Beware the men on trains

Once again, a Fez guesthouse reports that its guests were the target of scam-artists who board the train at Meknes.

Usually one or two men get on the train and scour the carriages for tourists. Then they explain that they are official guides (not true) and that the guesthouse they've chosen is a den of iniquity/a brothel/burned down/a bad place to stay (also not true). Much better for the tourists is the place they know (where of course, they'll get a commission). And they usually offer their services as a guide to the city (illegal, as they're not official guides).

In this particular case, the guests arrived very unhappy and left quickly the next morning before breakfast. The guesthouse owner later saw them, with guide in tow, in the medina.

Fez Riads reports that although there is information on train travel on its website, people often don't read it or ignore it. Gullible tourists in Morocco, perhaps for the first time, are susceptible to these men. If you want a guide, use one recommended by the guesthouse you're staying in, or engage one of the men who wait at Bab Boujloud. You can see if they're official: they wear a name badge with their qualifications and a photograph.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!



Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news