Driving east from Marrakesh to Zagora to Guelmin

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simonwalsh91
simonwalsh91

I am planning on hiring a car in Marrakesh, and driving east to Zagora via Ouarzazate, then from Zagora to Guelmin via Tissint, Tata & Icht, and back upto Marrakesh along the coast. I expect it to take me about 9 days.

Does anyone know what the road is like from Zagora to Guelmin - I am going there early feb and will just have a normal car (not a 4x4)?

Also, how often can I expect to be stopped by the police, and how much Bakshish should I factor in to my budget for the trip?

And one final question, am I best off hiring a car online (from one of the international rental companies) before I head to Morocco, or would it be a better idea to negotiate a rental in person (and not book anything in advance)?

Thanks for any/all advice!

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mvbergen
mvbergen

Bakchich is not a good idea at all, not a good one...

Michel

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khamlia
khamlia

The road you will take is OK, no problems at all. Not much more police controls than normal, be aware of speed controls mostly. It is nice driving there, I did it a couple of times. And it is OK, you not need to have 4x4, road is paved so it will be fine with normal car.
But, never ever pay some bakshish somewhere, not only to the police, but at all!
About to rent a car, you can look at www.rentalcars.com, I rent car mostly via this website and it works very good.

Edited by khamlia
We travel because we need to. Because the distance and difference are the secret tonics to the creativity. When we get home, home is still the same, but something in our minds has changed, and that changes everything.
Jonah Leher
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moroccotraveler
moroccotraveler

..... good advice from khamlia above, lucky you'er not heading for Zagora this week, its freezing as you can see from this article form The View from Fez.....
http://riadzany.blogspot.ie/2017/01/moroccan-photo-of-day-zagora.html

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simonwalsh91
simonwalsh91
In response to #2

Thank you.

Re Bakshish, what do I do if the police pull me over demanding money?

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moroccotraveler
moroccotraveler

...... police corruption on the roads is much less of a problem these days following an anti-corruption drive by recent governments and some high profile arrests and convictions of officials including Police and Gendarme. Since the advent of phone cameras such activities are increasingly risky for corrupt officials, the tide has turned and hopefully you shouldn't have problems around bribes. That said, if you break the laws, i.e. speeding you stand a good chance of being fined, in that event make sure you get a ticket/receipt, otherwise you are back to bribery...... and bribery is a crime and the officer could turn this on to you.!

See this clip, a few years old now, it was quite scandalous at the time.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XpMmyUVdLo

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timcullis
timcullis

Radar is everywhere and the posted speed limits are very reasonable. The only time the police will pull you over is if you are speeding, failing to stop at a stop sign, or some other traffic infringement, in which case be polite. If you are faced with a fine you will receive a sheet of paper documenting your transgressions and the amount of the fine which is payable in cash.

Zagora to Guelmin is the N12 'desert highway'. The section from Zagora to Foum Zguid used to be very poor quality piste (track) but was asphalted a few years back. The rest is sealed all the way. Speed limit is 100 kph for most of the distance.

"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)
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