Casablanca City Guide - Getting Around

Casablanca has an extensive network of inexpensive bus routes but rush hour services are usually overcrowded and chaotic. Tickets are purchased on board and you will need small change. As bus signage is in Arabic only, things can get confusing. Get someone to write your destinations on a piece of paper for you in Arabic.

Casablanca has abundant metered little red petit taxis that prowl the main avenues and can be waved down or picked up at waiting places. They are inexpensive, though a 50% surcharge is made at night.

The white painted minibus-style vehicles known as grand taxis offer a shared service, carrying up to six passengers and following regular routes. They are also an inexpensive option for journeys outside the city - often with shorter travel times than the train or bus.

Traffic in Casablanca is often gridlocked and parking can be a nightmare. With more than 100 companies competing for business, car rental deals are much better than elsewhere. The major international operators like Avis (tel: (022) 312 424; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (022) 313 124; website: www.budget.com), Europcar (tel: (022) 313 737; website: www.europcar.com), Hertz (tel: (022) 484 710; website: www.hertz.com) and National (tel: (022) 472 540; website: www.nationalcar.com) have offices on or around avenue des FAR, as well as desks at the airport. Locally owned companies offer the best deals.