Africa - Morocco: Casablanca, Marrakesh etc.

Can someone please recommend a decent hotel in Casablanca with free Wi-Fi?

We (2 adults) will be in Morocco for 6 nights and the plan is to spend the first and last nights in Casablanca, with the remaining 4 in Marrakesh. Or do you think we should visit some other city (Fez?) as well? Is a day-trip by train from Marrakesh to some other place worthwhile?

In Marrakesh, I was thinking of booking an all-inclusive resort (mainly due to the value implied). Any caveats or recommendations about specific resorts?

We were also thinking of taking the train between Casablanca & Marrakesh; would it be a substantially better option to rent a car instead?

Thanks for your suggestions and a very happy New Year!

Re. wifi: I found that riads are more likely than larger hotels to offer free wifi. But you might want to consider investing in a USB modem (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/1194068-experience-morocco-3g-internet-service.html). The price was relatively reasonable. One of the problems I encountered in hotels that offered free wifi: The walls are so thick that connectivity can be iffy. I still had challenges, at times, with the USB modem, but at least I could sit near a window & ensure a decent connection.

On my last trip we also stayed in Casa our first and last nights. We did Ibis Hotels each time...the first time staying at the one downtown near the water and the second time staying at the one near'ish the airport. It was functional, but nothing spectacular. Curiously, in both the AC in our room didn't work. I'm wondering if they just put dummy thermostats on the wall.

If you're *just* going Marrakech, take the train. Driving into/out of the cities can test one's nerves. Cabs are plentiful. (Oh, and there's actually a third Ibis near the central Casa train station.)

I love Fes, but if you just have 4 days to play with, Marrakech & Fes are probably too much. Maybe instead do a day trip or overnight to the desert? What time of year will you be there?

Re. Marrakech: Rather than a resort, I'd highly recommend staying at a riad for a true Moroccan experience. Most will provide one or two meals a day.

Thanks, chgoeditor!

We will be there in late February. Any recommendations for a day trip from Marrakesh?

Which of the three IBIS hotels in Casa would you recommend?

I take your point about riads in Marrakesh; perhaps we can do 2 nights in a riad in the Medina and another two nights at a resort. Do you have any recommendations for a riad in Marrakesh?

I already have unlocked USB modems - both GSM & CDMA; how much would a local SIM and a week's moderately heavy usage cost? I have no need/desire for voice access, but do need beaucoup data!

PS. I have seen two spellings - Marrakesh & Marrakech; since you are an editor (hopefully of the print kind), I thought I would ask whether you know the difference between the two :)

Thanks, chgoeditor!

We will be there in late February. Any recommendations for a day trip from Marrakesh?

Which of the three IBIS hotels in Casa would you recommend?

I take your point about riads in Marrakesh; perhaps we can do 2 nights in a riad in the Medina and another two nights at a resort. Do you have any recommendations for a riad in Marrakesh?

I already have unlocked USB modems - both GSM & CDMA; how much would a local SIM and a week's moderately heavy usage cost? I have no need/desire for voice access, but do need beaucoup data!

PS. I have seen two spellings - Marrakesh & Marrakech; since you are an editor (hopefully of the print kind), I thought I would ask whether you know the difference between the two :)

We stayed at the Ibis Moussafir Casablanca City Center on our first night so we could do a little walking around after umpteen hours of travel. On our last night, we stayed at the Ibis Sidi Maarouf, which is one of the closest hotels I found to the airport that isn't at the airport. (If you read the airport hotel reviews on TripAdvisor, etc., you'll be very scared.) We were on 6 am flight, so a hotel that was close(r) to the airport was preferable. If you decide to take the train to Marrakech, check to see which train station it departs from. We mistakenly though we'd be taking the train to Fes from the train station near the Ibis City Center, but were actually a 15 minute cab ride from the "right" train station (Casa Voyageurs, I think). There's another Ibis near that station.

No idea re. wifi costs without buying the modem, but I paid DH250 for the USB modem & a month's unlimited access. That's about $25. Do understand: It's still going to be slower internet access than you're probably accustomed to in the US, though if you're a regular USB modem user maybe it's typical speeds. (I was in Ireland using an O2 USB modem this summer and found speeds to be comparable to Morocco, or maybe a touch faster.)

