Hiring a car depends on your itinerary, I'd say. If you're likely only to visit the big cities and maybe somewhere like Essaouira, I wouldn't bother: the public transport is good enough to do without. The trains are excellent, and very cheap, the in-town taxis are OK if you have your negotiating hat on, and the inter-urban grands taxis are a very good system - you can also hire the whole taxi if you don't fancy squashing up to others, as I did, for a very reasonable rate, to get back from Volubilis.

However, if you want to get out into the Atlas mountains, or the Sahara, a car is a must. I had a wonderful time going from Fès to Marrakech via Midelt, Merzouga and Ouarzazate. We were persuaded to drive across the desert to Merzouga by a hitcher we'd picked up, which was... Perhaps foolhardy. The hire car got into quite a state. However, a mechanic fixed up the bumper for less than £3, and a £2 valet wash had it looking good as new. Perhaps hiring a slightly battered car from a local hire company is a good thing, as they tend to be slightly less picky when you return it.

The driving was... Well, intensive. The quiet back roads were, of course, nice and easy. But Fès and Marrakech were like being permanently on the Étoile in Paris. But that was nothing compared to the main road through Ouarzazate. No crash barriers, sheer drops, narrow roads, trucks coming at you round blind corners, and quartz salesmen jumping out in front of you while you attempt to drive past them. Quite an experience...

So, I'd say, use the trains, the grands taxis and the buses. They make for a far more relaxing holiday.