Fast Facts

Banks & Currency Exchange -- The closest banks to the medina are on the Grand Socco: SGMB (tel. 039/334783) and BMCE (tel. 039/933564). Both branches are open Monday to Friday 8:15am to 3:45pm, and SGMB also has a 24-hour exchange ATM. In the ville nouvelle, there is a string of banks on boulevard Mohammed V and boulevard Pasteur. Banque Populaire, on the corner of boulevard Mohammed V and rue Allal ben Abdellah (tel. 039/933651), exchanges traveler's checks and is open Monday to Friday 8:15am to 3:45pm; it also has a 24-hour exchange ATM. WafaChange, across from the Banque Populaire on boulevard Mohammed V, is open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm. WafaCash, corner of boulevard Pasteur and rue Ahmed Chaouki (tel. 039/932177), will process a cash advance on your credit card and is an agent for Western Union. It's open Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm and 4 to 9pm, and Sunday 10am to 2pm and 4 to 9pm. The SGMB branch on the corner of avenue de Mexique and avenue Prince Heritiér has a 24-hour exchange ATM. The state-run Bank al Maghrib, on boulevard Mohammed V (Mon-Fri 8am-3pm), will usually cash traveler's checks, damaged notes, pre-1999 U.S. notes, and the new British pound notes, all of which may be rejected at other banks.

Car Rentals -- The major international firms can be found in the ville nouvelle including Avis, 54 bd. Pasteur (tel. 039/934646); Europcar, 97 bd. Mohammed V (corner of place el Oumame; tel. 039/941938); Hertz, 36 bd. Mohammed V (corner of rue Allal ben Abdellah; tel. 039/322165); and National/Alamo, corner of boulevard Mohammed V and rue Libanais (tel. 039/325159). Budget (tel. 039/301045) is based in the Tanger Ville train station, at the far southwestern end of boulevard Mohammed V. Those with desks at the airport include: Avis (tel. 063/053432), Hertz (tel. 039/322210), and National/Alamo (tel. 063/053432). A reputable local company is Doukka Car Hire, 3 rue Allal ben Abdellah (tel. 039/940400).

Dentist & Doctors -- Dr. Hassan Cherqui and Dr. Abdelmalek Takkal are both based in the Clinique Assalam. For a pediatrician, English-speaking Dr. Abdelouahid Torres is at 62 rue Moussa ben Noussaire (tel. 039/934600). For dentistry, Dr. Minhal Kodeih is at 2 rue Kendy (tel. 039/320332).

Drugstores -- Pharmacies can be found easily throughout Tangier. In the medina, on rue Siaghine, is Pharmacie Anegax (tel. 039/378973). In the ville nouvelle, Pharmacie du Paris and Grande Pharmacie Pasteur are both located on place de France. Farther down boulevard Pasteur is Pharmacie Centrale (tel. 039/940982). Pharmacies in Tangier generally operate Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm, 4 to 8pm, and 9pm to 1am. All pharmacies will have a list of after hour pharmacies listed on their front doors.

Ferry Tickets -- There are plenty of travel agencies lining avenue Mohammed VI (formerly av. d'Espagne) leading to the port, all of them selling ferry tickets. You can purchase tickets, however, direct from the ferry companies at their ticket offices just in front of the ferry terminal building inside the port; ignore touts' and hustlers' advice to the contrary. The ferry companies also have ticketing offices in the ville nouvelle: Comanav, 43 rue Abou Alaa al Maari (tel. 039/940488); Comarit, corner of avenue Mohammed VI (formerly av. des F.A.R.) and rue de Marseille (tel. 039/320032); EuroFerrys, 31 av. de la Résistance (tel. 039/322253); FRS, 18 rue Farabi (tel. 039/942612); IMTC, 2 bd. Pasteur (tel. 039/336002); and Limadet, 13 rue Prince Moulay Abdellah (tel. 039/933621). All of the above sail to Algeciras, Spain. FRS also operates a Tangier-Gibraltar and Tangier-Tarifa service, although Tarifa isn't an international port so therefore can only be used by E.U. passport holders. Tip: Make sure you're given an immigration departure card when purchasing your ticket to sail from Tangier. Immigration formalities take place in the ferry terminal building, not on the boat. Hustlers hang around in the building distributing cards and assisting passengers expecting a tip in return.

