Airport
Menara International Airport
IATA Code: RAKLocation: The airport is situated four miles (6km) south-west of Marrakech.
Time: GMT
Contacts: Tel: +212 (0)5 244 7910.
Transfer between terminals: The terminals are within walking distance of each other.
Transfer to the city: Bus: There is a shuttle bus (No. 19) running from the airport every hour between 6am and 12:25am, and to the airport between 6am and 11:40pm. It goes via Hivernage, Jemaa El Fna, Bab Doukkala, Gueliz, ONCF Station. A one-way trip is MAD 20. Taxi: 'Petit' taxis are available at Parking Lot 1, and the fare should be about MAD 80, with a 50 percent increase at night. Larger taxis are available at increased rates.
Taxis: Taxis that will take passengers to the city centre are available just outside the terminal. A sign shows the advised payment which is usually down from US$17 and generally more expensive at night. Fares should determined before transport and the ride should be between 15 and 20 minutes.
Car rental: There are a few car rental companies with offices in Marrakech-Menara, including Sixt, National, Hertz, Avis, Europcar, ADA and a few other local companies. Driving in Marrakech is a bit of a thrill sport however, with aggressive drivers and little parking.
Facilities: Money and communications: There are ATMs, banks and currency exchange facilities available. Luggage: Lost luggage queries are handled by individual airlines. Conference and business: There isn't much in the way of conference and business facilities in the airport, but nearby hotels have good options. Other facilities: There are handicapped facilities, as well as shops and restaurants in the airport. Wi-fi: There is no wi-fi available at the airport, although several hotels nearby do have free wi-fi. Information: There is an information desk in the airport, however it is often left unattended. Shopping: There is duty-free shopping at the airport with the usual selection of alcohol, tobacco and perfume. There are also a few craft and souvenir stores, and a Lacoste shop in Terminal 1. Food and Drink: The airport has a few cafés, and a Moroccan pastry shop in Terminal 2.
Parking: Parking is charged at MAD 5 for up to four hours, MAD 10 for up to 12 hours, and MAD 20 per day.
Departure tax: None
Website: www.onda.ma
Visit worldtravels.com for the full guide to Marrakech. Build a complete Marrakech travel guide and email to your clients - sign up for a trial subscription of World Travels Pro.
Marrakech
Traversing the alleyways and souks of Marrakech, particularly in the Medina (Old City), it is easy to believe you have been transported back in time or stumbled onto a movie set for a medieval 'Arabian nights' production. It is this enchanting, fairy-tale quality that brings thousands of sightseers to the most-visited of Morocco's three Imperial Cities, Marrakech. The heart of the Medina is Djemaa el-Fna, an irregular 'square' where everything seems to happen and the place to which tourists are drawn time and again to soak up the carnival-like environment. Tourism, though, has not spoilt the atmosphere: if anything, it has only added to it. The modern side of Marrakech (called Gueliz or Ville Nouvelle), with its luxury hotels, banks and streets bursting with motor scooters, blends well with the past in a metropolis made up of people from the Berber Atlas tribes, Mahgrebis from the plains, and Saharan nomads.
Marrakech was founded in 1062 by Youssef bin Tachfine of the Almoravid dynasty, and his son perfected the city by bringing in architects and craftsmen from Cordoba to build palaces, baths, mosques and a subterranean water system. The city walls were raised from the red mud of the plains, with the snow-covered peaks of the High Atlas Mountains forming a backdrop for the city, though they are often hidden by the heat haze.
One of the many ways to soak up the sights and sounds of Marrakech is in one of the hundreds of horse-drawn carriages (known as caleches) that are for hire, but it is also necessary to take in the Medina's souks on foot, plunging into the hurly-burly maelstrom of passages where tradesmen ply various crafts, from cloth dyeing, copper beating, and leather working to herbalists, perfumers and slipper makers; and where shopkeepers cajole passing tourists into taking a look at their glorious array of colourful crafts.
