Morocco: how to stay safe with your van

I drove from the UK to Morocco in March 2023 with my best friend. We heard all sorts of horror stories about the place: how it wasn’t safe for girls to visit, especially my best friend, who is an absolutely stunning blonde - the warnings were all about harassment and crime.

Ignoring this was one of the best moves we took: once there, we felt pretty safe and were very sensible in order to avoid any unpleasant situations. I was pretty nervous about having the van there - it’s not a wealthy country and I was concerned about crime and possibly having it stolen. However, I shouldn’t have worried. There are always places to park, we left it in some pretty sketchy places and nothing bad happens. The economy relies on tourism. People who commit crimes against visitors are punished very harshly and the police find it surprisingly easy to track people down (in a society comprised mainly of small communities, everyone is always aware of what’s going on, and it’s hard to hide away). Also, most people we met were fantastic and welcoming.

The biggest things to be aware of are the driving conditions themselves. Driving here is not the same as it is in the EU. The first thing we came across upon arrival into Morocco was about ten stray dogs running all over and around a roundabout. Several of those dogs were doing the deed, but that’s beside the point. About five minutes after this we entered the highway and encountered a car driving towards us on the wrong side of the road, children on bicycles, and men using the motorway to walk with their herds of sheep, donkeys and goats. On most smaller roads (not the paid highways) there are works being carried out and they don’t have many traffic cones like we do in Europe - they build small piles of stones to mark the side of the road.

The second largest hazard is the other drivers themselves. There are different rules - overall, it’s one man out for himself and you must share the road with horses/donkeys and carts, cars massively varying in quality and age, and terrifyingly overloaded trucks carrying bales, wood and other things. These trucks drive down the highway at lightning speed and with a large amount of confidence. If a farmer doesn’t have a trailer he will simply tie his goat to the roof of his car under a net and transport the poor creature thus. Roundabouts are completely chaotic and everyone just arranges themselves among the traffic until they reach their desired exit. Horns are an integral part of this process and they keep the system moving. You must signal your intentions with the horn while using it to inform others of your presence. There’s a great range of nuanced sounds you can create using your horn in order to achieve this. Some roundabouts you drive left, and others you drive right. They all have their own rules. You must battle horses, carts, camels, trucks, motorbikes and stray pedestrians to get through these. On the highways, there are also very few rules, apart from the speed limit, which is adhered to at varying degrees. Many prefer to drive along the centre of the two lanes if there’s space, moving aside to let others overtake. This is very normal.

Parking is pretty straightforward. A lot of campers do get moved on by police if they are wild camping: often a ploy between corrupt police officers and campsites, to encourage people to spend money and then they share the profits. There are paid parking lots in bigger or more touristic places, normally 50dh (five euros) a day and these places are guarded 24/7. A lot of campers use these to stay in while visiting. Prices are non-negotiable here.

Fuel is pretty cheap here and there are plenty of fuel stations. Road conditions can be hairy but most people drive normal hatchbacks and get around just fine - you can get anywhere (apart from serious off-roading) with your two wheel drive van. Most souks are not driveable and you must park outside the old town areas. Getting work done is very affordable and they do a good job - I got my tire patched up and it was extremely cheap and they did a great job - lasted me about twenty other countries.

We never wild camped in Morocco as accommodation and campsites were all so affordable, but with wild camping the key is to make sure you feel safe and to always move on if something doesn’t feel right. The most annoying thing about this country as a foreigner is being hounded by people for money or cigarettes, especially children, and they can be very persistent and sometimes hostile. We never experienced much bother with this while we were there, although I’d advise to never give them anything, as it’s completely futile when it comes to helping their situation. Seeing tourists as “providers” somehow enhances the weird colonial way of thinking and it gives visitors a ‘saviour complex’ which I also find very distasteful - it’s not viewing these people as equals if you treat them this way.

Finally: insurance. We struggled to find it at the ports or at the borders - we drove without insurance for about a week before finally purchasing some in Tangier at an on-street branch we found. It was about 60 euros, cheaper than the deal people get straight off the boat, but slightly illegal. You’re ‘supposed’ to have an International Driving Permit here, but we were never asked for one. I didn’t even have paper copies of my van documents when we entered, but they were satisfied with a photo on my phone. They give you an import card for the vehicle upon entering and it’s imperative not to lose this as it is required for exit, and you’ll incur a heavy fee if it is lost. There are a lot of police checkpoints on the roads, checking speed, so you’ve got to be very careful to spot these well in advance and to adhere to the (sometimes painfully slow) speed limit. Don’t let drivers behind you pressure you into going faster.

Overall, driving in Morocco is not as scary as a lot of people would make it out to be. It comes with many hazards but if you’re not an idiot these are all easily overcome, and the country is beautiful and well worth visiting.