How you want to travel? The best is to rent a car, but you can go by bus also. Make your itinerary not so tight, you have quite many days for your trip so it is good. But think at that traveling go slowly and distances are big. Try to stay in one place longer than only one night so you can also enjoy, look around etc.

Start with Fes as shimmin recommend you, take your trip then via the desert before it will be much warm and finish your holiday near the coast, in Essaouira for example.

Seventeen days is a good length of time to discover the contrasts that Morocco offers and I agree completely with the first two replies. Day trips can also be made from Fes (Meknes, the Roman ruins at Volubilis and Moulay Idriss for example) and from Marrakech - several High Atlas destinations have been reviewed, and Essaouira, in my opinion also, is a must although you could look up Safi and El Jadida too for beach locations. Happy planning and welcome to the Moroccan forums Antionino M.

If you can, do not fly into Casa, a dump to say least. Get train to Fes, then 3-4 days in Fes, rent a car, drive thru mountains and Dades Gorge, then to Marakech, take 4 nights minimum, then 4 days in Marakech, drop car, then camel and beach from there...

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Apart from the fact that the OP is not "interested in these big organized tours" the post above breaches TA guidelines - the third such violation within a day that I have noticed.

"a dump to say least"

Honestly! Why do people hate Casablanca? I wonder if what they really mean is that it's a bit big, a bit shabby in parts and that the very real attractions are spread out and take time to get to - or that they haven't bothered researching them.

For people arriving to the culture shock of Morocco, I always think it's a wonderful introduction. Relatively little hassle, an "easy" old town, a beach, fantastic restaurants, some genuinely interesting attractions and the possibility of day trips to other nearby cities using fast and modern public transport.

This article I stumbled on the other day gives another view and actually informed me of a couple of places I'd never been to in Casa and which I shall visit in the New Year.

guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/may/08/casablanca…

As the OP has 17 days in Morocco a couple of days in Casa would be worthwhile. And, after all, one can only coo at the stars in the desert, shivering with cold, for so many nights until the novelty wears off. Or look at ruins.

One final thing. If you end your holiday in Essaouira, do not make the mistake of taking a taxi or coach back to Casa for your flight home on that day. The road is long and in my view dangerous and narrow in parts and takes a considerable time. The motorway from Safi to El Jadida will not be finished for 3 more years and the only fast part is between El Jadida and Casa. You'd be really tired out.

I too, do not understand why some people are so unrelentingly negative about Casablanca. Sure - you wouldn't want to spend more than a day or two in the city, but that having been said, we enjoyed all the major cities of Morocco, including Casablanca. The principal Mosque, for example, is stunningly beautiful. Go, see and then move on to the next part of your trip, but don't feel the need to avoid Casablanca.

What a fabulous article on Casablanca. Thanks John W. for posting it. It should change some people's minds. Just 8 more days until we land in Marrakech, making our way to Fez via Taroudannt, across to Merzouga and the desert, and then Casablanca. Looking forward to our 2 weeks there. Will post comments when we get a chance. Thanks everyone for all your posts and great information.

And Casa is such a good base to see other nearby cities on day trips or just to travel from with its fast connections to so many places. Please don't miss it out!