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The essentials in three lines

  • Plan to return the car 2 hours before your flight's departure time: that is our advice, and it is also when you should be at the airport anyway.
  • In Agadir, collection at Al Massira airport is free. The fuel must come back at the same level as at delivery.
  • From the city centre, allow 24 to 28 km and 30 to 40 minutes' drive depending on the route: set off 1 hour before your return time.

Your last day in Agadir is coming up, and with it a very practical question: what time should you return the car so you are not running through the terminal, or paying for one day too many? Between the packing, the fuel and the drive to Al Massira, the morning of departure goes by fast. Here is how to plan the return, based on our rental conditions and verified distances.

What time to return the car: 2 hours before your flight

We recommend planning to return the vehicle 2 hours before your flight's departure time. It is written in our rental conditions, and it is also the time you need to allow to be at the airport before take-off. When the car is returned at Al Massira, the two are one and the same: you hand over the keys, then walk into the terminal.

So for a 15:00 flight, aim for 13:00, at the airport itself. The trap: counting the 2 hours from your hotel and forgetting the drive. We ask for your return time right from the booking request, along with your return flight. If your flight time changes, let us know on WhatsApp so we can reset the collection time.

Collection at Agadir airport: free

Delivery and collection are free in Agadir: airport, hotel or city centre. So returning the car at Al Massira airport costs nothing extra, even if it was delivered to your hotel. Give the return location in your request, and we will confirm the details on WhatsApp. The reverse route is covered in our article on the full arrival process.

On site, allow a few minutes for handing over the keys and checking the fuel level, before heading off to check-in. No deposit is required: there is no hold to release. As for washing, it is not included in the daily rate: a flat fee of €10, charged once per booking, is added to the total rental price.

The drive to the airport: 24 to 28 km from the city centre

The airport is not in Agadir itself but in the municipality of Temsia, south-east of the city, alongside national road 10 (RN10). From the city centre, near the town hall, allow 24 to 28 km to the terminal car park depending on the route your GPS suggests; from the marina, 28 to 32 km.

Route planners give 27 to 38 minutes from the city centre, and 34 to 47 minutes from the marina, with no traffic and no stops. We recommend setting off 1 hour before your return time, to keep some margin. If you are staying outside Agadir, add the journey into town. A few benchmarks, leaving from the city centre:

Flight time Car returned at the airport Leave central Agadir To sort out beforehand
6 h 00 4 h 00 3 h 00 Refuelling, luggage and collection time sorted the day before
9 h 30 7 h 30 6 h 30 Refuel the evening before
14 h 00 12 h 00 11 h 00 Refuel in the morning, in town
20 h 30 18 h 30 17 h 30 Refuel in the late afternoon

Fuel: the same level as at delivery

The fuel level on return must be the same as the one recorded at delivery. If you received the car with half a tank, it comes back with half a tank.

Our advice: photograph the fuel gauge at delivery, then top up the day before or that same morning in Agadir, bearing in mind the 24 to 28 km still to go to the airport. The rest is covered in detail in our article on fuel and car hire in Morocco.

The 24-hour block and the 2-hour margin

At Carsalis, the rental period is calculated in 24-hour blocks, starting from the delivery time. Any day started beyond 2 hours is charged as an extra day: so you have a 2-hour margin on the last block, no more.

Example: you receive the car at 12:00 on the day you arrive. Seven days later, your flight leaves at 15:00: you return the car at 13:00, which is 7 blocks and 1 hour. You pay for 7 days. With a 17:00 flight and a 15:00 return, you are 3 hours over: an eighth day is charged. When you book, look at the delivery time and the return time together: it is the gap between them that sets the number of days.

Not to be confused with the above: a late return of more than 2 hours without prior agreement means a full day is charged. Something unexpected on departure day? Message us on WhatsApp before the agreed time: prior agreement is what makes the difference.

Early-morning flight: get everything ready the day before

For a 06:00 flight, the car is returned at the airport at 04:00, and you leave central Agadir at around 03:00. At that hour, there should be nothing left to do: refuelling, packing and the collection time are all sorted the day before.

Tell us in your request that your flight leaves very early: we will confirm how the collection works. Another option: return the car the evening before, at your hotel or in the city centre, free of charge in Agadir, then take a taxi to the airport. Depending on your delivery time, this can save you a 24-hour block. If anything unexpected comes up, our assistance is available 24/7.

Frequently asked questions

How long before my flight should I return the car at Agadir airport?

We recommend planning the return 2 hours before your flight leaves, at the airport itself. Add the drive: 24 to 28 km and roughly 30 to 40 minutes from the city centre. Setting off 1 hour before your return time leaves some margin.

Is there a charge for collection at Al Massira airport?

No. In Agadir, delivery and collection are free at the airport, at your hotel and in the city centre. The €60 surcharge per journey only applies to pick-ups or returns in Marrakech, Essaouira or Taroudant; for any other town, it is on request.

What happens if I return the car late?

The rental period is calculated in 24-hour blocks, with a 2-hour margin on the last day. Beyond 2 hours late without prior agreement, a full day is charged. Let us know on WhatsApp before the agreed time.

Sources

Written by the Carsalis team, in Agadir. We have been hiring out cars from our office at 4 Bis rue Moulay Driss since 2008. What you read here comes from our own rental conditions and from what our customers ask us every week on WhatsApp.

A question about your car hire in Agadir? Message us on WhatsApp on +212 648 291 116, or go through our booking request. We usually reply within a minute, and we tell you straight whether the car is available or not.

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