UKC

Agadir/Tafraoute Car Hire

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 Lucy Wallace 14 Aug 2014
Very excited to be heading to Tafraoute in November. We are planning to hire a car from the airport at Agadir and head straight there. Has anyone got any recommendations on car hire companies (the UKC article on this suggests haggling at the airport rather than booking online) http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=3430

Also, what are the roads like to some of the more remote crags/villages? Will a cheapo mini cope okay or should we be looking at a 4x4? Any views/experiences welcome thanks!
Lucy
Removed User 14 Aug 2014
In reply to Snoweider: Lucy. Best to book on line as the prices are better and less hassle. No need for a 4x4 but try and ask for a Dacia Duster. A lot of the roads, especially on the north side are quite rocky but the ordinary Duster copes with them well. A "normal" car will be too low. You will likely find that you still get a lot of punctures but there are several garages in Tafraoute that will repair them for a few Euros. The info in the guides is quite accurate so take good note of it. Unfortunately will not be back until next year now so have a great time in this fantastic area.
 Merlin 14 Aug 2014
In reply to Removed UserMike Rhodes:
Agreed. We had a crap car (Hyundai Getz or something) and had a puncture (speeding fine and clamped in Marrakech!) - well worth going for a 4x4 which will give you access to the mountain crags that have appalling approach roads.

Excellent climbing there by the way.

I recommend staying in the Kasbah mentioned in the guidebook also, both it and the owners are superb.
Post edited at 21:48
 Dave Williams 14 Aug 2014
In reply to Snoweider:
> Very excited to be heading to Tafraoute in November. We are planning to hire a car from the airport at Agadir and head straight there. Has anyone got any recommendations on car hire companies (the UKC article on this suggests haggling at the airport rather than booking online) http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=3430

I've been there in November, well, late Nov actually. It was quite cool in Tafraoute, definitely 2 layer weather - a tee and a lightweight fleece or softshell top during the day and even more at night as it was quite cold then.

Anyway, car hire. We hired from a local outfit in Agadir; no need to book as there's plenty of spare capacity at that time of year. The car, a petrol Fiesta, was a bit worse for wear and high mileage but was fine mechanically. I'd do the same again. Not a lot of room for haggling at the airport though as it's pretty small, with little choice of hire firms. We took a taxi ride into Agadir itself - a surprisingly long way from the airport - and hired there for quite a bit less than they were asking at the airport.

> Also, what are the roads like to some of the more remote crags/villages? Will a cheapo mini cope okay or should we be looking at a 4x4? Any views/experiences welcome thanks!
4x4s not strictly needed; few of the locals have them anyway. A car will be fine but you'll still need to take care in places when driving on gravel tracks to the smaller hamlets and villages - e.g asking passengers to get out and walk to save grounding the car unnecessarily on washouts etc.

Two tips: 1/ Standard of driving compared to other North African countries is very good (police speed traps can be seen occasionally), but they tend not to give way on single track tarmac roads in the mountains so be prepared to take evasive action quite regularly. Keeps the driver on their toes if nothing else!

2/ The R105 from Agadir to Tafraoute is very scenic, lightly trafficed but very slow with millions of bends. If you're in a hurry, drive south to Tiznit and take the R104 to Tafraoute. It's quite a bit further, but a much better and wider road. Beware the grand taxis on this route though; they take no prisoners.

HTH

Dave
Post edited at 22:02
 mattrm 14 Aug 2014
In reply to Snoweider:

I'll be heading out for a week in the middle of November as well.

re the Kasbah, I was thinking of staying there for a couple of days and then in town for a few days.
OP Lucy Wallace 14 Aug 2014
In reply to Removed UserMike Rhodes (and everyone else):

Thanks guys, I've had a look online and a Dacia Duster is quite expensive! However, might be worth it for the peace of mind. I've found elsewhere abroad with car hire that insurance is invalidated if you take a non SUV "off road" (ie on a mountain road). Can't find anything about this in the small print for online car hire companies though.

Accommodation-wise we are prob booking an appartment in town for the first week, which means we can slob out and figure out what we are doing. Then will see what happens for the second week....

Very excited. Don't mind if its cool temps, but would be nice if it stayed dry. I've been working like a nutter recently and thoughts of this trip are just about holding me together!
 g1m147 15 Aug 2014
In reply to Snoweider:

A Dacia duster will cope with most roads. The road to Dragon buttress in the Antfazir valley was the worst we had to cope with.
Spend some time in the kasbah, you will be glad you did. It's easier for the north side from there anyway.

Have a great trip.
J1234 15 Aug 2014
In reply to Snoweider:
Its Awesome.
We hired over the internet via a consolidator from some local outfit, the service was excellent with the guy coming out to the car and explaining all the features and checking around the car with us. Oddly the guy liked us, well not me obviously because i`m a cock, but the guy I was with, so upgraded us from a the car we had a booked, a little mini hatch, to a bigger brand new thing like an escort, which seems okay until you start taking it down the rough tracks, so you want either a Duster or bigger or the crappest smallest (this is the option most experienced people seem to take), but not in the middle, so be very very careful of upgrades. In the end we had no problems on return.
To buy alcohol, turn left out of Airport and follow signs for Marrakesh and Agadir, were the road eventually says one way to Marrakech and the other goes to Agadir, take the Agadir signs and shortly up to your right you will see a chaepo supermarket that sell beer and wine, this is approx 10 or 15 mins from the Airport.
Post edited at 11:04
OP Lucy Wallace 15 Aug 2014
In reply to SCrossley:

> Oddly the guy liked us, well not me obviously because i`m a cock,

I'm sure you are lovely.

> To buy alcohol, turn left out of Airport and follow signs for Marrakesh and Agadir, were the road eventually says one way to Marrakech and the other goes to Agadir, take the Agadir signs and shortly up to your right you will see a chaepo supermarket that sell beer and wine, this is approx 10 or 15 mins from the Airport.

Very good tip thanks!

Thanks again all for the useful advice. Appartment for first week is by far the cheapest option and gives us lots of freedom. Think we will move about a bit for second week when we have lie of the land. Kasbah looks like a good option if we want pampering. I'm also wondering about a homestay or something a bit local up in the mountains, anyone got any experience of anything like this?

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