Moroccan Taxis

In Canada taxis are generally expensive. They are covering short distances within a city. So I always try to avoid this type of transportation while traveling... That is until I traveled to Morocco.

I think there is more taxis than other vehicles in Morocco. And it's no wonder as they are intensively used.
They are two kinds of taxis: the "petit taxi" and the "grand taxi".

Newer petit taxi

"Petits taxis", literally translated as "small taxis" are covering short distances within the city. Every city has it's own taxi color. And they are generally all the same make: Renault. They usually have a wooden box on their top to carry luggage.

The fares system is pretty simple. The taxi can carry up to three passengers and the fare is calculated by the meter.
A good tip is to ask the taxi driver to put the meter on... Some of them might charge you by estimate and you end up paying more than what you should.

Older petit taxi

 Usually, a short trip in the city would be 10 or 20 dirham's (close to 1 or 2 euros).

It's a cheap way to get around if you are not yet familiar with the bus system.

If you are at an airport or train station and you are offered a taxi, always agree on the cost before to get in. Also, if you get on a Mercedes rather than on a small Renault, be prepared to pay the European taxi fare.
I prefer walking away from the station a bit and catch a taxi on the street. 

Grand taxi driver waiting for customers

The "grand taxi", literally translated as "big taxi" covers longer distances between cities. It usually goes from a station to another and does stops on the way. You might take the taxi from the station or catch it on its way. At the station, taxis are parked by destinations. You have to ask around, specifying your destination. The big taxis are usually white Mercedes. It's not the most comfortable way of traveling as it's always crowded: They seat two passengers on the front seat and four in the back seat. So you might feel like a sardine in a can. 

 However, the fare is fixed by passenger and very cheap. It might cost you about 10 dirhams to get to the next city. And the big taxis can also be hired for a single person... but in this case, you are paying for all the empty seats.

Grands taxis and petits taxis are a nice way to get around Morocco besides buses. It's also good to know how the system works before to get there. After using them so much while I was there, I am missing this very useful system here in Canada. I wish I could just walk to the main road and wait a few minutes for a grand taxi to get to town. Unfortunately I can only rely on my own car here...which is not bad after all.

If you have questions about transportation in Morocco or about this article, please feel free to comment or send me a message.

Have a fun road trip!