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• How to get to Morocco

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Valenito Ellis

Our tour was fabulous. Ali was our driver and also one of our tour guides. We had a wonderful time -- Morocco is amazing and we cannot recommend Ali highly...

The simplest way to get to Morocco is, of course, to fly. Alternatively, you could fly to France, Spain or Gibraltar and pick up a ferry there; or, from Britain or Ireland, you could go all the way by land and sea.

Flights from the UK and Ireland

Flights from the us and canada, flights from australia, new zealand and south africa, by rail from the uk and ireland, by bus from the uk and ireland, by car from the uk and ireland, entering morocco by ferry, travel ideas for morocco, created by local experts.

Moroccan Cities and Ultimate Sahara

From the cities to the desert - follow the footsteps of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, discover the blue and whitewashed buildings of Chefchaouen before heading on to Fez and consequently the desert. Stay overnight in a luxurious desert camp before continuing to Marrakech.

Highlights of Morocco

For those short on time, this trip allows you to visit the highlights of Morocco in little over a week: the cultural capital Fez, the beautiful city of Chefchaouen, sleeping in a deluxe tent in the desert, as well as discovering Marrakech - it's time to explore Morocco!

Luxurious Morocco

Highlights include Rabat, Fes, Chefchaouen, and a luxury desert camp in Merzouga. Privately guided activities with expert local guides allow you to truly get to know Moroccan culture and cuisine. Combine it with the best hotels and riads in the cities and you have the perfect trip.

Iconic tour of Moroccan cities and deserts

Morocco is full of wonders and highlights. On this trip, you will experience the real Berber nomadic life in the desert, as well as the cosmopolitan lifestyle many younger Moroccans now enjoy in the cities, from Marrakech to Rabat. Get your dose of culture, history and desert in one trip.

Marrakech, High Atlas and the Agafay desert

Morocco in a nutshell: perfect for foodies, your days in Marrakech are spent tasting different delicacies as well as hands-on during a cooking class at a non-profit. Venture outside the city to explore the desert and stay overnight at a desert camp.

Deserts & Marrakech

From the fascinating city of Marrakech through the valleys and on to the desert - this trip packs a lot of highlights into a very short timeframe. Ideal for those that want to discover Morocco in a few days without spending too much time driving around.

Fares usually depend on season , the highest being at Christmas and the New Year, and at the peak of summer in July and August, when seats can also be scarce. Flying at weekends may cost more than flying midweek.

You can often cut costs by going through an online or discount flight agent . The cheapest tickets will be subject to restrictions such as fixed dates, and some may require advance purchase.

Charter flights are sometimes cheaper than scheduled flights, but departure dates are fixed and withdrawal penalties are high, and it may end up costing less to pick up a package deal including accommodation.

Be aware that, on an indirect flight, tight connections make baggage loss more likely, and if your baggage goes astray in transit, you cannot have it delivered to your hotel in Morocco, but will have to go back to the airport to pick it up in person when it does arrive.

Royal Air Maroc (RAM; w royalairmaroc.com ) run direct scheduled flights daily from London Heathrow to Casablanca, and twice-weekly flights to Tangier, and British Airways ( w britishairways.com) fly from Heathrow to Casablanca, Marrakesh and Agadir. From Dublin, Aer Lingus ( w aerlingus.com) fly once a week to Agadir, in winter only. In addition to these, there are no-frills flights to Marrakesh with EasyJet ( w easyjet.com) from Gatwick and Manchester, and with Ryanair ( w ryanair.com) from Luton and Stansted. EasyJet also fly from Gatwick to Agadir, Ryanair from Stansted to Fez, and ThomsonFly ( w www.tui.co.uk ) serve Marrakesh and Agadir from Gatwick and Manchester. Flights typically take around three and a half hours.

In addition to these, there are charter flights run by tour operators such as First Choice ( w firstchoice.co.uk) from Britain or Sunway ( w sunway.ie ) from Ireland. Flights are usually from Gatwick, Manchester or Dublin, but occasionally other British and Irish airports, to Agadir and sometimes Marrakesh, although they do not necessarily fly all year and are not especially cheaper than scheduled services; they may also limit you to a two-week stay.

