Marrakesh Getting Around

Getting Around

Marrakesh is Bicycle capital of Morocco. You can rent them on the Jma-l-Fna, the big square. Don't expect the cars to really notice bikers. The Medina and the souqs are best explored on foot. You now and then see a car or a motorbike trying to pass through the crowded streets, but this doesn't make sense. If you want to go to the ville nouvelle, taxi's are easily found. There is a taxi stand near the Jma-l-Fna. When a train arrives it is sometimes hard to find a taxi. Another good option is to take a horse cart (caleche). There is a stop near the Koutoubia tower, not far from the Jma-l-Fna. Bargain hard. Once in the medina, everything can be seen on foot, though you'll be doing a lot of walking. For exploring more of the city, buses and petit taxis are plentiful. Almost all buses stop at Jema El Fna and Place Youssef Ben Tachfine and fares range from Dh 2 to Dh 5 depending on the distance. Important municipal bus lines are: No 1 - Towards Gueliz No 8 - Stops at the central train station No 10 - Stops at the long distance bus station No 11 - Will drop you off at the gardens of Menara An alternative and romantic way to travel is by caleche - pronounced kalesh - a small horse-drawn carriage. They can be hired at Square de Foucauld (the small park at the bottom of Djemma El Fna). It's wise to agree a price before setting off. There is an open-topped City Sightseeing bus that will take you around the outskirts of the city, with commentary provided via headphones (supplied with your ticket) in any of 8 different languages. The best place to catch it is from the coach stops by Square de Foucauld. Tickets cost 130 Dh each and are valid for 24 hours from the time of issue, no matter how many times you get on or off. However, check the timetable carefully, as the buses can stop running earlier than you might think.