#64 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings.
182 reviews
Hola amigos!
This time I'll report on a pre-pandemic trip to Morocco I had with my brother.
We found a really cheap fare to Marrakesh and then we figured out what to do next…eventually choosing to do a road trip up to Chefchaouen and Tangier, then grabbing the Al Boraq to Casablanca where we would spend a couple of days with a friend, and then back to Spain.
So…now to our matter…
We rode the Metro to the airport, which brought us there in less than 40 mins. Beware that Terminal 1 is quite a distance from the metro station.
Air Europa uses the older terminal complex at Barajas. In this case, international flights depart from Terminal 1. We weren't checking in any bags, so we could skip queues…but I wanted a souvenir BP as it was my first (and only thus far) flight with UX.
Having gotten the BP, we passed security and the Border painlessly.And then we went on to the Cibeles lounge. Now this one is hands down the best lounge in MAD (IMO). I love that it's got a terrace, this means a world of difference.
So we spent the hours to boarding sipping cocktails (my brother is an amateur bartender) and sipping the fumes and sounds of UX's fleet getting ready for its trips to America
Leaving the terminal I saw this very random advert about Colombia's 5th biggest city…
We didnt had to wait much time for boarding…and one we went to our first flight to Africa!
This particular 738 was fitted with the new SkyInterior and mood lighting, which gave a modern and fresh look.
Seats were much more confortable than IB's, and were not as tight as I would have expected
Seat pocket contents (so pre-2020)
We took off from RWY 36L and then we turned south…
Which allowed for pretty nice views of MAD and Madrid
The flight was sleepy and pretty much eventless… The only interesting thing were the views outside…
Tanger…and Spain in the background
Casablanca
A while after this picture descent was announced…the flight passed by so fast. And there we were in a new country and continent :)
The excitement then waned away…the queue for immigration was long and was not being processed efficiently. We were asked a lot of obnoxious questions, and finally we managed to leave.
We then faced the worst part of the trip, which was getting to town. I read in guides that taxis were overpriced, but they were the only choice. Long story short the driver ripped us off big time, and then a young guy showed up where the taxi left us to "guide us" to our hotel. At a point I though we would be mugged, but he left us at our place. But then he demanded half of what we paid to the taxi…this was ridiculous. We rang the bell for the guy at the hotel to come to our aid but it was no good…an when he came to open he was just-awaken and grumpy, he was pissed at us for waking him up and told us we had to pay what the guy demanded. Not the best first impression to a new country.
UX did a fine job. As many airlines in Europe nowadays, its a means to take you from A to B. That's it.
MAD did very well. While the older terminals are a far cry away from the T4 complex, it was clean and efficient. The best thing was the lounge, the terrace is an awesome perk!
RAK is a very modern airport. Immigration was inneficient. Being stuck to the taxi mafia is a huge turn off and not the best way to experience a country for the first time.
Thanks for reading, saludos!
6 Comments
Nice trip report
Could you scan yout flight boardingpass and send me the picture without private details (Name and barcode)
i do not have a boardingpass to marrakech
Thanks and apologize
Best regards
I prefer to sip cocktails hahah
Me pongo VERDE de envidiaaaaa!!! Casablanca is top on my bucket list!! So romantic! Did you know that Rick's Café really exists?? The Casablanca municipality built it because tourists wouldn't stop asking about it - along with the Blue Parrot!! (sigh)
Pucha que lo siento. Voy a tener mucho ojo con eso.
Y eso que esto fue pre-pandemia, no? Hace poco vi un video en YouTube sobre la situación económica en Marruecos y cómo la caída del turismo tiene a mucha gente desesperada y este tipo de cosas se ha agravado, con la gente abusando como quiere de los turistas. Lástima, porque uno empieza a preguntarse si realmente debería ir.
Felicitaciones por tu primer viaje al África!
En efecto fui al Ricks Café. Marruecos no me enamoró la verdad. Creo que me gusta más Andalucía y Turquía, pero entre gustos...
Saludos!
I like UX's newer cabins, much nicer than the older ones. And they have overhead screens showing the moving map, which is becoming rarer and rarer as airlines are ripping them out to save weight--feels like a step backwards.
Sorry about your experience on arrival. I've always wanted to go to Marrakesh, but have always hesitated due to reputation for scams and pickpocketing. I'm sure 99.9% of tourists have a great experience with no problems (otherwise no one would ever go), but it only takes one small incident to ruin a trip and give a bad impression. Granted I have been ripped off and even mugged at gun-point while travelling in the past, those experiences have led me to avoid places with a higher risk of that happening now that I travel mostly with my kid. I prefer my vacations as stress free as possible now!
Thanks for sharing!
Given UX, the airline does the job from bringing you from A to B, but I somehow did have a love-hate relationship with them. Thanks for sharing!
AENA had plans to modernise T123, but I guess the plan got shelved after the Pandemic. I haven't heard again of this project...
Thanks for passing by!
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