Home / Morocco / Rabat Airport

Car hire at Rabat Airport

Car rental at Rabat-Salé Airport from local Moroccan companies. Many cars need no deposit and no credit card, and every price includes the airport handover.

Cheap car rental with a Rabat Airport handover

Each price is the full seven-day total for collecting and returning the car at the airport. Rabat is one of several Morocco airports where local firms hand over the car.

Car classes for the capital and the coast

These are starting prices per class for the deals week. Half the cars at Rabat Airport are dearer than €56 a day.

Class prices are for a car handed over and returned at Rabat Airport; delivery to a town address is priced on its own. Both manual and automatic cars are on offer.

The cars above seat five, and seven-seaters are offered too. Think about cases as well as people before you choose.

How do you meet your car hire company at Rabat Airport?

Your voucher names the company, the meeting point and a phone number, so you know where to go before you land.

Save the voucher offline

Download it before you board. Without mobile data you will still have the meeting point and the number to ring.

Keep your phone on

The company may call or message the day before and when you land. Give a number with its country code that works abroad.

Check the car together

Go over the bodywork alongside the company, list each scratch on the handover sheet and look at the fuel gauge before leaving.

If your flight is late, message the company as soon as you know so they can wait or change the time.

Some cars carry a charge for the airport handover. It is already in the price you see, so compare totals rather than daily rates.

Rabat-Salé Airport guide: services, parking and the drive out

Meeting the company, parking during the hire and what to expect on the road once you have the keys.

At the airport

  • Meeting point Your voucher shows where the company meets you, which changes from car to car.
  • Reachable phone The booking number must answer from the day before pickup to the end of the hire.
  • Driving licence Original only, with Latin-script details; its expiry date must fall after the hire ends.

Parking and the return

  • Parking costs during the hire fall to you, like fuel, tolls and fines.
  • Hire car return: use the place agreed with the company, shown on your voucher.
  • Fuel gauge Return it where it was at pickup; the company bills any shortfall and pays nothing for extra.

Collecting and returning your car

  1. Search with the airport at both ends so the price already carries any handover charge.
  2. Enter your real flight times because the hour of pickup and return can change the price.
  3. Flying home from Casablanca or Tangier? Choose that airport as the return place.
Landing late at night? Some cars cost more for a pickup and return in the small hours. Put in your real times and any extra appears in the total.

Driving away from Rabat Airport

  1. Keep right in town and on the open road alike.
  2. Approaching a roundabout? Follow the give-way sign and line where there is one.
  3. Most have one, so traffic already on the ring goes first.
Driving south to Casablanca? The motorway has tolls. Booths take cash, bank cards or a Jawaz tag; whether your car has a tag is up to the company.

Can you rent a car at Rabat Airport without a credit card?

None of the six cars above needs a credit card, but each holds a deposit at its starting cover, so check the amount under the car.

Booking costs an advance of 15 to 20%; the company takes what is left when it hands you the keys, in whatever ways that car accepts.

A car that insists on a card wants the physical, embossed one, held by the main driver. Debit is possible only if the voucher names it.

No credit card with you? Look at cars in Morocco that need no credit card.

To keep money off hold, compare car rental in Morocco with no deposit.

How far is Rabat Airport from Rabat city centre?

Rabat is 10.7 kilometres from the airport, about 20 minutes by car with clear roads. Each figure is measured from the airport, with no breaks included.

The old walled quarter and white houses of Rabat above the river mouth and blue sea
Rabat Airport→Rabat
20 min · 10.7 km
The Hassan II Mosque and its tall minaret on the shore at Casablanca, with ocean waves and a vivid blue sky
Rabat Airport→Casablanca
1 h 30 min · 105.2 km
Two white plastic chairs standing in shallow water on a wide flat beach at El Jadida, under a soft evening sky
Rabat Airport→El Jadida
2 h 30 min · 201.6 km
A view across the flat rooftops and old buildings of the Fes medina, under a blue sky with white clouds
Rabat Airport→Fez old town
2 h 30 min · 202.3 km
Crowds in Jemaa el-Fnaa square at dusk in front of lit cafe terraces, under a deep blue evening sky
Rabat Airport→Jemaa el-Fna
4 h · 332.6 km
A green canyon with red cliffs and a rainbow in the spray of the Ouzoud falls, under a clear blue sky
Rabat Airport→Ouzoud waterfalls
5 h · 347.5 km

Heading north from Rabat Airport: Kenitra, about 45 min; Asilah, about 2 h 45 min.

The airport stands in Salé, next to Rabat. That time ends at a central point, so your hotel may be a few minutes either side.

Casablanca and El Jadida lie south on the A1 motorway, and Fez is east on the A2. Kenitra, Asilah and Tangier are to the north on the A5.

Driving in Morocco after a Rabat Airport pickup

Get the feel of the pedals, lights and wipers before you leave the airport.

Speed limits by road

NARSA, the road safety agency, gives 20, 40 or 60 km/h in towns, usually 80 on national roads, some 100, and 120 on motorways.

Kit the car must carry

NARSA lists a yellow vest, a warning triangle and spare bulbs as kit to carry. Check all three before leaving.

Care after dark

UK travel advice says poor lighting can make night driving dangerous, with people or animals on the road. Plan longer drives for daylight.

Phones and emergency numbers

NARSA warns against using a phone while driving. UK travel advice gives 190 for police and 150 for an ambulance or fire.

Had a bump or found damage? Phone the company first, then ask the police for a report unless the company waives it. Missing either can leave you uninsured.

