Getting around
Casablanca has a useful tram network, but not a dense metro: use the tram for longer cross-town moves and walk within individual districts. A single tram ride has been cited at roughly 6 MAD with a rechargeable card or 8 MAD without; buy/validate before boarding and check the current fare. The core is walkable in pieces, not end-to-end: Casa Port–Old Medina–Place des Nations Unies–Place Mohammed V is one walk, while Hassan II Mosque, Habous and the Corniche usually require a tram/taxi link. Red petit taxis are the sensible default for short trips; insist that the meter is running, expect shared pickups, and carry small change. White grand taxis are cheap fixed-route shared transport but cramped and impractical without local knowledge. Avoid self-driving: congestion, assertive traffic and parking erase any advantage. City buses are cheap but routes and service are less legible and dependable for short-stay visitors.
When to go
March–May and late September–November are the easiest months: mild Atlantic weather and decent walking conditions. July–August is less brutally hot than inland Morocco but can be humid, windy or foggy on the coast, while domestic holiday traffic raises pressure on transport and accommodation. Winter is workable but can be wet and grey. During Ramadan, daytime eating options and some business hours change; around Eid, assume reduced hours and transport pressure rather than trying to schedule a tightly timed sightseeing day.
Book before you land
Hassan II Mosque interior tour — this is the one timed visit worth securing ahead, especially for a Friday, weekend, holiday period or a short one-day stop. Tours operate at fixed times and schedules change around religious holidays; book several days ahead when possible and reconfirm directly. The exterior and oceanfront are free, but non-Muslims need the guided visit for the interior. · No other Casablanca attraction normally justifies booking before you land. Mahkama du Pacha is not a reliable walk-in: access can depend on finding an authorised guide/on-site arrangement, so treat it as a bonus rather than building a paid advance itinerary around it.
- Carry Moroccan dirhams and small notes/coins. Cards work in better hotels, restaurants and shops, but taxis, trams, markets and casual cafés are cash territory; tram ticket machines may be picky about payment.
- French is the most useful visitor language, alongside Moroccan Arabic (Darija). A polite French greeting and a clear destination address make taxis much easier; do not assume English outside tourist-facing businesses.
- Use the meter in red petit taxis and settle the fare at the end; agree a price before departure only if the driver refuses to meter. Do not confuse them with white shared grand taxis.
- Keep phone and wallet out of street-side hands, particularly near the Old Medina and in traffic: pickpocketing and moto drive-by theft are recurring concerns. Faux guides cluster around the Old Medina; a firm ‘la, shukran’ is enough.
- Casablanca is comparatively liberal, especially around Aïn Diab, but it is still Morocco. Modest dress reduces unwanted attention, and solo night walks—particularly away from busy central/seafront areas—are a poor bet.
- The Hassan II Mosque is an active religious site, not just a photo stop: dress conservatively, arrive early for the timed tour, and do not expect interior access outside the official non-Muslim visiting arrangement.
Worth leaving the city for
RabatFull day: allow roughly 8–10 hours door to door. Trains from Casablanca run frequently; cited travel time is about 1½ hours each way, though the exact service and station matter.
The capital gives you what Casablanca deliberately does not: a coherent historic core, the Kasbah of the Udayas, Hassan Tower/Mausoleum area and a more relaxed river-and-ocean walk. It is the best use of a second Casablanca day.
El JadidaLong half-day at a squeeze, realistically a full day once station transfers and the return are included. Buses are cited at about 1½ hours each way; confirm current rail/bus timings.
Go for the Portuguese-built fortified city and its atmospheric cistern, plus an Atlantic change of scene. It is a more compelling coastal-history detour than spending another afternoon in Casablanca’s traffic-heavy centre.