Re. Marrakech riads: In 2004, I stayed at Riad les Bougainvilliers in Marrakech. Hands down, this is the most beautiful of the riads I've stayed at--every decor element, down to the door hinges--was a work of art. The food & hospitality was also head & shoulders above the other places I've recommended. (My recollection is that it was a Moroccan raised Frenchwoman & her Egyptian husband, and one of them had formal hotel management education & experience.) I haven't a clue how much it cost. It's in the median and--today a pro and con--about a five minutes' walk from the Djemma el Fna.

Stimpy often posts to Morocco threads & seems to have spent a lot of time in Marrakech so he may have a more recent recommendation.

Re. spelling of Marrakech (and Fes/Fez, too): Remember that many of the places in Morocco were originally Arabic or Berber words, which each have their own alphabets. The names were then transcribed phonetically into the Latin alphabet, and depending on whether it's a French or Spanish or English speaker, the phonetic transcription might be different. It's the same reason you see Osama/Usama Bin Laden, Gaddafi/Qaddafi, etc.

Marrakech day trips: I've done desert camping in the Sahara, which is an unforgettable experience, but probably too chilly for February. You can do Atlas Mountain and Sahara day trips, too. While it's probably a bit rushed, it's an unforgettable experience.

Does anyone know from which train station in Casablanca the train to Marrakech leaves? I believe there are several train stations, and I was wondering if the Casa Voyageur station is the correct one?

Also, our return flight leaves Casablanca at 2pm - we would prefer to take the train on this day from Marrakech back to Casablanca to avoid an overnight, but will that leave us enough time to get to the airport? How reliable are the trains?

thanks much!

Does anyone know from which train station in Casablanca the train to Marrakech leaves? I believe there are several train stations, and I was wondering if the Casa Voyageur station is the correct one?

Also, our return flight leaves Casablanca at 2pm - we would prefer to take the train on this day from Marrakech back to Casablanca to avoid an overnight, but will that leave us enough time to get to the airport? How reliable are the trains?

thanks much!

According to the Moroccan railway site (http://www.oncf.ma), the Marrakech-Casa train does arrive at the Casa Voyageur station.

What time does the train you're planning to take arrive in Casa? In my experience, the trains generally arrive on time. My recollection is that you'll probably want to allow 30 minutes to get from the train station to the airport. Simply getting checked in, however, can sometimes be a bit of a mess. (I've missed a flight out of Casa because of long lines, so I allow plenty of time.) If you're on a train that arrives at 9 or 10 am, you should be OK, but as with any connection--car, train or plane--there's always a bit of unpredictability.

Both the Marrakech and airport trains leave from Gare Casa Voyageurs in Casablanca. Pay a bit extra for first class to Marrakech, well worth it.

If you decide to come back to Casa before leaving, there is an adequate Ibis hotel at Gare Casa Voyageurs that I stayed at before leaving. Reasonable prices, but not many restaurants, etc. within easy walking distance - cabs are reasonable prices, though. You might take the last train the night before and save any worry, just walk out the door at Gare Casa Voyageurs and across the parking lot about 30 meters to the hotel. Reasonable breakfast at the hotel included. Next day, can just hop the train direct to CMN from the same station, about 30 min trip. Once at the airport, just go up the escalators to the terminal.

These are the trains for the Marrakech to CMN airport trip - you change trains at Gare Casa Voyageurs, with the arrival time at CMN noted. I think you might be pushing it slightly to take the 7am train if there are any delays for a 2pm departure. Each time I rode the train, it was on time, though.

Relation MARRAKECH-AEROPORT Med V
Départ Arrivée Correspondance Service à bord Gamme
05h00mn 09h40mn CASA VOYAGEURS
07h00mn 11h40mn CASA VOYAGEURS
09h00mn 13h40mn CASA VOYAGEURS
11h00mn 15h40mn CASA VOYAGEURS
13h00mn 17h40mn CASA VOYAGEURS
15h00mn 19h40mn CASA VOYAGEURS
17h00mn 21h40mn CASA VOYAGEURS


http://www.oncf.ma

http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-2032-ibis-moussafir-gare-casa-voyageurs/index.shtml

Both the Marrakech and airport trains leave from Gare Casa Voyageurs in Casablanca. Pay a bit extra for first class to Marrakech, well worth it.

