# morocco money



## PAT4NEIL

Hello all,

I was wondering how people change to the local money.

Do you buy Euros then convert to Dirhams

Does Nationwide charge money when getting from ATM in Morocco.


The exchange rate for Euros is dropping drastically, could be in free fall, so panicking.

Help

Pat


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## Exdudcotion

Plenty of cashpoints in Morocco which all give out Dhirams. Spend them all before you leave as banks in europe don't want them.
The biggest money problem we had in Morocco was an apparent national lack of coins, getting change often seemed to involve sending a boy down the street to see if his uncle had any.
Great country, when you get there you will relax and wonder what you where so worried about. We certainly did. Cheers, Colin.


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## PAT4NEIL

Thanks Colin

I have been told that this is the case,

my query is more to do with the most cost effective way of getting and spending money in morocco

ie nationwide charges,
credit card charges

etc

regards Pat


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## Dunworkin

Pat,

We were in Morocco in 2007. We took a small amount of sterling which we exchanged for Dirhams as we entered. After that we just used our Nationwide visa debit card (no charges and good rates). In most towns we could find a bank with an atm where our card would work. (The national banks are the best bet).

We are going again in December, and will do the same, as changing sterling to euros then to dirhams gives 2 exchange hits. Like you though, I'm wishing I'd bought some Euros earlier for France and Spain.

John


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## smithies

*Money, Money*

Pat,
Take some pounds and some euros if you already have them (no sense paying commission twice !)....and then at the port use the Cambio to change whichever is giving the best deal.* The money exchange is just as you leave the customs proper, still within the port itself....in fact if you are sitting in a long queue to be dealt with by the customs (SOOO slow !) you can take your passport and walk through, we have done this before !!
You don't need to change loads of money....a couple of hundred quid will give you more than enough until you can get to a bank. The motorway tolls in Morocco are very cheap but they only accept Dirhams , so you do need to make sure you have the local currency.

The 1st year we were away we used a spanish card at ATM s which was a euro account....we now just take scads of £££ s and change as we need to in order to avoid paying commission charges and transfer fees.(tightwads !!)

Your credit card will be accepted at only the big petrol stations (mostly on the motorways )....don't forget to tip the pump attendant 3-5 dhs for his work !! 

* we only got 13.47 dhs to the pound yesterday..calamity !!...the fellow in the bank says if the pound is good the euro isn't, and vice versa !!

Conversely, we went shopping in the local fruit and veg market and only spent about £1.50 on potatoes, onions, lemons (they actually only cost us a Stylo..a Biro pen !) clementines, aubergines,peppers, tomatoes and a HUUge honey dew melon....Tescos cant beat these prices !!

See you soon....jenny and Gordon


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## PAT4NEIL

Hi Jenny,
Knew you would post,

Is the dirham not linked to the Euro, the £1 against euro is diving, I just bought euros at 1.16

Do you not use nationwide card at all, my main worry is that they are forecasting the euro to drop a lot further, and I want to know what I am spending up front, dont wont a big bill when I get home.

Kind regards

Pat


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## smithies

*Money, money, money*

Pat,

cant believe that rate !!...scandalous !!!

I am sure the dirham is linked to the euro,(MUCH too difficult for my pink fluffy brain to understand ...LOL ) but I figure you HAVE to change the money...... (bring £££ s then, providing you have a safe on-board !)...they got you over a barrel eh ????

Pat...almost forgot...we dont use a Nationwide account, we should have opened one BEFORE we started fulltiming, as we now dont have any utility bills we are stuck with the bank accounts we already have !!

Weather good here....36 degs yesterday at midday....heading that way today as well.......what a life !!

Jenny


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## PAT4NEIL

Cor 36 deg , I could do with some of that.

I hate having the responsibility of sorting out the money thing, husband earns it and I spend it (we both do actually).

Least its cheap when we are out in Morocco.

You go back to the sunbathing!

regards
Pat


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## PAT4NEIL

*Re: Money, Money*



smithies said:


> Pat,
> Conversely, we went shopping in the local fruit and veg market and only spent about £1.50 on potatoes, onions, lemons (they actually only cost us a Stylo..a Biro pen !) clementines, aubergines,peppers, tomatoes and a HUUge honey dew melon....Tescos cant beat these prices !!
> 
> A biro, is that the going rate then,
> 
> I have plenty of pencils and pens to give away, what are the best pens to barter with then
> 
> Pat


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## smithies

*Stylos*

Pat,,

We have always brought pens, pencils and paper to give away, secondhand clotes are also always gratefully received.... But in 5 years of coming here I have never been asked for anything other than the money for purchases in the souk....I was a bit suprised yesterday, but its a good job my handbag has space for a few pens, etc !

BTW, the pen was a giveaway from my old company, Green King Brewery in Bury St Edmunds....4 lemons=1 free pen...bargain !!

Lunch on the terrace in the sun...bye !!


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## whistlinggypsy

I think i saw a thread from Ray (desert detours) stating the Cambio on the port at Ceuta is closed permanently, so have enough fuel to get to a bank.

Too speed up your exit i use the services of a official tour guide at the port to do the paperwork, cost €5 but well worth it as you get done first in the queue with them, but make sure he has an official badge, he fills in the documents and takes you too the front of the queue, once for vehicle and once for passports.

All done and dusted in 10 mins. 

Bob


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## ethnicall

In Jan/Feb this year we used our Nationwide Debit Card for ATM cash all over Morocco, No charges from either ATM or Nationwide, never a problem, always the top exchange rate though the pound was dropping mostly against the Euro, though some days it went up. I think the Dirham must follow the Euro. Within a couple of days I could log on to my Nationwide account and check the transaction and what rate I had got. We leave the bulk in our Nationwide esavings account as we get more interest then transfer money online to the flex account when we need it We were getting about 15.10 Dirham to the pound, it's at least 10% less now. For the latest rate Pound to Dirham check XE currency converter,
http://www.xe.com/ucc/
this is usually equivalent to the Nationwide exchange rate. 
Just checked 6pm 13th Nov 12.98!!!
Last year we used our Nationwide card in US Peru France & Spain without any problems and got the best rates, that's why we got the card in the first place.
We will be back there some time in Jan, even at the current rate it's far cheaper and warmer than here.

Mark


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## PAT4NEIL

It was 13,47 earlier now in the 12s our pound is definetely taking a bashing, like you say its best to be somewhere like Morocco, where you get value for money and hopefully nice weather.

Kind regards


Pat


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## cliver

Hi Pat,
We were in Gibraltar today. The Airport terminal, just over the Spanish border - will exchange £ for Dirhams. The rate was about 12 to the £ if I recall correctly.
Hope this helps,
Clive

PS You can park for 1 Euro/hour just outside Gibraltar and walk into the Airport. It takes about 20 mins tops to get in and out.


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## smithies

Pat,
we went to Agadir a few days ago and were quoted 12.96 dh to the pound.....Gulp.....as we didn't NEED the money at the moment, we have decided to hold out changing any more to see if the rate improves......don't know how that will work, sods law says it will drop further eh ??

Still lovely and hot here.....have met up with Seanoo who arrived on site last week....great life this !!

Jenny


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