Is There Uber in Marrakech & Morocco? 3 Alternatives
There is no Uber in Morocco – Instead of Uber, Morocco has the ride-hailing app Careem, but it only operates in Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangier. You cannot use Careem in Marrakech, but you can use the Roby app, which calls metered taxis to your location.
✔️ Essential Info
- ➡️ There is no Uber in Morocco
- 👉 Uber Alternative: Careem works just like Uber in Morocco.
- 📍Where it Works: Careem works in big cities like Rabat, Casablanca, & Tangier.
- 🚨 Marrakech Only: You cannot use Careem in Marrakech, instead use the app “Roby”
- 📱 Difference Between Careem & Roby: Careem works as Uber does and states payment through the app, and Roby calls traditional metered cabs to your location and estimates what the fare will be.
- 💰 Cost: Careem will usually be cheaper than taxis, but Roby works by hailing metered taxis to your location so it will cost the same.
- ✈️ From the Airport: It’s not recommended to rely on taxi apps when traveling from the airports in Morocco.
- 🚩 Scams: Taxi drivers sometimes lie and tell tourists apps are illegal, but they are not.
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✈️ Morocco Airport Transfer Service
You cannot take Uber directly from the airport terminals in Morocco, especially Marrakech, but arranging a transfer service is just as convenient and budget-friendly.
Why There’s No Uber in Morocco
In 2018 Uber discontinued all of its services in Morocco, just two years after it started in the country, due to a rampant Taxi Mafia problem pushing Uber drivers out of the country and harassing passengers. In Uber’s absence, a few different taxi-hailing apps have started operating in Morocco. Keep reading for a complete guide on how to use Morocco’s most popular Uber alternatives.
Katie’s Tips ✶
m the airport in Morocco, and tourists are constantly getting scammed by the taxi drivers there – I recommend always booking a private shuttle service from the airport to your hotel ▶︎ Book Yours Now!
Uber Alternatives in Morocco: Careem, Roby, Heetch, & Yassir
🚕 All About Careem in Morocco
Careem is an alternative to Uber that works throughout the Middle East in the following countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Careem currently only operates in Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangier in Morocco.
How to Use Careem
Careem in Morocco operates similarly to Uber, all you need is your telephone number and the app to sign up. If you download Careem once, you can use it in all the different countries it operates in. Once you download Careem you’ll have to put in your phone number and get a confirmation code to create an account. Careem worked with my Google Voice number, which is very helpful as an international traveler because I wouldn’t have to create a new account every time I switched countries and got a new SIM card. Careem operates just like Uber, it uses your GPS location to call taxis. Careem is very affordable, a ride from Tangier city center to the airport is only 100 Moroccan Dirhams ($10).
How it works: Careem operates just like Uber, it uses your GPS location to call taxis.
Cost: Careem is very affordable, a ride from Tangier city center to the airport is only 100 Moroccan Dirhams ($10).
🚕 All About Roby in Morocco
Unlike Careem, the Roby app works exclusively in Morocco. Roby is similar to Careem and Uber in the way that it’s a taxi-hailing app, but Roby only works with officially registered taxis instead of private drivers. The cities Roby should be available in include Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Agadir, Tangier, and Fes, but it depends on if there are taxis available to call.
How it Works: Roby calculates the distance of your trip for you and uses the official taxi metered fare to estimate your payment. All official taxis in Morocco have a meter, but it’s very hard to get taxi drivers to turn it on. They would rather negotiate the price of the fare up front, especially with foreigners.
How to use the Roby App
Roby should work in any major city in Morocco where there are official taxis. Roby isn’t a service that has its own drivers, it just calls the city’s official taxis to your location. Like Uber and Careem, you need to sign up for Roby with your mobile number. Roby lets you sign up with your WhatsApp number, so you don’t need a Moroccan local SIM card and phone number to use it.
Roby lets you order rides and schedule rides ahead of time, just like Uber, but it’s not a service that controls the cars like Uber does. Roby is just an intermediate service that calls taxis, for a small fee. Roby is great (when it works) because it operates in cities Careem doesn’t work in and it helps foreigners get around Morocco at fair prices.
👉 Note: There have been some problems with people arranging ahead of time for taxi rides through Roby and no cars showing up because Roby doesn’t know when there will be taxis available – the Roby app just alerts them.
🚩 Small Scams: There have also been issues with people not being charged the fare Roby estimates because some taxi drivers don’t want to charge the correct metered fare to tourists.
Uber in Casablanca
There is no Uber in Casablanca, but the Moroccan alternative to Uber, the Careem app, works in Casablanca. The only place you shouldn’t depend on Careem in Casablanca is when you’re coming to or from the airport, especially if you’re departing from the airport. Taxi drivers at the airports in Morocco have a reputation for preying on tourists and operating as a mob.
Tip! It’s actually cheaper to arrange private transportation ahead of time from Casablanca airport than using the taxis there!
Using Uber in Marrakech
There is no longer Uber or Careem in Marrakech. If you want to call a taxi off of an app in Marrakech you have to use the Roby application that calls the city’s official taxis to your location.
How to Get From Marrakech Airport to the City Center
The Marrakech Menara Airport is only a 12-minute drive from the Old Medina, which is where most tourists stay. Even though a 12-minute taxi ride in Marrakech should only be around 30 Moroccan Durhams ($3), getting picked up from the airport terminal involves other taxes and fees that make it closer to $10. Taxi drivers tend to charge upwards of 300 Moroccan Durhams $30) from the Marrakech airport, and are known for massively overcharging tourists. It’s said that the taxis at the airport are part of an organized taxi gang that intimidates tourists into paying exorbitant rates.
👉 Taxi drivers at the airport are aggressive, and the easiest, safest, and usually cheapest way to get from the Marrakech Menara Airport is by arranging a private transfer service ahead of time.
💰 How Much is a Taxi from Marrakech Airport to the City?
A one-way trip from Marrakech Menara Airport to the city center shouldn’t cost more than 100 Moroccan Durhams ($10). However, the taxi drivers at the Marrakech airport frequently charge tourists at least 300 Moroccan Durhams ($30) for the same trip.
✈️ Is It Easy to Get a Taxi at Marrakech Airport?
While it’s easy to get a taxi at Marrakech airport, it’s incredibly difficult to get a fair price as a foreigner. The taxi drivers at the Marrakech Menara Airport are reported to be in an organized gang that overcharges and intimidates tourists to pay more. I would recommend arranging for private transportation ahead of time because it’s cheaper and you won’t have to deal with any scammers.
