Stages
Tanger Med
Algeciras – Tanger Med
The crossing takes 1 h 30. When you disembark, you clear vehicle customs at the port itself and drive straight onto the motorway. Sort out the green card and the vehicle's temporary import permit beforehand: we explain both in driving in Morocco.
Rabat
2 nights
Rabat, two nights
From Tanger Med to Rabat is 283 km of motorway, about 3 h 15 without stops. Two nights give you time for the capital and for Salé, across the river. Park up and get around by tram.
Casablanca
1 nights
Casablanca, one night
Rabat – Casablanca: 90 km, just over an hour. Arrive in time for the guided tour of the Hassan II Mosque and have dinner on the Corniche.
Marrakesh
3 nights
Marrakesh, three nights
Casablanca – Marrakesh: 239 km, about 2 h 50. In Marrakesh, leave the car in a guarded car park and enter the medina on foot; use it for a trip into the Atlas or to Essaouira.
Tangier
1 nights
Back via Tangier
The return is the long stage: Marrakesh – Tangier is 567 km, more than six hours without stops. Break it with a night in Rabat if time is tight. Finish with a night in Tangier and take the ferry the next day, with a fixed-date ticket if you are travelling in summer.
Legs
- Algeciras / Tanger Medferry1 h 30 min
- Tanger Med / Rabatcar3 h 13 min283 km
- Rabat / Casablancacar1 h 08 min90 km
- Casablanca / Marrakeshcar2 h 48 min239 km
- Marrakesh / Tangiercar6 h 17 min567 km
Tips
- The motorway is tolled and you pay by section: a Jawaz electronic toll tag saves you stopping.
- Avoid driving at night, as Spain's Foreign Ministry advises, and stick to the 120 km/h motorway limit: checks are frequent.
- In summer, a ferry ticket with a set date and time is a condition of entry to Tanger Med and Algeciras on peak days.
- Work out your own door-to-door route from your home city with our sister site's journey planner, via Crossing the Strait.
By ferry
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tanger Med to Marrakesh?
In stages: 283 km to Rabat, 90 to Casablanca and 239 to Marrakesh, about seven and a half hours in total without stops.
Is driving in Morocco easy?
On the motorway, yes. In towns and on mountain roads, take it slowly and drive by day.
What papers does the car need?
A green card that includes Morocco and the temporary import permit at port customs; the details are in the driving guide.
Sources (2)
Every fact on this page comes from a source consulted on the date shown.
