Banks & Currency Exchange -- There are a few banks and ATMs within the medina and considerably more dotted throughout the ville nouvelle. The most convenient in the medina is the BMCI branch on place el Hedim (tel. 0535/583190). The branch is open Monday to Friday 8:15am to 3:45pm, but there is also an exterior exchange booth that opens on weekends from 10:30am to 12:30pm and 4 to 6pm. There is also an ATM. About 70m (230 ft.) west of place el Hedim, on rue Dar Smen, is a bureau de change and ATM of Banque Populaire, open the normal banking hours of Monday to Friday 8:15am to 3:45pm. In between the medina and ville nouvelle is the Dawliz Complexe, where there's another Banque Populaire bureau de change and ATM with the same hours as above. Next door, between McDonald's and the Ibis Mousaffir Meknes hotel, is a BMCI ATM. In the ville nouvelle proper, on or near place al Wahda al Ifriquia, you'll find branches, with ATMs and exchange facilities, of SGMB, Banque Populaire, and BMCE, all open Monday to Friday 8:15am to 3:45pm. Behind SGMB is a WafaCash exchange open Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm, and Saturday 8:30am to 1pm and 3 to 6pm. Along avenue Mohammed V are more banks, including a branch of Banque Populaire (tel. 0535/540058) conveniently next door to the Majestic Hotel. An after-hours BMCE bureau de change, with ATM, is located next to their branch at 98 av. des F.A.R., open Monday to Saturday 10am to 1pm and 4 to 7pm. If all else fails, try one of the more expensive hotels.
Car Rentals -- Very few travelers commence their car rental in Meknes, hence the lack of any major international firms in the city. Try local operators Bab Mansour Car, 8 av. Idriss II, Ville Nouvelle (tel. 0535/526631); Stop Car, 3 rue Essaouira, Ville Nouvelle (tel. 0535/525061); or the travel agents Drissi Voyages, 18 rue Antisrabé, Ville Nouvelle (tel. 0535/512831), and Zeit Wagen, 4 rue Antisrabé, Ville Nouvelle (tel. 0535/525918).
Doctors -- Dr. Mohammed Dbab is a French-trained G.P., located at 4 rue Accra, in the ville nouvelle (tel./fax 0535/521087 or 0661/159356 after hours). Dr. Rahal Rahalli practices from the Polyclinique Cornette on Esplanade du Dr. Giguet (tel. 0535/520262 or 0535/520263).
Drugstores -- Pharmacies are very prevalent throughout Meknes. In the medina, Pharmacie el Fath (tel. 0535/846110) is on the far northwest corner of place el Hedim. In the ville nouvelle, Pharmacie Centrale (tel. 0535/843246) is on the corner of avenue Mohammed V and rue de Tarfaya. Meknes pharmacies are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 12:30pm and 3:30 to 8pm, Friday 9am to noon and 3:30 to 8pm, and Saturday 9am to 1pm. After hours, look for a list of open pharmacies on the front door of the above businesses. All-night pharmacies operate from the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) on place de l'Istiqlal in the ville nouvelle and from behind the bus stands 60m (195 ft.) south of place el Hedim.
Hospitals -- There is a small cluster of private medical clinics on or close to avenue des Nations Unies (the Tangier/Volubilis road), including Polyclinique el Menzah (tel. 0535/400330). Trauma-Med has doctors on duty 24 hours, just south of avenue des F.A.R. on avenue Nehru in the ville nouvelle (tel. 0535/528070 or 0661/476306). The state-run Hospital Moulay Ismail (tel. 0535/522805) is to the south of the ville nouvelle on rue Kiffa, off avenue des F.A.R.
Internet Access -- Compared to other major cities, cybercafes are few and far between in Meknes, but there are still a few in handy locations for travelers. Usually they will permit cheap, overseas, Internet-based phone calls, and the rates are generally a very reasonable 10dh per hour. In the medina, Meet Net is on the busy rue Rouamazine, close to Hotel de Paris, and is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 1pm and 3 to 9:30pm. Out in the ville nouvelle, Club Cyber is located next to the WafaCash just north of place al Wahda al Ifriquia; Club Leisure Company is on the pedestrian-only section of rue Dakhla (formerly rue de Paris); and Cyber de Paris is on rue Accra, two doors down from Hotel de Nice. All of these ville nouvelle cybercafes are open daily from 9am to midnight.
Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- There are no self-service laundries in Meknes, but pressings (dry cleaners) are widespread. A shirt or pair of pants costs around 15dh. Pressing Marhaba is on rue Rouamazine in the medina, at the corner of the steps with a sign leading up to Collier de la Colombe restaurant. Pressing Atlas is at 26 av. Allal ben Abdallah, just past rue Atlas. Both are open Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 12:15pm and 2:30 to 7:30pm.
Maps -- There are no Meknes city maps available in Morocco. Editions Laure Kane publishes a glossy, colorful Fes-Meknes map with easy-to-read symbols and names of the major streets in both cities' ville nouvelles and medinas. It's usually available from major online booksellers.
Newspapers -- Newspaper stands outside the Cinema Camera on place al Wahda al Ifriquia and opposite the Majestic Hotel on avenue Mohammed V sell the weekly international versions of The Guardian and Herald Tribune.
Photographic Needs -- Nasr Colour, at the beginning of avenue Mohammed V, off place al Wahda al Ifriquia, burns digital images to CD; sells memory cards, batteries, and film; and does processing. It's open Monday to Saturday 8:30am to noon and 3 to 8:30pm.
Police -- For general emergencies and the police, call tel. 19. The main police station is at place Ferhat Hached, in the ville nouvelle.
Post Office & Mail -- Meknes's main post office, which receives all poste restante mail, is on place de l'Istiqlal, and is open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:15pm and Saturday 8 to 11:45am. There's a small branch in the medina on the corner of rue dar Smen and rue Rouamazine open the same hours.
Restrooms -- In the medina there is a clean WC on the north side of place el Hedim, costing 5dh. In the ville nouvelle, your best bet is to politely ask for the toilette in any reasonable-looking restaurant. Sometimes there might be a small fee or, if there is an attendant keeping them clean, 2dh to 3dh is expected.
Safety -- Meknes could be considered one of the safest cities in Morocco, and very rarely will you encounter anything more than the odd tout looking for business at the train and bus station or in the medina. Both the medina and ville nouvelle can become deserted by midnight, so at this time it's best to take normal precautions and not walk alone.
Telephone -- The city code for Meknes has recently changed from 035 to 0535 (the same as Fes).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
