Car Hire Tangier Airport

Tangier Airport Mini Guide

Tangier Ibn Battoua Airport
The city of Tangier's airport is named after Ibn Battoua, a Moroccan scholar who was born in Tangier. A rapidly increasing number of passengers decreed that a new terminal was needed a few years ago so it was duly built in 2008.  It is now used by more than 15 airlines, offering flights to and from a number of European destinations, from the national carrier of Morocco – Royal Air Maroc, to the low cost budget airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet.

What to Expect at the Airport
Although not a large airport, it should be adequate to meet the needs of most travellers, with the usual airport facilities, cafes, and shops. Arriving by air is the most hassle free way of entering and leaving Tangier – just beware of long queues at passport control before the departure of flights to the Schengen area.

Almost Touching Mainland Europe
Tangier is on the northernmost tip of Morocco, just a short ferry trip from Spain across the 20 mile wide Straits of Gibraltar. The airport is situated around 6km from the town right on the Mediterranean coast.  It is ideally placed for exploring the top part of the country, and maybe driving along the west coast towards Rabat and Casablanca.

A Cosmopolitan City
This is a city of three languages – Spanish first, then English and finally French.  Somewhere amongst that you will probably hear some Arabic as well.  It is generally a very safe place compared to lots of other cities in Europe, the only hassle you are likely to receive is con men ready to fleece you in the Medina – if you see something you want to buy, decide how much you really think it is worth, start haggling and don't go over your budget.  The rule is to be firm!!!!

The Surrounding Area
Although there are no airport hotels as such, the airport is close enough to the city for you to be able to use the city hotels and travel to and from the airport quite comfortably.  These range from the very low budget places near to the docks (not really to be recommended!!) through mid priced smaller hotels to the large luxury chains of hotels such as Ramada and Intercontinental.

Tangier may be a big city but it has its attractions for tourists. The beach there is good and a walk along the shore, looking back at the city gives a stunning panorama of Tangier. If you’ve hired a car for your stay, visit the American Legation building, the only historic landmark belonging to the US outside of its borders.

Today, the building is home to exhibitions and craft stalls but once it was the first American embassy after the American Revolution. For more history, visit the Kasbah Museum which tells the history of the city from Phoenician times.