, Essaouira, Ouarzazate, Fez and Oujda, and also receives flights from a large range of international destinations. The airport was visited by over 6,212,226 passengers in 2008 and houses three main terminals. Transport links to the city of Casablanca are very good and there is both a long and short-term car park with 1,600 spaces outside departures and a long and short-term car park with 880 spaces outside of the arrivals area.
Getting to and from the airport for Casablanca
Travel costs
Holidaymakers have a choice of transport to get to Casablanca’s city centre. A shuttle train service operates between 06:50 until 22:50 every day from the airport’s arrival hall to Casablanca’s port and city centre which takes around 45 minutes. Visitors can change at Aïn Sebaa for connections to the four main railway stations. The train station is located on level – 1, in the arrivals area.
There is also the option of taking a shuttle bus which runs between the airport and the CTM (coach) terminal. The journey time is around one hour and there are 12 buses a day between 07:30 and 00:30.
For those wishing to take a taxi into town, with a journey time of around 30 minutes, visitors have the option of a standard taxi or can travel in one of the grands taxis (which takes up to six passengers on a pre-planned route) and is a cheaper alternative to a regular cab which costs between 200 to 250 DH. It is recommended that visitors agree the fare with the driver before setting off.
Car Hire in Casablanca
Hiring a car in Casablanca offers maximum freedom when seeing what the city of Casablanca and the surrounding has to offer. On arrival to the airport, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National, Sixt and Thrifty are all represented, as well as several local operators, and is therefore worth shopping around before making a reservation. See our Cheap Car hire section for bargain deals and special offers on car rental in Casablanca. Air conditioning is a must due to the hot climate in Casablanca.
It is worth taking into consideration that accident rates are high and driving in town can be manic but in the open country, the roads are generally well surfaced, well engineered and tend to be more empty than city roads. An off-road (4WD) vehicle is recommended for driving on unpaved, tracks that access remote mountains and desert areas. It is recommended that visitors keep their fuel tanks as full as possible, as petrol stations outside of Casablanca can be few and far between.
Speed traps are plentiful and are also well hidden. They are located on all major highways and inside large cities, and visitors should therefore adhere to the correct speed limits at all times.
Drivers licenses requirements?
The minimum age for driving in Morocco, including Casablanca, is 21, and a valid driving licence and passport must be carried at all times when in the vehicle. An International Drivers Permit is not required.
Rules
Visitors should drive on the right hand side of the road at all times. The speed limit on motorways outside of towns is 100 km/h (62 mph). The speed limit in urban areas is only 50 km/h. When driving, the use of seatbelts is compulsory for all drivers and all passengers, either in front or at the back.
Vehicle lights should be on when driving, even during the day. It is only acceptable to turn them off when driving at a speed of 20 km/h. In hours of darkness, lights should be turned on at all times, even if driving at very slow speeds. Holidaymakers should never drink and drive.
Casablanca by bus
Casablanca has an extensive network of inexpensive bus routes but rush hour services are usually overcrowded and chaotic. Tickets are purchased on board and it is advised that visitors carry some small change. As bus signage is in Arabic only, things can get confusing, and therefore it is worth asking a native to write destinations on a piece of paper in Arabic.
For more long distance coach journeys, part of the international Eurolines network, the formerly state-owned national operator CTM and a number of private companies offer services linking Casablanca with destinations throughout the country.
Casablanca by taxi
Registered taxis in Casablanca are blue in colour, and are known as petits taxis (small taxis). Those which are white in colour are known as grands taxis (big taxis). As is standard Moroccan practice, petits taxis, typically small-four door Fiat Uno or similar cars, provide a metered cab service in central metropolitan areas. Grands taxis, generally older Mercedes-Benz saloon cars, provide a shared mini-bus like service within the city or for pre-defined routes. Grands Taxis may also be hired for private service by the hour or day, although typically it is only foreign visitors which may choose to do so. Expect to pay around 1.83 DH per kilometre (0.62 miles), and it is recommended that holidaymakers agree the fare with the driver before setting off. A 50% surcharge is added to the fare for hours of darkness.
Casablanca by train
The city of Casablanca has two train stations which are operated by the national rail service or the ONCF. The main long haul station is Casa-Voyageurs, from which trains run south to Marrakech or El Jadida and north to Rabat, and then on either to Tangier or Meknes, Fes, Taza and Oujda. The shuttle from Mohammed V International Airport also stops at this station.
Casa-Port, the second railway station, is primarily for the commuter trains running along the Casablanca to Kenitra corridor, with some connecting trains to Gare de Casa-Voyageurs.
Hitchhiking in Casablanca
Hitchhiking in Morocco is allowed and provides the opportunity to experience the country’s cultural richness and diversity in a way unavailable to tourists who travel by more conventional means. Many people will not want payment, but it can be hard to avoid the interest of grand taxis (who will definitely want payment). Some Moroccans stick out their index finger instead of their thumb like in other countries which indicates that a person is willing to pay for the ride. It is recommended that those wanting to try this form of transport should carry a big bottle of water, and wear a hat due to the hot temperatures.
