# Morocco Travel Tips: Money, Transport and Safety > Morocco travel tips: the closed dirham and ATMs, souk haggling, ONCF and Al Boraq trains, petit vs grand taxis, dress code, five classic scams and visa-free entry rules. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/marokko-dlia-turysta/ - Language: en - Published: 2026-10-19 - Categories: Travel, Culture, Leisure, Hotels, Tours, Марокко --- Three things worth knowing about **Morocco travel tips** before you buy the tickets: most visitors (including EU, US, UK and Ukrainian passport holders) get 90 visa-free days, the local dirham is a closed currency you cannot buy in advance, and the first price quoted in a market is almost never the final one. The country is safer than its reputation, yet more demanding of a traveler than a typical European route: you will have to haggle, filter out "helpers" and adjust to a different street rhythm. ## Money: dirhams, cash and ATMs The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). As a rough guide a US dollar buys around ten dirhams; check the current rate before you fly. The dirham is formally a closed currency, restricted for import and export in large amounts, so exchanging money at home in advance is not an option, and it does not need to be: airport and city exchange offices offer fair rates, and ATMs dispense cash on foreign cards (fees vary by bank, often around 20-35 dirhams per withdrawal plus whatever your own bank charges). Cards are accepted at hotels, supermarkets and mid-range restaurants and up. Everything else, meaning markets, taxis, street cafes, museums and tips, runs on cash. Keep a stash of small notes: breaking a 200-dirham bill in a small shop can be a quest, and taxi drivers "have no change" with remarkable regularity. Swap leftover dirhams back at the airport before departure; outside the country they become souvenirs. ## Haggling: not an option but part of the price The souks have no price tags, and the first number you hear is an invitation to talk, not a verdict. The working scheme is simple: hear the price, offer roughly a third, meet somewhere in the middle. A proper negotiation easily cuts the sum in half. The key rule: never start bargaining for something you are not prepared to buy, because serious haggling here carries an obligation. If the numbers refuse to meet, a calm "shukran" and a step toward the exit often work better than any argument. Where haggling is out of place: groceries with price tags, water, cafe food, tickets. Where it is mandatory: souvenirs, leather, carpets, taxis without a meter, street guide services. ## Getting around: ONCF trains, buses and two kinds of taxi The railway is a pleasant surprise. The state operator [ONCF](https://www.oncf.ma/) links Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Meknes and Marrakesh; the carriages are decent, and first class costs only a little more than second while guaranteeing a seat. The crown jewel is Al Boraq, Africa's first high-speed line, which covers Tangier to Casablanca at up to 320 km/h in roughly two hours. Tickets sell online and at station counters; book popular departures ahead. Where trains do not go (Chefchaouen, Essaouira, the entire desert), buses do. Two reliable companies, CTM and Supratours, run with luggage receipts and a more or less honored timetable. Cheap local buses exist too, but comfort there is a lottery. Taxis come in two kinds, and mixing them up is a mistake: - **Petit taxi.** Small city cars (each city has its color: beige in Marrakesh, red in Casablanca), three passengers maximum, city limits only. They are required to run the meter; in practice it gets "forgotten" for tourists, so either insist or agree on the fare before getting in. - **Grand taxi.** Aging sedans and minivans for intercity runs that leave when full. You can buy out all the seats and go at once. For routes with no bus, this is often the only option. Ride-hailing apps work in Marrakesh and Casablanca (inDrive, Careem, the local Roby) with more honest prices, though petit taxi drivers regard them with open jealousy. ## Dress code: what to wear to avoid the stares The dress code in Morocco is not law but a matter of respect and your own comfort. In the tourist zones of Marrakesh women wear whatever they like, but the further you get from them, the more sense covered shoulders and knees make: fewer stares, less hassling, more normal conversation. Light long trousers, below-the-knee dresses and a sleeved shirt work better than any explanation. Men only need to avoid walking around town in beachwear. A headscarf is required solely inside active religious sites that admit non-Muslims, and those are a handful in the whole country. ## Scams: the five classic scripts Violent crime against tourists is rare here, but petty hustling is an industry. Knowing the scripts removes 90% of the problems: - **"This street is closed."** A friendly stranger near the medina announces the way is blocked or "the square moved today," then leads you on a detour to a relative's shop or demands payment for the "tour." The street is open. Say thanks and follow your map app. - **Fake guides.** An "official guide" with no badge latches on at the gates of the Fes medina. Real licensed guides are booked through your riad or the tourist bureau, not caught on the street. - **Henna on your hand.** On Jemaa el-Fnaa a woman grabs your hand and "gifts" a henna design, then demands payment. Keep your hands to yourself, literally. - **Photo with an animal.** The monkey lands on your shoulder and the cobra around your neck for free; the photo costs money, announced after the shot. - **The "free" taste at the market.** You tried it, so you have almost bought it, and refusing is now "awkward." It will not be: a polite no works. The general rules are the same as anywhere: wallet out of the back pocket, phone out of your hand near the roadway (moped snatchings happen in Casablanca), and empty medina alleys at night are not the best solo walking route. ## Visas and entry Citizens of the EU, the US, the UK, Canada and Ukraine, among many others, need no visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. You need a passport valid for the trip, and border officers may ask about a return ticket and accommodation. Entry rules get updated periodically, so verify the current requirements with an official source before booking; Ukrainian travelers can check the [Ministry of Foreign Affairs website](https://mfa.gov.ua/). With no direct flights from Ukraine at the moment, the standard logistics run through Europe on a low-cost carrier to Marrakesh, Agadir or Fes, or via Istanbul to Casablanca. ## When to go: the seasons at a glance SeasonWhat happensWho it suitsMarch-May+20-28, everything in bloom, comfortable everywhereThe best time for routes and the desertJune-AugustMarrakesh and Fes at +38-45, the ocean coast at +25-28Coast only: Essaouira, AgadirSeptember-NovemberThe heat eases, the sea stays warmThe second peak, good for everythingDecember-February+15-20 by day, cold nights, snow in the AtlasCities without crowds, the desert with a warm sleeping bagThe bottom line: Morocco demands a bit more alertness than beach Europe and repays it many times over. Small cash notes, the taxi fare agreed before you sit down, a third of the first price at the souk, and polite firmness with street helpers. Those four habits are enough for the country to show you its best side.