Hospitals -- For a private ambulance service, call tel. 039/954040 or 039/946976. The best private clinic in Tangier is Clinique Assalam, 10 av. de la Paix (tel. 039/322558).

Internet Access -- Close to the medina on the Grand Socco is Soconet, open daily from 10am to 11pm. Back in the ville nouvelle is the Maroc Telecom Teleboutique, on the corner of boulevard Pasteur and rue Prince Moulay Abdellah, open daily 8am to midnight. IB Nord Internet, 3 rue Allal ben Abdellah, is open daily 9am to 11pm. Club Internet 3000, 27 rue el Antaki, sells computer accessories and is open daily 9am to midnight (closed Fri noon to 3pm).

Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- Laverie Ouazzani, 50 rue Zariab (tel. 039/949883), washes by the kilo and is open daily from 9am to 9pm. Pressing 7/7 dry cleaning is on rue el Antaki (between hotels Marco Polo and Bristol). A shirt or pair of pants costs around 15dh ($1.90/95p). It's open daily 9am to 9pm.

Maps & Books -- There aren't too many maps of Tangier to be found. On my last visit, Librarie des Colonnes, 54 bd. Pasteur (tel. 039/936995), was selling a Tanger Plan Ville color map (20dh/$2.50/[b]1.25), which has good plans of both the medina and ville nouvelle, with a street directory for the ville nouvelle. You'll also find a small selection of English-language fiction and some French-language Morocco guide books and coffee table-style photographic books here.

Newspapers -- Along avenue Mohammed VI, boulevard Mohammed V, and boulevard Pasteur, you'll find various newsstands and minisupermarkets selling international weekly versions of the Guardian and Herald Tribune, including Superette Normandie, 82 bd. Mohammed V, open daily 9am to 9pm. Les Nouvelles du Nord is a weekly French-language publication dedicated to the news and gossip of Tangier and is available (4dh/50¢/25p) at the same locations.

Photographic Needs -- Labo Photo Samar, corner of boulevard Pasteur and rue Prince Moulay Abdallah (tel. 039/932187), sells and processes a range of film and can transfer your digital images onto CD. They sell a few digital accessories and second-hand equipment, too, and are open Monday to Saturday 9am to 1pm and 3 to 9:30pm and Sunday 4 to 9:30pm. Since 1935, Labo Studio el Minzah (tel. 039/931399) has been housed just down from the El Minzah Hotel at 79 rue de la Liberté. They sell used cameras, filters, and battery chargers, and will transfer digital images to CD. Daily hours are 8am to 1pm and 4 to 9pm.

Police -- For general emergencies and the police, call tel. 19. Tangier's Brigade Touristique is located in the old Tangier Port train station at the entrance to the port (tel. 039/931129).

Post Office & Mail -- Tangier's main post office, which receives all poste restante mail, is in the ville nouvelle at 33 bd. Mohammed V, open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:15pm and Saturday 8 to 11:45am. There is a section outside for sending parcels (that must be inspected first) and Western Union services. DHL, 98 rue Sidi Bouabid (tel. 022/972020 central reservations), is open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6:30pm, Saturday 8:30am to 12:30pm, and public holidays 9am to 1pm. FedEx, 4 rue Allal ben Abdellah (tel. 039/320074), is open Monday to Friday 8am to 7:30pm and Saturday 8am to 12:15pm.

Restrooms -- There are no public restrooms in Tangier. If you're caught short in the medina, go to the refurbished Cafe Centrale on the Petit Socco. Just up from the Grand Socco, in the Complexe Dawliz on rue de Hollande, is a McDonald's, or try the nearby Café de Paris on place de France. There's also a Pizza Hut near the beach on the corner of avenue Youssef ibn Tachfine and rue Abou Alaa al Maari.

Safety -- Tangier has lost a good deal of its sleaze in the past few years, and most travelers will feel quite at ease safety-wise. Most annoyances nowadays come from pavement salesmen, especially in the medina, trying to sell their wares. Also, some travelers find themselves targeted by those selling kif, the Moroccan hashish, purely because they have long hair or look slightly alternative. Solo women travelers may also attract some lewd or suggestive comments and looks, but this isn't solely in Tangier.

Telephone -- Tangier's city code is 039.