Fuel, parking, tolls and fines are paid by the renter.

Paved roads only

Every journey must stay on paved public roads, wherever you head from Rabat and however short the track.

The Morocco rental conditions allow driving on paved public roads only, so leave unsurfaced tracks out of your plans.

The car stays in Morocco

You cannot drive a hire car from Rabat across a border or take it on a ferry.

The rental terms do not allow crossing the country’s borders, and there is no cross-border option for Morocco. Plan the whole trip inside the country.

Can you pick up at Rabat Airport and return at Casablanca Airport?

Yes, many cars can go back at Casablanca Airport, and many at Tangier Airport too. Enter both airports in the search to see the total.

Name the return airport

Choose the airport itself as the return place, not a city address. Changing it later gives a new price.

Ask where to hand back

The company tells you where to meet at the other airport. Leave time for the check before your flight.

Agree any change

If your flight moves, contact the company and agree a new return first. A different drop-off is priced again.

The drive south takes about 1 hour 45 minutes by motorway, so flying home from Casablanca Airport fits an easy last morning.

Heading north instead? Returning at Tangier Airport is about 2 hours 45 minutes away on the A5.

Rabat Airport prices month by month

Bars give the usual day rate for a week-long booking that starts and ends at Rabat Airport. Read them as a guide to cheaper months.

N/A means no car was offered for that month.

Any airport handover charge is already in these prices. Different times, extras or cover change the total.

Each rental day runs 24 hours from pickup, and any hours past that are billed as another day. To keep the car longer, tell the company in advance.

Plan seats, drivers and bags before you land

A Rabat pickup goes faster when every driver, child seat and suitcase is planned in the booking.

Add a second driver

Book the second driver as an extra and bring their licence. Each driver must meet the age and experience rules shown on the car.

Book child seats

Child seats are extras, so add one for each child when you book. Check the fit at the airport before you set off.

Leave room for bags

The cars above seat five; seven-seaters are offered too. Large cases need boot space as well, so size up if in doubt.

Travelling with a pet

A small pet can join you, in its carrier from pickup to return. Choose a car with room for the carrier as well as the bags.

What does car rental insurance cover at Rabat Airport?

Cars here start at different levels, and the paid upgrades are not equal. Compare what each level adds, not only its price.

Minimum coverageIncluded as standard
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Damage to your hire car (not included)
Basic coverage
  • Limited collision cover (CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Glass and tyre damage (not included)
Full Coverage
  • Limited driver liability (Super CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
Full Coverage Plus
  • Full damage cover (included)
  • No driver liability for accident damage (included)

Minimum on the i10 and Grand i10. Both start with Minimum (TPL), which leaves damage to the hire car itself uncovered.

A deposit on those two. They also hold a deposit. Basic and Full leave it as it is; only Full Coverage Plus takes it to zero.

Basic on other cars. Other Rabat Airport cars start with Basic (CDW) and no deposit, but you still owe an excess if the car is damaged.

Full does not lower the excess. On these cars Full Coverage keeps the same excess as Basic; Full Coverage Plus is the level that removes it.

Standard cover does not pay for wheels, the underside, the windscreen or the inside of the car. Deliberate damage through vandalism or neglect voids it. Here, damage cover and excess only fall together at Full Coverage Plus.

Licence and documents for a Rabat Airport pickup

Your licence has to be the original, with the details in the Latin alphabet and valid until at least the return date. Copies or phone versions are refused.

International Driving Permit

If your licence is only valid at home, carry an IDP with it. UK travel advice says UK licence holders need the 1968 IDP.

Age and experience

Each car lists its own minimum age and years licensed. Every named driver must meet them, or the company can refuse the car.

Have your passport and booking voucher with you too; the company needs both to sign the rental agreement.

Returning the car at Rabat Airport

Bring it back with the agreed fuel and clean enough to inspect.

Fuel level

  • Return the gauge to where it started. Missing fuel is billed at the company’s price; a fuller tank earns nothing back.

Cleanliness

  • A car too dirty to inspect is washed at your cost.

Leave time for the inspection before check-in, and agree any extra days with the company in advance.

Changing or cancelling a Rabat Airport booking

To change the car or the dates, cancel and book again.

Cancellation deadlines

Cancel at least seven days before pickup, or thirty days ahead for a luxury car or convertible. With the short-notice option, the limit is 24 hours.

Late cancellation and refunds

Cancel after that, or miss the pickup, and the advance is lost. On earlier cancellations a 6% payment fee is kept.

Rabat Airport car hire questions

Can I hire an automatic car at Rabat Airport?

Yes. Many listings here are automatic; confirm it in the car’s details, since the picture can show a different version.

Is there a charge for collecting at the airport?

On some cars, yes. Any handover charge is already in the price shown, so compare the totals rather than the daily rate.

Can I pick up a car at Rabat Airport at night?

Yes, on some cars, though a pickup and return in the small hours can cost more. Enter your real times to see the price.

Does a no-deposit car mean there is no excess?

No. With Basic, a deposit-free car can still leave you owing an excess after damage. Only the top level, Plus, brings that to zero.

Can I take the hire car to Spain on a ferry?

No. Hire cars from Morocco must stay in the country, so a ferry crossing with the car is not allowed.

More Morocco rental help

Compare car rental at Rabat Airport

Set your pickup and return times at Rabat Airport, then compare each car’s full price, deposit and cover before you book.

See Rabat Airport cars