Otherwise, you can get an indirect flight to Morocco from most British or Irish airports via London or a European city such as Paris or Amsterdam. From Casablanca, it’s possible to take a connecting flight to most other Moroccan airports. The Spanish enclave of Melilla is served by Iberia ( w iberia.com) via Madrid.

A return flight from London to Casablanca with RAM will cost £180–260, depending on the specific flights you choose, and how early you book. Fares on flights with the no-frills airlines depend on demand, and can vary from as little as £60 up to £350 for the round trip (the earlier you book, the lower the price will be). A charter flight from Ireland will cost around €200–450 return, while an indirect scheduled flight will set you back €360–800 depending on the time of year and the popularity of the flight (scheduled flights to Marrakesh cost more than to Casablanca).

It is also possible, and often a lot cheaper, to take a flight to Málaga or Gibraltar , where you can either get a ferry directly across the Straits, or take a bus to Algeciras for more frequent ferries from there. Airlines such as EasyJet and Ryanair run low-cost flights to Málaga from several British and Irish airports. From Gibraltar you’d have to walk across the border to La Linea for the bus. From Málaga airport, there are a two daily direct buses to Algeciras, or else you can change at Marbella (see w venta.avanzabus.com for details).

Royal Air Maroc (RAM; w royalairmaroc.com ) run nonstop flights to Casablanca from New York and Montreal (flight time 7hr 30min). The alternative is to take an indirect flight with a European carrier, changing planes at their European hub. Those serving Casablanca include Air France ( w airfrance.com ), Alitalia ( w alitalia.com ) and Lufthansa ( w lufthansa.com), while Iberia ( w iberia.com) fly to Casablanca, Marrakesh, Rabat, Tangier and the Spanish enclave of Melilla. If you’re flying from elsewhere in North America, you can take a connecting flight to New York or Montreal and continue from there on RAM (Delta codeshare the New York flight, so they should be able to sell you a through ticket without much trouble), or buy a through ticket via Europe with a European airline, or with a North American airline such as Air Canada ( w aircanada.com), American ( w aa.com), Continental ( w continental.com), Delta ( w delta.com) or United ( w united.com) in conjunction with a European carrier.

From New York, you can expect to pay (including tax) US$1200 in high season, or US$900 in low season for the cheapest flight to Casablanca. From Montreal, the fare will be Can$1300/1200 in high/low season. Getting to Morocco from the west coast will obviously cost more: expect to pay upwards of US$1500/1150 to Casablanca from LA in high/low season, or Can$1965/1425 from Vancouver.

There are no direct flights from Australia, New Zealand or South Africa to Morocco. From Australasia , you will need to change planes in Europe or the Middle East. Emirates ( w emirates.com) or Etihad ( w etihadairways.com ) via the UAE are often the most convenient airlines, with Emirates in particular offering a decent choice of Australian and New Zealand airports to depart from. Alternatively, you can also fly with a European airline such as Lufthansa ( w lufthansa.com) or Air France ( w airfrance.com ), or buy a through ticket with Qantas ( w qantas.com) or Air New Zealand ( w airnz.co.nz ) in conjunction with their partners in Europe, which has the advantage of offering a wider choice of departure airports.

For the cheapest through ticket, you can expect to pay Aus$2250/1800 in high/low season (July/Nov) from Australia, or NZ$2600/2250 from New Zealand.

Flying from South Africa , you could fly with an operator such as Emirates ( w emirates.com) via Dubai, Egyptair ( w egyptair.com) via Cairo, or Air France ( w airfrance.com ) via Paris. The most direct route, however, is to fly SAA ( w flysaa.com) to Dakar, changing there onto a Royal Air Maroc ( w royalairmaroc.com ) flight to Casablanca. Expect to pay upwards of ZAR5665 from Johannesburg to Casablanca year-round.

London to Morocco by train and ferry via Paris, Madrid and Algeciras, takes a good two days at full pelt, and will usually cost rather more than a flight. The journey from London to Algeciras costs upwards of £125; details can be found on the Man in Seat 61 website at w seat61.com/Morocco.htm . Tickets for the London to Paris stage are available online from Eurostar ( w eurostar.com), for Paris–Madrid from Rail Europe ( w raileurope.co.uk ), and for Madrid to Algeciras from the Spanish railway company RENFE ( w renfe.es ); be aware that seat reservation is compulsory, so it’s advisable to book all your connections in advance, or you may not be able to get on your preferred train.

