Rabat-Salé airport: plan the ride before you queue

For a first stay, choose between two areas. The Medina and the streets by the Kasbah are the most popular base, with riads, cafés and a more relaxed feel than the medinas of Marrakech or Fès, but they can get hectic and budget places fill up on some days, so arrive early. The Hassan district is quieter, close to the…

Built in 1912 in the Moorish style, the Tour Hassan Palace on Avenue Chellah is a piece of old Rabat you can sleep in. Its own site presents the building as a tribute to the splendour of Moorish architecture. Choose it for the setting rather than for a standard room, and ask the front desk what parts of the building…

The high-speed Al Boraq train calls at Rabat-Agdal, a few kilometres south of the downtown Rabat-Ville station that sits next to the tram and a taxi rank. Travelers who assume every train stops downtown lose time on arrival day. Check the station name on your ticket, and plan a city bus or taxi into the centre, or a…

Long-distance coaches in Rabat often stop outside the centre: the CTM station is about ten minutes by car from the middle of town, while the Rabat-Ville train station is within walking distance of the medina, with the tram and taxis outside. Arriving by coach without a plan means an unplanned transfer in an unfamiliar…

At dusk the lit monuments of Rabat and Salé face each other across the Bou Regreg. Cross to the Marina Bouregreg boardwalk on the Salé side to shoot the glowing Rabat skyline over calm water, or stand on the bridge for both banks in one frame. Arrive about half an hour before sunset for the changing light, and bring a…

The Yacht Club of Rabat is based at the Bouregreg Marina on the estuary, beside the Rabat-Salé corniche, and offers water sports for all levels. In summer the marina is where young Rabatis come for sailing and surfing before the walkers arrive at sunset. Ask at the club what is running that day, go before the evening…

Small wooden boats carry passengers across the Bou Regreg between the Rabat quay below the kasbah and the Salé bank, a trip of a few minutes. It shows you the banks, medinas and monuments from the water. Look for the boats at the quay on Avenue al Marsa, agree the crossing with the boatman before stepping in, and pair…

The Rabat International Marathon is held in spring, usually in May, with a full marathon, a half marathon and a 10 km run through the city. Runners can enter any of the three, and spectators can pick a spot along the avenues to cheer. Confirm the date and route on the official race page before you plan, because the…