Currency Exchnage in Morocco

[Talat 0]

Hi All,

I am going to Casablanca this week. We are planning to get married as a first step for K3 process. My question is:

How do i exchnage US $ to Moroccan Dirhams? I am staying in an Apartment callled 'Casa Sweet Homes' and they don't have Currency Exchnage counters as all big hotels do. What is advisable way?

1. Take US $ with me and exchange over there?

2. Take Moroccan DH from US? Is there any limit Morocco has? I am planning equivalent to $5,000 to take with me to pay where credit cards don't work.

3. Take Traveller Checks and get them cashed over there?

How could i get better exchange rate? I called one of the hotels and almost fainted when the guy told me 1 US $ = 6 MAD.... where the regular rate is 1 US = 8.64 MAD.

Any one has experience with Car rental there? Is it better to get Car with driver as most of them locally do?

Thanks.

Regards,

Talat

[sarah and hicham 3]

When I stayed in Casablance I used my debit Visa card. Otherwise I had my ATM/debit card and just got money out of the ATM. Your bank may charge you 5.00$ to get money out each time so what I did was take out 200 $ at a time or so when I knew I would need it and just use it over several days. There are lots of ATM's everywhere in Casa. Also if you want to bring dollars just go to a bank and the exchange rate will be just about what it should be.

I am not sure about car rentals I never ventured into that because I felt that I would get myself killed within one day driving on their roads- especially in Casa!

Good luck! I hope that helps,

Sarah

[kml_36 0]

Go to any bank in casablanca or any other city, and they will happily exchange your dollars into Dirhams.

Travellors checks are a good idea if you wanna be on the safe side, but they are hard to get converted. Not all banks do it. But you could use your ATM card or credit card at any ATM machine if you dont wanna take cash.

Good luck

[noura 0]

there are plenty of banks to change money - you should be able to get a rate of 7-9dh/usd. That's a lot of money to bring w/ you - i would not change all of it as you may not do as well changing it back if u don't use it all. good luck to you - and keep us posted!

noura

[Ruthanne 0]

When I was in Casablanca I brought in American money because you cannot take DH out of the country nor get them anywhere else. I also used by debit card. You can exchange at banks there. The rate is currently 8.3 so dont be fooled into taking less. When you leave you have to exchange your money back or give it to your fiancee you cant leave with it nor various other items. I never rented a car. They use the train, bus and taxis for transportation or walking. Traffice is a zoo and I wouldnt recommend driving there at all. Not many stop lights or rules it seems. Hope that helps.

[ahlam ladida 0]

I never had a problem with changing my travelers checks. Like Sarah says, the bank charges are ugly for atm use there.There are alot of exhange places there. Just check the rate and be careful. Alot of places dont take credit cards. Also, keep some small coins in your pocket. You have to pay to pee at most restraunts. lol

[MrsAmera 41]

Yes you can not get Moroccan DH in the US and you can not take them out - they will question you at the airport. I always used my ATM card and had no problems. If you are in the big cities it's not a big deal maybe in rural areas it would be a bit harder. I have used Traveler's Checks but most banks charge some type of fee to get them (it varies depending on bank and amount) so I just found it easiest to use my ATM card. If you're staying for some time have a back up in case something happens to your card. My husband's brother had his card literally cut up inside an ATM machine. (guess it was standard for the bank to cut it up after too many attempts or if it gets jammed or something?). But basically I say half Traveler's Checks/half ATM - or bring half in cash and half with checks - just hold onto the cash until last. Sometimes you can get better deals when you pay with American $ (even better if you have euros but alas). Hope that helps!

[deeshla 0]

Hi All,

I am going to Casablanca this week. We are planning to get married as a first step for K3 process. My question is:

How do i exchnage US $ to Moroccan Dirhams? I am staying in an Apartment callled 'Casa Sweet Homes' and they don't have Currency Exchnage counters as all big hotels do. What is advisable way?

1. Take US $ with me and exchange over there?

2. Take Moroccan DH from US? Is there any limit Morocco has? I am planning equivalent to $5,000 to take with me to pay where credit cards don't work.

3. Take Traveller Checks and get them cashed over there?

How could i get better exchange rate? I called one of the hotels and almost fainted when the guy told me 1 US $ = 6 MAD.... where the regular rate is 1 US = 8.64 MAD.

Any one has experience with Car rental there? Is it better to get Car with driver as most of them locally do?

Thanks.

Regards,

Talat

DON'T TAKE TRAVELERS CHECKS! That is just waaaaay too much of a pain -- some banks with charge a fee, you cannot actually spend them anywhere and some banks will refuse them outright without believing that they are legitimate. Save yourself the trouble. Bring some cash and exchange it at a Bank Populaire or BMCE or another big bank. The exchange rate is ok. Just don't do any non-bank exhanges.

Use your ATM card for more cash. Check with your bank to see how much thye are going to charge you for each withdrawal. It may not be worth it to withdrawal very much, or very often. Also, keep in mind that the ATMs will put a cap on how much you can take out per week (often 2,000 dirhams). And as was mentioned before, if the ATM hasn't been serviced or is just acting strangely it might take your card and rip it up.

Bottom line -- if you are just going to be in the country for a few months -- bring some cash and exchange it all.

Morocco is cheap anyway.

Good luck! (and mar7aba f lmghrib!!)

Amanda

[noura 0]

i just want to add that i never had a problem w/ my traveler's checks when i used them, but i always changed them at a "Bureau de Change". And a previous poster mentioned *not* to change money anywhere but the banks... I found that sometimes a dealer in the souk was willing to change money for me at a better rate than the bank - but I always had Said w/ me and he did all the talking, so I never got ripped off. I even bought my engagement caftan in american dollars at a better rate than if i had used dirhams. Anyhow... good luck and have a fabulous trip!

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I get great rates at the ATM with a VISA card, better than in the US!. Also, I use Amex traveler's checks when I travel around Morocco and get the best rate at the national bank. Remember, the banks are normally closed between 12:30 and 2:30 pm, but I found one in Kenitra that stays open.

Have a wonderful trip!

[*Robert* 2]

Hi everyone!

[tnh9479 1]

I brought traveler's checks and had no problem exchanging them at all at a bank (they want to see your passport though). I also used an atm and was charged only what they would charge me if I was using an atm that didn't belong to my bank's chain (nothing like $5.00...I would have flipped). I was shocked that the ATM knew my name after I entered my pin. It goes to show how connected the world really is.

Twila

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

Hi everyone!

Read my PM. You can not post boost like this. Thanks!