menara (Marrakech-Menara Airport (RAK))

Member Name: candykim

Product:	Marrakech-Menara Airport (RAK)
Date:	11/10/09 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: small size, easy to find your way around

Disadvantages: long queues

On the whole this airport is fine for travellers coming to and leaving marrakech but there are a few things you should know before you go to make your trip run a bit more smoothly.

The airport itself

It is a small airport and very easy to find your way around with clear signs in french and english. You will however need to queue a lot so give yourself some extra time. You don't seem to get much warning before the plane starts boarding but as there are only a handful of gates you shouldn't miss it. Also, there was only one announcement screen that we could see but again the small size of the departure lounge means this shouldn't be a big problem.

The location is excellent as it is a ten minute drive to the middle of the city. There are lots of taxis waiting outside but as with everything here you will probably get ripped off. We arranged our transport with our riad which was reassuring as we had no idea where we were going. For those who have never been before and are staying in the medina I would recommend paying whatever you need to for a taxi as the old town is almost impossible to navigate.

shops

There are a few souvenir shops but they sold pretty much the same stuff as you would find in the souks - at about ten times the price!

food

We ate at a little cafe and the food was typical airpost fare- sandwiches, croissants etc it was ok to tide you over.

money exchange

Morocco doesn't allow you to bring dirhams in or out of the country so you have to get all of your cash upon arrival. This wasn't as much of a hassle as it might sound as there were lots of efficient exchange desks just before the exit doors. One word of warning though- if you are from scotland you will need to save up tour english notes for a while! There are also ATM machines in the city so you don't have to change all your money at once if you don't want to. It might also be useful to ask in advance if you can pay for your accommodation in Euros.

Embarkation cards

You might notice upon arrival that some of you fellow passengers are acting a bit strange. Thay are probably diving to get these cards and fill them in to be ahead of the queues. As soon as you arrive try to get a hold of some (it also helps if you have some pens) and fill them out if possible while you are waiting in line. We waited for about half an hour and it is really boring but you can't do much about it!

On the way back you will fill these out as well. You have to put things like occupation, where you were staying in morocco, and the number that was stamped on your passport on the way in.

Overall

Menara airport is totally fine for the purpose and has facilities that you would expect in an airport this size.

Remember to get your cards quickly and give yourself plenty of time and you should have a stress free journey.

Summary: will get you from A to B