There are bus services with Eurolines ( w eurolines.com ) from London’s Victoria Coach Station to Algeciras for the boat to Tanger-Med, but they aren’t an attractive option. It’s a gruelling two-day journey, including a change of bus in Paris and another in Spain, and Eurolines won’t sell you a single through ticket, so you would need to buy one from London to Paris (£35 if booked seven days ahead), and another from Paris to Algeciras (€120), making sure that both are available before you actually book either one. Connections from elsewhere in Britain and Ireland can involve long stopovers in London.

Driving to Morocco , allow a minimum of four days from London or southern England, and five days from Scotland or Ireland. The most direct route is: London–Channel Tunnel–Calais–Paris–Tours–Bordeaux–Bayonne–San Sebastián (Donostia)–Madrid–Granada–Málaga–Algeciras. French and Spanish motorways charge hefty tolls, but routes that avoid them are much slower. From Ireland, you can cut out Britain by taking a ferry to France with Brittany Ferries ( w brittany-ferries.co.uk ) or Irish Ferries ( w irishferries.com ). From Britain, you can cut out the French section of the route by taking a direct ferry to northern Spain with Brittany Ferries. Otherwise, you can cut out Spain by taking a ferry to Morocco from Sète in France (see Ferry routes).

Leaving Europe for Morocco proper (not Ceuta or Melilla), you have to go through passport control before boarding the ferry. Once on board, you have to obtain a disembarkation form from the purser’s office, fill it in, and submit it with your passport for stamping to a Moroccan immigration official on the boat. Announcements to this effect are not always made in English, but if you don’t have a stamp, you’ll have to wait until everyone else has cleared frontier and customs controls before being attended to. When disembarking, show your newly acquired stamp to a Moroccan policeman at the exit.

Most ferries to Tangier now dock at the new port of Tanger Med, 40km east of Tangier itself, although there is a free shuttle bus into town. Only the catamaran from Tarifa drops you at Tangier’s old port, from which you can walk straight into town.

Returning from Morocco to Spain , you need to collect an embarkation form and departure card at the ferry port and have these stamped by the port police prior to boarding your ferry.

Vehicle red tape

Taking a vehicle to Morocco you must take out insurance; the best way to do this is to get Green Card Insurance ( w direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/owningavehicle/motorinsurance ) covering Morocco before you leave (it speeds things up on arrival if the reference to Morocco is prominent and in French). Failing that, you can obtain insurance from Assurance Frontière at the border or port of entry. You will also need your vehicle registration document – which must be in your name or accompanied by a letter from the registered owner. Trailer caravans, as well as the vehicle itself, need temporary importation documents (D16TER) , which are obtainable at the frontier (or on the ferry, if not travelling to Ceuta or Melilla) for no charge. Information on driving in Morocco can be found under “Getting Around”, as can information on legal requirements for driving.

Get even more useful information for your trip with our tips for travelling to Morocco .

The Rough Guides to Morocco and related travel guides

In-depth, easy-to-use travel guides filled with expert advice.

Travel advice for Morocco

From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Morocco

• Culture and Etiquette in Morocco
• Eating and drinking in Morocco
• How to get around in Morocco
• Shopping tips for Morocco
• Tips and travel advice for Morocco
• Travelling with children in Morocco
• Best time to visit Morocco
• How to get a Morocco Visa

Find even more inspiration here

• Travel Tips

written by Rough Guides Editors

updated 20.05.2024

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Can I travel to Morocco? Flight rules explained

• Kara Godfrey
• Published : 12:49, 21 Oct 2021
• Updated : 12:58, 21 Oct 2021

MOROCCO has updated the travel restrictions for Brits, with all UK flights banned from today.

Here is everything you need to know about holidays and travel restrictions to the country.

Can I travel to Morocco?

Morocco has banned all UK flights from today.

This means flights departing from any airport in the UK can no longer go ahead.

