Overview

Great place to visit, some severe restrictions for the less mobile wheelchair user

Transport & Parking

The only real way of getting around risk free is a taxi, All hotel transport are mini busses or coaches with generally 3 or 4 steps - even though they know you are I a wheelchair they will just book you on (with the exception of booking a WAV through your travel agent which they do and a reasonably steep ramp - but no different to those used in Heathrow). Be aware of agreeing a price before getting into a taxi - - generally start negotiations at a third of the price they suggested and finish at 50% our hotel was 20KM from the city centre a 25 m drive and a reasonable price is 100 -150 DH - about £15. As far as parking is going, there is standard parking, mostly in the centre - you abandon your car somewhere, although there are formal carparks dotted about. I would leave the car at the hotel and get a taxi in, there is no such thing as an accessible parking bay as far as I could see.

Access

Disabled access is generally poor. There are high kerbs (general 10" or higher) especially in the 'old town' or Medina. There are pavements, but they will run out or narrow, in the new town there are drop kerbs at crossings but in the rest quite often none, or one to get on and none to get off. Whilst travelling in the old city if you are brave or stupid enough it is easier to travel in your chair in the road with the cars - this is clearly at someone's risk, as the driving is erratic, they do not always - or ever stop at zebra crossings unless there is a red light, and even that does not stop some drivers, however they are used to avoiding moped drivers - sometimes with up to 4 family members on a moped designed for 1. I would say this is for the adventurous, with reasonable upper body balance, however if you are a kerb and it is too high - within seconds you will have a group of people kindly helping you up and lifting you and your chair onto the pavement - lovely people!

Toilets

This is virtually non existent, occasional modern hotels, or the airport have some, but in the medina there are none, after a number of days exploring I only found one with flat access, that if you had a small chair you could squeeze in the Place Jemaa el-Fna which is the main square near the Grand Mosque

Staff

The staff everywhere we fantastic friendly, speaking English French and Arabic. There are lots of hustlers, so if asking for directions, ask only a shop or stall owner - as others will take you to a relative or business partner rather than the best or easiest place to go - they will for example put a monkey on you and then expect payment, or a snake around your neck, lost of 'official tour guides' are not, quite often hang around coach drop of points - beware, it is a relatively poor country and people are just trying to make a living, so be firm say no and move on.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The Pala de la Bahiaa (Princess's palace) and the Tombs of the Sultan (Tombeaux Saadiens) I visited and are 90% accessible and really worth a visit, and are close by, Also Yves Saint Laurent who lived and died in Marrakesh designed and built a garden (Le Jardin Majorelle). If going to the new town it is near by and as you would expect beautiful. If visiting the Souk (Market) it can be repetitive so do not worry about exploring the whole thing and list price is generally 3 times what you should pay - except for the small things such as key rings and bracelets which are pretty good for small gifts you should go into the evening, the square comes alive and you can ride in a horse and carriage, and the drive will put your chair on the front seat, if you can get into it, but he temperatures are much better and everything is still open and even more lively - so a much better time to go - I would strongly advise to avoid the hot afternoon, which can be 40 degrees in the summer.

Photos