Helpful tips to navigate life in Casa

Expatriating to Morocco is a real change of scenery, not only in terms of language, temperature or breathtaking landscapes, but also in terms of the country’s habits and customs that you have to integrate to adapt to life here. Having lived in Casablanca for several years, we have learned a number of “basic rules” (sometimes at our expense!) that could help you avoid or get you out of a lot of uncomfortable situations.
Our list of tips is intended to grow with feedback from Spotters so feel free to leave your own in comments.

Our driving tips

• You can rent a basic car (Clio Renault type) from 200-300dh per day, usually for a minimum of 3 days.

• As you may have noticed, driving in Casa is chaotic. To avoid spending your days stressing, take a deep breath and give a big smile to the rude drivers: it will surely irritate them more than an insult or a middle finger!

• There is a very special rule in Casa regarding traffic stop lights: the orange light does not mean you have to stop, but generally that you have to speed up. Yes, we know, it’s strange, but be careful when you arrive at intersections.

• In the event of an accident, the rule in Morocco is that cars should not be moved so that a report on the circumstances of the accident can be made.

• If you get into an accident, don’t panic, stay in your car and call your insurer, who will come and make the report (be patient, it can take quite a while!). Very often, especially in the case of minor accidents, drivers make arrangements between themselves to avoid wasting half a day settling the details.

• If you are involved in an accident, it is important to stay at the scene or you risk a hit-and-run, which is severely punished.

• As for parking, when there is a parking meter, make sure you take a ticket or you risk getting a wheel clamp on your car. You will have to pay 30 dh/day to remove it. Note that all wheel boot are removed on Saturdays at 10pm and on public holidays.

• When there is no parking meter, you will have to pay the guard in charge of the corner (don’t worry, he will find you!). In general, the price of parking is 2dh for few hours during the day and 3dh during the night. It will be 5dh to stay parked all day or all night.

Our tips for taking a taxi

• To find a taxi more easily, stand in the direction of your destination.

• Don’t be surprised if you share your taxi with other passengers (yes, Morocco invented the “Uber pool” concept before it became fashionable!)

• When you get into the taxi, immediately ask the driver to turn on the meter to make sure you are paying the right price and not the “tourist” price.

• Good to know, the minimum taxi fare is 7.5 dirhams.

• If you negotiate well, you can hire a taxi for the day (between 9am and 4pm) for 200 dirhams.

• One last piece of advice because we care about you: fasten your seatbelts! The driver will probably try to convince you that it’s not necessary, but you can never be too careful (especially when you see the state of some of the bodywork).

Our tips for the nightlife

• In bars and restaurants, if you order alcohol, you may be asked to order food to accompany your drink. Don’t be offended, the establishments don’t have a choice.

• We don’t know why, but waiters very rarely take note of your order and end up forgetting half your dishes. It’s not a big deal, but don’t hesitate to ask again if you see that one of the dishes you ordered has not arrived.

• Be careful when going out to nightclubs or bars, thieves take advantage of intoxicated people to steal phones, wallets or bags and jump on an accomplice’s scooter to get away.

Our tips for everyday life

• Aside the traditional ways of finding accommodation, you can go to the neighbourhoods you are interested in and ask the doormen there if there are any properties available, they are very often aware when a property becomes available.

• When you move into a new property, change the locks immediately, as the keys you receive when you take possession of the property have often passed through many hands before they find you.

• If you need to do small works, you can hire all the equipment you want from a drugstore (drill, ladder, screwdriver etc).

• You can also ask your doorman or the shopkeepers to find someone to do the work for you.

• You can pay all your bills via your banking application (electricity, water, telephone etc.). You will just need to get the Lydec contract numbers from the bill you receive at home or from your landlord.

• It is customary to leave a tip, not only in bars and restaurants, but also at the hairdressers’, hammams or spas etc.

• Unmarried mixed foreign/Moroccan couples are not allowed to enter into a tenancy agreement together.

• Mixed foreign/Moroccan couples are also not allowed to book a room in a hotel without a marriage certificate (no problem for foreign couples).

• Plan to buy your alcohol before the religious holidays as selling it is prohibited during them.

• If you want to buy cigarettes, you can go to one of the many tobacco shops in Casa. To recognise them, look for signs above the shops with a logo of three circles (it looks like the logo of the Olympic Games).

• Morocco is full of dairy shops (don’t worry, it’s not all milk) where you can get amazing fresh fruit juices and snacks for a small price.