Airlines including easyJet, TUI and British Airways have announced that they have suspended all flights until further notice.

Morocco is yet to announce when the flight ban will end, although will likely be when the UK's Covid cases drop.

Can I travel back to the UK from Morocco?

Some airlines have already offered repatriation flights from Morocco to help Brits who are currently in the country return to the UK.

EasyJet told the Guardian that they will continue to operate after today for returning Brits, saying yesterday: "We are still awaiting clarity from the Moroccan authorities as to whether we are permitted to operate repatriation flights beyond midnight today”.

TUI says they currently have around 2,000 Brits still in Morocco and are yet to explain how they will be returned.

However, flights are not in operation either to or from Morocco otherwise.

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What happens if i have a holiday booked to morocco.

Airlines and tour operators are cancelling any flights and holidays to Morocco for the next few weeks.

TUI has cancelled them until October 31, while BA and easyJet have suspended similar routes for the next few weeks.

This is likely to be extended until the flight ban is lifted, which might not happen until the end of the year.

If you have your flights or holiday cancelled, you will likely be offered a full refund or a voucher, or to move the holiday to another date free of charge.

TUI said: "We are contacting customers in departure date order to discuss their options, which include amending to another destination or a full refund."

EasyJet said: "We are contacting all customers whose flights are cancelled with their options, which include a free of charge transfer, receiving a voucher or a refund."

If you have flights or a holiday booked for later in the year, you should not cancel them yourself just yet as you will not be entitled to a refund.

• Coronavirus travel advice

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Explore Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Morocco for less than £200 with easyJet

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Looking to whizz off on a city break but don’t want to break the bank?

EasyJet , everyone’s favourite budget airline, has reduced the prices of a load of last-minute getaways, with prices starting as low as £125pp for a two night trip.

Whether you’re a fan of quite, cobbled Italian streets or the hubbub of a Marrakech souk, there’s plenty of stunning destinations close enough to London to warrant a quick trip full of culture.

From a sleek stay in Milan to a Prague break bustling with beer, and even a sun-soaked stint in Barcelona , we’ve found the best city-breaks to snap up now for under £200pp .

And yes, that includes flights from a London airport, 23kg hold luggage and your hotel. Bargain? We think that’s an understatement.

Explore our affordable easyJet top picks below . You’re welcome.

SB Plaza Europa – Barcelona, Spain

Fly from London Gatwick and enjoy a stunning two night stay in Barcelona for under £200pp. The SB Plaza Europa, less than 10 minutes from metro stations, offers a sleek blend of style, comfort and convenience, boasting a stunning rooftop pool with poolside bar and city views.

Grandior Hotel Prague – Prague, Czech Republic

Fly from London Gatwick for a two night Prague stay from just £175pp. You'll stay at the Grandior Hotel Prague – an elegant, five-star hotel perfectly placed about a 10-minute walk from the Old Town, equip with a tasty bistro buffet and sleek lobby bar.

Diwane Marrakech – Marrakech, Morocco

Fly from London Gatwick to Marraceck for a Moroccan holiday you'll never forget. Located in the city centre, the Diwane Marrakech hotel is ideally situated to explore Marrakech and visit its cultural sites, with a refreshing outdoor pool to cool off after a day exploring.

Mariano Cubi – Barcelona, Spain

Fly from London Gatwick for a Barcelona break that's perfect for the self-catering holiday-goers. Located a short walk from the iconic Avenida Diagonal – which is a whopping 10km long and cuts the city in two – this family friendly hotel offers a number of rooms with kitchenettes, featuring everything you need to rustle up a meal whenever you like.

B&B Hotel Milano Sesto – Milan, Italy

Fly from London Gatwick and stay in the heart of Italy for less. Situated just 200 metres from a Metro Station that takes you directly to Cathedral Square, the hotel offers a cosy room with a memory mattress and unlimited Wi-Fi, the perfect base for exploring the beautiful city.

Smart Hotel Holiday – Venice, Italy

Fly from London Gatwick and enjoy an unmissable break in the stunning city of Venice from just £161pp. Just a 20-minute bus ride to the centre of Venice, this sleek hotel is the perfect base for exploring the gorgeous city, while the Canareggio District (where this hotel is situated) offers historical museums, art galleries, and restaurants that specialise in Jewish cuisine.

