BootsnAll Travel Community

So I'm planning on ending up in Morocco sometime in the first week of January, and since I am really keen on NOT making plans, I'm hoping that I can just waltz right into a town/city and find accomodation (traveling solo, possibily meeting up with another friend). Even in the case that cheap hostels/pensions are full, I've heard that they usually have people renting out extremely affordable rooms somewhere in the town for a couple of nights....have I heard right? It's after New Years, so travel should be slightly less crazy, and it IS January after all, so should I be okay with not settling for a specific place beforehand? Any feedback would be wonderful. Thanks!!

Hey,

you should be fine not making reservations. I think maybe the youth hostels will be a little booked because of the winter break holiday, but guess houses will probably be open. I am going to Morocco around the same time too, and im not worried at all about booking.

Good Luck and Safe Journeys!

Jill from Wanderjahr Jill Travel BLog

Guys, Hope you are doing swell! You will have a blast in Morocco. We live and work here and do tours with BootsnAll - so tell your friends to check out the adventure tours with Donovan that we will have going in 2008 here in North Africa!

Anyhow, we are turning away people like crazy because we simply cannot get rooms at Christmas. Morocco does not have enough beds, nuff said. Now, when you guys are off on vacation, so is every other European in the darn Union. We use both nice riads and hotels, but also book budget stuff. Hotels with which we have contracts cannot even get us rooms. So, if you try to find a place to stay, renting a room in a home might be one way to go. And, hostels here are few and far between. You might try to contact budget places, especially in Fez and Marrakesh to see if they have rooms. Check here for info, or see your guidebook for listings. A lot of places speak English and hopefully if they have a room they will write your name in their reservation books. you never know. So, Morocco is booming, and they can hardly keep up. Many people choose to go on a tour for that reason, and also they want to hang with other cool travelers (like those who travel with us and Bootsnall). So, you still have some time, but at least in Marrakesh and Fez, book a room.

If you are arriving before New Year's, definitely book if you can.

Best of Luck!

Thomas
Morocco Tour Specialist
BNALL Trip Leader, Morocco
Journey Beyond Travel

How do you go about getting a room in a private home?

Hi JJ,

Thanks for your post. Actually, if you are in either the Fez or Marrakesh medina and you want a room, then you might be approached by people with rooms to let. You might be approached and asked as well. Most are OK and if someone seems shady, then just back out. It's funny how shady people here look shady. They don't try to hid it : )

If they seem nice and the room is decent, take it. Just be careful if you plan on being out late at night and then walk through the medina. Much past 8pm isn't super safe alone for women especially.

I would suggest calling up some budget hotels in your guide book and seeing if they have rooms available. If you can avoid Marrakesh and Fez on Christmas and/or New Year's Eve, then you might get rooms around those dates.

If you come to Morocco, say after Jan 3, you will most likely be OK to get rooms.

Hope this helps a bit!

Thanks!

Thomas

I will be in Morrocco from Jan 12th to the 20th, should I be worried and start making reservations now, or does the tourist season calm down by then?

Thanks Journey, that was very informative. I happen to be very good at sensing shadiness. After all, Im from Detroit.

I definitley dont plan on visiting during the holidays. Im going to an RTW, and morocco will be in there.

I'm flying into Morroco New years eve so I booked a room through Orbitz. There was not much availibilty and the rate for the hotels were expensive.

But who wants to fly for two days and look for a room on NYE in north Africa?

If you get stuck on the street, you can sleep on the floor if you promise to behave!

Also be aware that getting rooms in the Medina of Marrakech on a weekend is difficult. In the summer/spring I'd say just bunk up on a roof but it's January and kinda cold, so that's not a good option. You dont have to book too far in advance, but on holidays and weekends I'd try to book ahead.

You won't have any problems. Period.

The only time you'll ever find a place full is if you're trying to stay in a "nice" or "popular" place (i.e. raved about in some guidebook).

I've spent several years in Morocco, have traveled there many times, throughout different parts of the year, and have never made reservations.

I have never *not* found a room. I have always found an excess of rooms in every city I've ever been to in Morocco (which is most of them).

Trust me -- unless you're looking to relax in the lap of luxury, you will have absolutely, without a doubt, ZERO problem finding a place to stay in every single place you decide to visit. Hell, a lot of places will let you sleep on their roof for 10 or 20 dh

You won't have a problem, regardless of what many people say.