Casablanca was immortalised in the film of the same name and today, with a hire car, it’s easy to explore the city and even try to track down Sam’s Bar. For those of you who are not misty-eyed, head for the King Hassan II Mosque, the world’s third largest with the tallest minaret.
Inside, the mosque is stunning, with beautiful tiles, water features and a part of the mosque that is open to the skies. From there drive to the end of the corniche for a view of the offshore shrine to Morocco’s most famous poet, Sidi Abderrahman.
Casablanca Airport Mini Guide
Mohammed V International Airport
The airport has been completely renovated during recent years and is now a thriving modern transport centre. It was originally built by the United States forces in 1943 as an auxiliary airfield, now it has two terminals and handles over 7 million passengers a year to Europe and other African countries, the main airline being Royal Air Maroc.
Travelling on Business?
The airport has a small business centre for use by passengers, the nearby Atlas Airport Hotel also has business facilities and a meeting room should you need to make use of it.
Travelling with Children?
There is a small children's play area in the airport and lots of cafes and restaurants to suit all tastes. There is also a hotel in the transit area of Terminal 2, catering especially for passengers in transit. So should you be in the airport on a stopover and need a little more than just a seat in a lounge, especially if you've got young children, treat yourself to a room.
General Facilities
As you may expect from a recently renovated airport, there are excellent disabled facilities and if you need any further assistance just use any of the telephones dotted around the terminal. There are also plenty of ATMs and banks should you need more local currency and a post office for that letter that you forgot before you left. Plus of course, the obligatory duty free shops.
Getting Away from the Airport
There are several car hire companies represented in the airport arrivals hall, both international and local. The airport is situated 30km to the south east of Casablanca on the road to Marrakesh, so hiring a car is a good way of getting into the city and also getting around the area during your stay. As most people know the city was immortalised in the Humphrey Bogart film of the same name, so it would be shame not to at least try to find Sam's Bar!
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