Renting a car at Agadir Airport: the complete guide

You land at Al Massira, it is 28 degrees outside, and your rental starts in twenty minutes. Here is exactly what will happen, and what to check before turning the key.

On arrival: how it works

With a local company like tripn'Go, someone waits for you in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name. The contract is already filled in; you just read it and sign. Count fifteen minutes between customs and the car park. The big international brands have a counter in the hall, often with a queue, and a shuttle to reach the car.

One tip: always give your flight number when you book. A Paris-Agadir flight landing two hours late at midnight happens. The company that tracks your flight waits for you; the one that does not has gone home.

Documents to bring

• •A driving licence held for at least 2 years (a European licence is enough; no international permit needed for a tourist stay)
• •Passport or national ID
• •A payment method for the deposit, unless you choose the full coverage insurance (no deposit)

The deposit: how it really works

At tripn'Go you choose at key handover. Either the full coverage insurance at €4 per day: no deposit at all, nothing blocked on your card, nothing left in cash, and the excess disappears too. Or the classic option with a deposit, the amount depending on the vehicle category, usually between 3,000 and 8,000 dirhams, released 24 hours after return provided the car comes back as it left. Elsewhere, be wary of 'no deposit' offers whose price only appears at the counter: here, the full coverage rate is announced at booking.

The inspection: five minutes that protect you

Before driving off, walk around the car with the agent. Photograph all four corners, the windscreen, the wheels and the fuel level, with your phone's timestamp. Every existing scratch must appear on the contract. These five minutes prevent 95% of disputes at return.

Classic airport traps

• •The teaser price that doubles at the counter: 'airport fee', 'mandatory' insurance, young driver surcharge. Get the total price in writing before you book.
• •Limited mileage hidden in the terms: 200 km/day runs out fast in Morocco. Check that mileage is unlimited.
• •Fuel: the fair rule is full-to-full, or the level recorded at departure. Refuse 'prepaid non-refundable full tank'.
• •Touts in the hall: book before you travel, not on the spot.

Returning the car

Allow ten minutes for the walk-around with the agent before your check-in. If you return outside opening hours, ask how the remote inspection works. With tripn'Go, airport returns run 7 days a week from 6am to 11pm, and even in another city if you chose a one-way rental.

Your car can be waiting in the arrivals hall on your next flight: booking takes two minutes, with no prepayment.