How do I plan a Morocco route that isn't too much driving?

The single biggest mistake I see in self-planned Morocco trips is treating the map like it's European-sized. It isn't — Marrakech to the Merzouga dunes is a genuine full day behind the wheel each way, and Marrakech to Fes is around five hours. When people try to weave the desert, both imperial cities and the coast into a week, they end up spending more time looking at the road than at Morocco. The fix is structural, not just a matter of leaving earlier in the morning.

My rule of thumb is one big driving day every two to three days, never two long transfers back to back. So a healthy week might look like: arrive and settle, a relaxed first full day on foot, then a transfer day, then one or two days exploring on foot again before the next move. The walking-and-exploring days are what recharge people; if every single day starts with three hours in a vehicle, even the most beautiful scenery starts to feel like a commute, and the trip sours by day four.

Geography is your friend if you let it group your days. Keep the desert as one continuous southern loop out of Marrakech and back, so the long drives flow as a single journey through changing landscape rather than darting out and returning. In the north, use the train — it links Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat and Fes comfortably and cheaply, and a train leg feels nothing like a long car day because you can read, doze, or watch the country slide past without a tired driver. Many of my clients do a guided southern loop, then trains for the northern cities.

Finally, build around bases, not one-night stands. Pick two or three places where you stay two nights and use them as hubs for day trips, rather than changing your hotel every evening. A two-night base lets you actually unpack, find your café, and do an unhurried day on foot — and it quietly slashes your total driving because day trips loop back to the same bed. The one night I always make an exception for is the desert camp, which is worth the journey. Everything else, I try to keep still.