Latest London news

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To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro.co.uk's London news hub .

Tiempo Hotel – Naples, Italy

Fly from London Gatwick to gorgeously sunny Naples for a break filled with Italian bliss from just £169pp. Situated just 600 metres from the metro station and 5 minutes’ away from the train line, this hotel provides an ideal base to explore the city, also boasting a stunning tranquil roof terrace perfect for sipping Aperol with a view.

Domus Sessoriana – Rome, Italy

Fly from London Gatwick to Italian's capital in this utterly affordable city break. Situated just 0.3km from Rome's city centre, this hotel is the perfect location for travelers eager for curiosity and adventure. Enjoy a drink on the rooftop terrace with inmissable views of everything from the Cistercian orchards and gardens to the stunning city and its inhabitants.

Elite Hotel & Spa – Venice, Italy

Fly from London Gatwick to the unique paradise of Venice from less than £170. The hotel is in the Mestre neighbourhood, across the Liberty Bridge in a more modern part of the city that's easy to get to Venice’s top sights from by public transport. The hotel itself boasts a stunning indoor pool, Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, and relaxation area, perfect for relaxing post-exploration.

B&B HOTEL Prague City – Prague, Czech Rebublic

Fly from London Luton for an unmissable stay in Prague, currently from an unbeatable price of £125pp. B&B Hotel Prague-City is the prime place to rest in a quiet neighbourhood after busy days exploring Prague. Before you head out for the day, be sure to fill up on the hotel's delicious buffet breakfast spread, which is included in the price.

Riad Shaden – Marrakech, Morocco

Fly from London Gatwick to this stunning riad in Marrakech from just £128pp. Set in a traditional, residential area of the medina, yet only a 15 minutes' walk from the famous Place Djemaa al Fna, this stunning and authentic riad welcomes you to stay in its charming accommodation. With secluded and sunny rooftop terrace, traditional Moroccan dishes prepared on-site (with breakfast included in the price) and individually designed rooms, you'll feel right at home.

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EasyJet cancellations leave Brits in 24-hour hell abroad with 'no food or water'

As easyJet has axed a spate of flights, families' summer holidays have been ruined and thrown into jeopardy - as scheduled journeys to and from various UK airports have been scrapped

• 17:19, 28 Jun 2024
• Updated 19:50, 28 Jun 2024

A British couple are stranded in Montenegro after their easyJet flight back to Gatwick Airport was axed.

Nathan Barnes, 31, and their 30-year-old wife Rachel were due to return from the popular tourist destination on Thursday morning but their flight was one of multiple cancelled by the budget airline at short notice . They received the crushing news despite checking in at Tivat Airport in the southwest of the country.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror , Nathan said: "It's been the most stressful holiday of our life. We were all left without food or water, no easyJet reps or updated information.

"We had a flight booked to fly back to Gatwick with easyJet at Tivat Airport in Montenegro at 11am, we turned up early as the airport is extremely busy and can't cope with everyone there. We arrived at 8am and checked in as usual. We were waiting in the departure lounge but the flight was delayed many times, we were informed about midday that a bird strike on the plane had caused damage that needed to be inspected but would soon be resolved.

Have you been affected by the easyJet cancellations this week? Get in touch with the Daily Mirror at [email protected]

"Around 2pm or 3pm, we were told by the pilot himself that the aircraft could not fly and they are waiting on an engineer or expert to fly over for Milan and that we will have to stay the night and fly in the morning if the aircraft is fixed. We then had to go back through security and baggage collection and wait in the terminal for an update of a coach and accommodation for 170 people. We were left for hours with no update or help from airport or easyJet staff."

Nathan says elderly people were among the group which had to wait for several hours at the airport. By which time, he and Rachel decided to book an alternative flight to Gatwick from nearby Podrica Airport, found and paid for a hotel themselves and spent money on taxis. But this flight, with another airline, was cancelled this morning and the £600 Nathan and Rachel had forked out went to waste.

