Renting a car in Casablanca is the best way to explore the region, its towns and villages, as well as the blue-shaded Atlantic coast! It’s the perfect opportunity to see the most beautiful roads and admire the spectacular, multi-colored landscapes of Morocco.
Based on our years of experience renting cars around the world, including in this country, here’s our practical guide to stress-free car rental in Casablanca.
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
1 – Where to rent a car in Casablanca: best agencies
Our preferred platform
Our first reflex is to check out the offers on our favorite platform DiscoverCars.
This platform allows us to easily compare offers from different rental companies: prices and conditions. And every time, we find good deals. It’s one of the best rated by users on Trustpilot!
Where to take your car?
If you’re arriving by plane and heading straight off on your road trip, pick up your car at the airport. It’s easier to take control of a vehicle on wide main roads than in the back alleys of a big city.
If you want to enjoy Casablanca and its historic districts first, don’t take a car before exploring the region. To get around the white city itself, we recommend official cabs, VTC, streetcars or walking whenever possible, rather than taking a car.
The places where you will have the most choice of cars are:
- Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN) – see offers
- Casa-Port train station (Derb Omar district – near the medina) – see offers
- Casa-Voyageurs station (Belvédère district – north-east) – see offers
A LITTLE MORE PATIENCE
All the photos, maps, information and addresses you need to make your stay at Maroc a success will soon be available in a single ebook!
Coming soon!
When to rent a car
Maroc is a very popular destination, especially in winter and spring. We therefore advise you to book as early as possible, as soon as you have your travel dates, to have a choice of cars and better prices!
You won’t find any last-minute offers during the high season. This ensures that you have a choice of models (there are fewer automatic cars for hire in Morocco than manuals).
Which rental company to choose?
Our advice is to choose rental companies with a rating above 7.8 (our price/service quality limit).
There’s no one agency that really stands out in the region.
So far, we’ve had nothing but positive experiences with no problems. When you read the comments, remember that the millions of people who haven’t had any problems don’t take the time to leave comments…
2 – Which rental car for Casablanca?
What size car?
Depending on your itinerary, our top 4 tips for choosing your car are:
- Rather a compact city car that is easy to manoeuvre and not too wide to navigate with ease on both small streets and major roads.
- If you’re exploring the region, take a mid-size car or compact sedan for a leisurely drive along coastal roads and freeways.
- In the mountains, however, do not take the smallest cars as they will lack power.
- Automatic if possible for driving comfort, but in Morocco, you’ll find more manual cars.
Which engine?
Casablanca is in a relatively flat region, but you may want to explore the Atlas Mountains or the coastal roads. All engine sizes are suitable for the city itself and the surrounding coastal roads.
For driving comfort on longer excursions, we advise you to avoid smaller engines.
Automatic or manual?
In Maroc, manual transmission cars are more widespread.
Rental agencies offer automatic cars, but they are often more expensive. And there are fewer of them. Then book early.
On Discovercars.com, you can use the “Automatic transmission” filter on the left, if this is a must-have for you.
WHERE TO STAY IN Casablanca
Our favorites: neighborhoods and hotels
Corniche / Aïn Diab –
Four Seasons Hotel – see prices, photos and availability
Gauthier / Sidi Belyout –
Hôtel Le DOGE Relais & Châteaux – see prices, photos and availability
3 – Permits, rules and credit cards
Minimum age
The official driving age in Maroc is 18.
However, most car rental companies in Casablanca require :
- be over 21 years of age
- have held a driving licence for one year or more
- additional charges apply if you are under 25 (or restricted to certain vehicle categories)
Do I need an international permit?
To drive in Maroc (for a short stay), depending on your situation, you will need an international driving license in addition to your national license:
- National license sufficient: if your license is written in the Latin alphabet (French, English, Spanish…), it is recognized in Morocco for short stays. You can therefore drive or rent a car with your national license.
- International license required: if your license is in a non-Latin alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, etc.), you must present an international license in addition to your national license.
- Where can you get it? You must apply for an international driving license in your country of residence before you leave. It is not issued in Morocco.
Note that even if you have a Latin alphabet license, traveling with both documents (national license + international license) can avoid any misunderstandings with the police or certain local rental agencies.
Do I need a credit card?
The answer is “maybe”.
If you rent a car without taking the 0 deductible from the rental company, they will systematically take a deposit with your credit card. Some rental companies refuse to do this with a debit card.
If you take out insurance that sets the deductible at zero, you don’t need a credit card.
4 – Taking out insurance
Compulsory insurance
Third-party insurance is compulsory in Maroc. It is normally automatically included in the price of all car rentals. Please note:
- It covers only damage caused to third parties (not your own damage or theft).
- Note that some rental agencies advertise very low prices, but then add mandatory fees for insurance that should already be included. Read the contract carefully before signing to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Supplements
For others, it depends on your risk appetite and budget. Driving in Casablanca can be peculiar for the unaccustomed. The heavy traffic and the somewhat sporty local driving style mean that many travelers prefer to pay more to be covered without stress.
3 main options:
Option 1
Your personal car or home insurance covers car rentals (but read the fine print, it’s rare).
Option 2
Take out the rental platform’s insurance.
Advantage: better price than the rental company’s
Disadvantage: you’ll have to leave the deposit when you pick up the car, and pay in advance in the event of damage. Since we’ve been using Discovercars, we’ve always taken their insurance. We called on them following two incidents of damage. And in all cases, refunds were made within 7 days.
Option 3
Take the car rental company’s complementary service. It’s more expensive, but you won’t have to pay anything up front and you won’t have to do any paperwork in the event of damage.
