Why people end up wanting one
If you are staying inside the medina and mostly walking, you do not need a driver. If you are in a villa in the Palmeraie, at Amelkis or out on the Ourika road, you will use a car several times a day, and ordering one each time stops being convenient by the second afternoon.
The pattern most groups settle into is a driver for the days they are moving around and nothing on the days they stay at the house.
How it is usually arranged
By the day or the half day, with the driver waiting between stops. That waiting is the point. You are not paying for distance covered — you are paying so that when you come out of a garden at the far side of town there is a car there, rather than a negotiation.
A full day generally covers the city and a reasonable excursion. Longer routes — Essaouira, Ouarzazate over the Tizi n’Tichka — are agreed separately because they involve a very long day for the driver.
What a driver is, and is not
A driver drives. A guide explains. They are different jobs and often different people, though some drivers know the city well and will happily tell you where to eat.
If you want the history of the Bahia Palace or someone to walk you through the souks, ask for a guide as well. Monuments in Morocco also have their own rules about official guides, so it is worth settling before you are standing at the entrance.
Questions worth asking before you agree
- Does the price include fuel, parking and the driver’s meals? Sometimes yes, sometimes not, and it is the most common source of an awkward conversation at the end of a day.
- What size vehicle, for how many people and how much luggage? Six adults with bags is a minivan, not a saloon.
- What are the hours? A “day” can mean eight hours or twelve, and a late dinner return should be agreed rather than assumed.
- Does the driver speak a language you share? French is common, English less so, Italian and Spanish less again.
For a group
Once you are past four people, a single car stops working. Minivans take six to eight comfortably with luggage; beyond that you are into two vehicles, and two vehicles need a plan for who travels with whom and what happens if one gets stuck in traffic.
EliteRak arranges drivers by the day, the half day or for a specific route, with the vehicle matched to the group and the luggage rather than the other way round.
Common questions
Is a driver taken by the hour or by the day?
By the day or the half day, normally. Hourly hire exists but works out awkwardly, because the value is in the driver waiting for you rather than in the distance covered.
Is the driver also a guide?
Not usually. Driving and guiding are separate jobs in Morocco, and monuments have their own rules about official guides. If you want both, ask for both.
What is included beyond the driving?
Ask specifically about fuel, parking and the driver's meals on a long day. Different operators handle these differently and it is better settled in advance than at the end.
How many people fit in one vehicle?
A saloon takes three passengers with modest luggage. Six to eight with cases means a minivan. Beyond that it is two vehicles, which needs planning rather than improvising.
Book this transfer
Send us the flight, the group and where you are going. We confirm the vehicle, the price and the meeting point in writing before you travel.
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