Nathan continued: "All the money we spent - over £600 on a motel, taxi and new flights - was wasted and then we had a message from easyJet, saying our rescheduled flight was now at 6pm today. We got a taxi back to Tivat which was another £100 euros (£84 approximately) and a one-hour-and-thirty-minute drive back to the original airport to get the rescheduled flight at 6pm.

"Many elderly people have been stuck waiting for hours, easyJet eventually got people in hotels but not until around 7pm, which meant they had been in the airport for 11 hours until they were seen to.

"There was a group of pensioners in their 60s, 70s and 80s just left to fend for themselves for hours. I hear they were eventually taken to a hotel, but that might have been from their tour operator, not easyJet.

"One elderly person was meant to have eye surgery, which has now been cancelled due to the flight delay. Luckily, we also had Friday off work, but many other people needed to get back yesterday. I just hope we can get home today.

"We also heard that the original flight which was damaged by bird strike had already started boarding passengers and one of them noticed the damage, not the flight crew."

Regarding Nathan and Rachel's experience, an easyJet spokesman told us: "A easyJet can confirm that flight EZY6544 from Tivat to London Gatwick on 27 June was overnight delayed to 28 June due a to bird strike, which meant the original aircraft was unable to operate.

"We operate our fleet in strict compliance with regulations and have procedures which ensures any issues are picked up. We did everything possible to minimise the impact of the delay, providing hotel accommodation and meals for those who required them and we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused. The safety of its passengers and crew is easyJet's highest priority."

Further flights to and from the UK were cancelled, though the budget airline said this was due to "traffic control restrictions" across Europe .

It said: "Due to the impact of air traffic control restrictions in place across Europe for much of yesterday, like all airlines operating across European airspace, some of our flights were unable to operate with some knock-on impact on today’s operation.

"We have been doing everything possible to minimise the impact for our customers, providing hotel accommodation and meals as well as a refund or a transfer to an alternative flight and are advising customers they will be reimbursed for expenses should they need to make their own arrangements."

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EasyJet flights ‘delayed by over four hours by air-traffic control’ – but Ryanair free to fly

A pair of easyJet flights between Manchester and the Greek island of Rhodes are being delayed by over four hours due to “air-traffic control restrictions” on Thursday.

But a Ryanair plane flying the same there-and-back journey 25 minutes later was given permission to depart – and landed on the Greek island on time.

EasyJet flight 2051 was due to depart from Manchester at 6.15am, arriving in good time for lunch at 12.40pm.

But passengers have been told their plane will now leave four hours and 15 minutes late, with an expected touchdown just before 6pm.

More than 300 passengers are affected. The airline is required to provide refreshments while they wait.

EasyJet is telling travellers: “We’re sorry that your flight has been delayed. This is because of air traffic control restrictions.

“The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance.”

The corresponding inbound flight is running even later: easyJet says flight 2052 is expected to depart from Rhodes five hours behind schedule, arriving in Manchester after 9pm rather than at the expected 4pm.

But passengers on the Greek island are being told they should still “arrive at the airport for your original departure time”.

Once again, easyJet stresses: “The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance.”

The airline can avoid paying £350 in delay compensation if a long delay is beyond its control .

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “We can confirm that flight EZY 2051 from Manchester to Rhodes was delayed departing this morning due to an air traffic control delay.

“Given the length of the slot delay from Eurocontrol, we had to swap the crew as the original crew would have exceeded their legal operating hours and so that has unfortunately lengthened the delay. Whilst this was outside of our control we are sorry for any inconvenience.”

A spokesperson for the pan-European coordinator, Eurocontrol, said the network “is experiencing the impact of severe convective weather covering the central and southeastern areas”. In other words, there are many thunderstorms causing disruption in central and southeast Europe.

As pilots manouevre to avoid them, flow regulations have been imposed – reducing the number of planes that can safely be handled by air-traffic controllers.

In its latest overview , Eurocontrol reports an average delay to flights due to air-traffic control issues last week of four minutes.

Half of all attributable delays were caused by bad weather, with most of the remaining down to staff shortage.

Six days ago, dozens of flights on easyJet and other airlines were cancelled and some diverted due to staff shortage in the air-traffic control tower at Gatwick, which is run by Nats.

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