5 – Access to rental cars
At Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport, car rentals are generally easy to find. Agencies are well signposted and accessible.
Counters are located directly in the terminal, and cars are parked in dedicated parking lots nearby.
6 – Check your vehicle on pick-up
Checking the car
If you’ve taken the rental company’s complementary service to set the excess to zero, there’s no need to check the condition of the car, but make sure you have all the essential equipment.
Otherwise, we recommend (just for peace of mind) that you walk around the car, take photos of any damage and inform the agency if it is not noted in the car pick-up document.
Pay attention:
- fuel level and mileage, that they correspond to the file
- the entire exterior of the car to detect dents and scratches
- on the roof – It’s often forgotten, but it may be checked on your return.
- below the bumpers
- rearview mirrors
- inside
- tire condition
- the condition of the wing (mud wing above the wheels)
- spare wheel (if applicable, as fewer and fewer cars have a spare wheel)
Mandatory in-car equipment
In Maroc, the following equipment must be available:
- Warning triangle (mandatory)
- Reflective vest (not explicitly required by Moroccan law, but strongly recommended)
- Spare wheel and tools (essential in practice even if the law does not clearly state it, always required at checkpoints, as driving without a spare wheel is considered an offence)
- First-aid kit (optional but useful on long journeys)
- Fire extinguisher (optional, but useful on long journeys)
Find out more about toll management
Morocco has tolls on its freeways.
You can pay in Moroccan dirhams (cash) or by credit card. You don’t need a special pass.
You are usually required to take a ticket when you enter the freeway, then pay the toll at another booth when you leave.
Find out about border crossings
You may want to take a trip to Spain or Portugal on your road trip to Maroc. In that case, be careful, it’s not always allowed. Be sure to check with your travel/rental agency, as well as insurance conditions.
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7 – Getting ready to drive in Casablanca
Driving in Casablanca can be a challenge for the unaccustomed, but you need to be aware of the dense traffic, traffic jams and local driving style.
See our full article on driving in Maroc (coming soon).
General rules
- Drive on the right side of the road
- Respect speed limits (there are many fixed and mobile speed cameras):
- In town: 50km/h
- National roads: 90km/h
- Freeways: 120km/h
- BAC limit: 0.02% (i.e. near-zero tolerance – consider alcohol prohibited at the wheel)
- Seatbelts must be worn front and rear
- No phone use while driving
- Take care at intersections and traffic circles (right of way exists but is not always respected)
Main hazards
The main hazards on Casablanca’s roads are:
- Extremely heavy traffic (frequent jams at rush hour)
- The sometimes unpredictable local driving style (tight overtaking, honking, little respect for safe distances)
- The many two-wheelers and bicycles that weave in and out of cars
- Pedestrians crossing outside the crossings
- Lane changes without indicators
- Red-light sellers who sometimes walk between cars
- Caution on traffic circles and at night (sometimes poor lighting)
What to do in the event of an accident
If people are injured or there is a conflict, the emergency numbers in Casablanca, Morocco, are 15 (fire department), 141 (medical emergencies), +212 (0)522 98 98 65 (central police station), 19 (police in town) or 117 (royal gendarmerie outside town). The best order of action is as follows:
- secure the area if possible (reflective vest, warning triangle)
- contact the emergency services
- contact the police – an official report is important for insurance purposes
- contact your rental company (platform or agency), who will tell you how to proceed
A LITTLE MORE PATIENCE
All the photos, maps, information and addresses you need to make your stay at Maroc a success will soon be available in a single ebook!
Coming soon!
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to rent a car in Casablanca?
We recommend it if you want to explore the region beyond the city. To discover Casablanca itself, public transport (streetcars in particular) and official cabs are often more convenient. But if you want to visit Rabat, the beaches along the coast or take an excursion to the Atlas Mountains, for example, a car gives you total freedom.
Is it worth having a 4×4?
For Casablanca and the surrounding area, a standard vehicle is sufficient. Roads are generally well maintained. A 4×4 is only useful if you’re planning excursions into the Atlas Mountains, off-road or into more remote parts of the country.
What to do if you are fined
You are responsible for any fines incurred during the rental period.
But it can take up to 3 months for a fine to be reported to the rental company. In this case, they’ll send you a proof, charge you for it and probably add an administration fee.
What to do if there’s a problem with the car?
Don’t lose your rental contract.
On it, you’ll find the steps to take if you have a problem with your car.
Most use a breakdown assistance service and the number will be indicated on the contract.
You can then contact the rental company to see how to replace the car.
What is the budget required?
Prices range from 150 dhs (MAD) to 2,500 dhs (MAD) per day, depending on the season, type of vehicle and insurance chosen. Please note that the upper price range may be exceeded for much higher-end vehicles.
The following periods have higher rates (sometimes doubling):
- summer (July/August): school vacations and the return of Moroccans living abroad, with strong demand for car rentals
- winter: end-of-year festivities (December/early January)
- in spring (April/May) due to high international tourism during bridging days and public holidays
- during Ramadan and Eid Al-Adha (dates vary according to lunar calendar), as families travel together
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Morocco
- Best of
Must-See Places in Morocco
Most Beautiful Riads
Most Beautiful Cities
Most Beautiful Medinas
Morocco’s Most Beautiful Landscapes
Most Beautiful Gardens
Best Museums
Morocco’s Most Beautiful Beaches
- Practical advice
When to go?
How to rent a car in Morocco
Driving tips
Where to Stay in Morocco
- The must-dos
Marrakech
Casablanca
Fez
Meknes
Chefchaouen
Essaouira
Rabat
Tangier
Tetouan
Agadir
The Sahara Desert