If you decide to come back to Casa before leaving, there is an adequate Ibis hotel at Gare Casa Voyageurs that I stayed at before leaving. Reasonable prices, but not many restaurants, etc. within easy walking distance - cabs are reasonable prices, though. ...

Doc, do you remember whether the Ibis Voyageur offer free Wi-Fi? Also, in case one has to take a taxi to the Gare Voyageur station, what is a fair fare? (Sorry, could not resist that one!)

And is it generally OK to book train tickets (between Casa & Marrakech or v.v.) one day before the trip or is it necessary to book several days in advance?

Thanks

Doc, do you remember whether the Ibis Voyageur offer free Wi-Fi? Also, in case one has to take a taxi to the Gare Voyageur station, what is a fair fare? (Sorry, could not resist that one!)

And is it generally OK to book train tickets (between Casa & Marrakech or v.v.) one day before the trip or is it necessary to book several days in advance?

Thanks

I didn't stay at that Ibis, but stayed at two others. No free wifi. I highly recommend buying one of the USB modems that include a month's 3G internet service...if you're stuck paying for internet more than a few days, it will be more cost efficient in the long run.

We didn't do Casa-Marrakech, but bought train tickets for other routes 1-3 days in advance. How many are in your party? Assuming it's just 2-3 of you, I don't think you'll have a problem getting seats together if you buy just a day in advance.

Doc, do you remember whether the Ibis Voyageur offer free Wi-Fi? Also, in case one has to take a taxi to the Gare Voyageur station, what is a fair fare? (Sorry, could not resist that one!)

And is it generally OK to book train tickets (between Casa & Marrakech or v.v.) one day before the trip or is it necessary to book several days in advance?

Thanks

Yes, Ibis Casa Voyageur had free wifi but really usable only in the lounge for some reason - don't remember why.

The taxi fare, according to the guys waiting at the station was a cheap "10 euros, special just for you!" *


I had no trouble booking train tickets the day of travel, but if I were taking the last train of the day from Marrakech to Casa, I would try to get them earlier just in case. No worries about the airport train.

Have fun! I'd love to be there too. Marrakech is pretty amazing.





*(I assume you are making the joke about the fare for a 30 meter trip from the station to the hotel, not the "fair fare" joke...)

If you do decide to spend the last night in Casa, something that sounds very "touristy" but turned out to be great for us was having dinner at "Rick's American Cafe." (http://www.rickscafe.ma/) Superb steaks, etc., for about $25 per person (before wine). They treated us incredibly well. We had made a reservation for about 12 people, and they gave us a nice private room. When we told them we kind of wanted to experience the ambiance of the main restaurant, they quickly got us a table in the middle of everything, overlooking the central area. Perfect service, delicious food, and it was just a lot of fun to end a trip.

(If you still need a riad in Marrakech, I can also recommend Riad Mur Akush. (http://www.riadmurakush.com/) It feels like home the minute you walk in the door.)

Thanks for the pointer to the Riad Mur Akush - appears to be a delightful place; have written to them for a room. In Casa, I was somewhat unsure about the Ibis and decided to book the Manzil Hotel instead, apparently also within walking distance from the Gare Voyageur.

A trip report will follow!

The Sheraton gave me free wifi for being SPG gold but I had to ask for it the second time i stayed there and it was begrudgingly granted.

I loved Rabat. Got some good photos in our two days in Morocco (http://gallery.me.com/deirdre#100304&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=0) (Day 1: Casablanca/Rabat, Day 2: Agadir/Taroudant)

The taxi fare, according to the guys waiting at the station was a cheap "10 euros, special just for you!" *



I must have met the same guy last week. We were two people with one suitcase each and he said 10€ per person to get us to the Le Meridien. I didn't even started negotiating with him and went to one of the Petit Taxis which charged us 50 Morrocan Dirham (about 5€) total.