Currency = Moroccan Dirham (Dh) = 100 centimes.
Notes are in denominations of Dh200, 100, 50, 20 and 10.
Coins are in denominations of Dh10, 5 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes.
100 Dirhams MAD = £ 6.00 - $ 11.70
Currency Restrictions
The import and export of local currency is prohibited, thus all local currency must be reconverted prior to departure. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited but must be declared if in excess of the equivalent of Dh15,000. ( $ 1760 - £ 925.00 )
Upon production of bank vouchers, half the Moroccan currency purchased during a visitor’s stay may be re-exchanged for foreign currency (subject to some limitations) and all of it if the stay is less than 48 hours.
Currency Exchange
Moroccan Dirhams can only be obtained in Morocco. National currencies should be exchanged at official bureaux de change only, identified by a golden sign. Changing money in the street is illegal. There is no commission charge.
Visitors are issued with a receipt which they must keep in order to exchange Moroccan currency back into the original national currency upon departure.
Money can be withdrawn in banks with a credit card and a cheque book or directly from an ATM in larger towns. There is a wide range of banks available for changing money and cashing travellers cheques and credit cards.
Credit & Debit Cards
Some credit cards are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services available.
Travellers Cheques
It’s advisable to take travellers cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars to avoid additional exchange rate charges.
Guide to Costs and Budgets
Budget for $ 60-120 per day if you want to travel in comfort.
Travellers prepared to camp or stay in hostels could survive on about US$35-40 a day.
Getting around is relatively cheap and there are plenty of options.
Eating Out and Accommodation Low to Luxury Budget
Eating Out
Budget: DH25-45
Mid-range: DH45-100
High: DH100-250
Luxury: DH250-550
Basic Moroccan staples such as brochettes (small kebabs) or tajine (casserole) are available at cheap restaurants or cafés for around £2/$3.
More substantial Moroccan meals will cost you around £4/$6 and European-style meals in restaurants from around £7.50/$11, whilst comparable meals in a hotel can cost twice as much!
Alcohol is really the only thing that compares unfavourably with Western prices: a bottle of Moroccan wine costs upwards of £4/$6, a can of local beer about 70p/$1 in the shops, slightly more in a normal bar, or £2.50/$4 in hotel bars and discos.
Accommodation
Budget: DH30-130
Mid-range: DH130-600
High: DH600-1800
Luxury: DH1800+
Accommodation costs range from £4/$6 a night - or even less - for a double room in a basic hotel to £150/$200 a night in the Morocco’s top-range luxury palaces.
On a limited budget, you can expect to get a decent double room in a mid-range hotel for around £12-25/ $20-40 a night, while a more up-market hotel, with a swimming pool, will cost around £25-50/$40-80 for a double, depending on season and location.
Transport Costs
Apart from accommodation and food, your major outlay will be for transport, relatively expensive if you’re renting a car (£250/$360 a week plus petrol), but very reasonable if you use the local trains, buses and shared taxis.
For example, the 475km trip from Fes to Marrakesh costs around £7/$10 by ordinary bus, £8/$12 on the express CTM service, £10/$15 by train in second class, £12.50/$18 in first class.
Tipping
Tipping is expected in more upmarket restaurants. Around 10-15% of your bill is usual. A dirham or two should suffice at the more humble restaurants and cafes.
However, remember that for many porters and guides, (and bus stop spruikers a particularly annoying type of hustler endemic to Tangier) this is how they make a living.
