Immigration question, slightly OT

The EU is not what you need to be thinking about -- it's the Schengen Zone that governs the immigration process. The Schengen Zone is not necessarily the same as the EU. Not all EU states are part of the Schengen zone and not all Schengen states are part of the EU. So assuming you are arriving into a Schengen country as apposed to say for example the UK, Schengen rules will apply to you. Different rules apply depending on whether you are traveling on a US passport and if you are not on whether you are transiting out of the international area. If you have a connecting flight on one ticket, let the airline worry about how much time you will need. If you are connecting two unrelated flights, you will have to go through passport control upon arrival in Europe and how long that will take depends on where you land and when.

With all due respect, I think you're going about this completely wrong. Specifically: you will probably pay a LOT more for a ticket from North America "to Morocco". Just get a ticket to Europe (which would be a LOT less expensive) and get a separate ticket on a low-cost carrier from a city in Europe to Morocco. Same thing on the way back.

Morocco is a major tourist destination for Europeans - think of it as "Europe's Mexico" and a lot of things will begin to make sense. Flights from all across Europe to/from multiple cities in Morocco are dirt cheap.

So, you fly to Europe. Clear immigration there (Spain, France, Germany, for example). You spend a few days there, get over your jet lag. Then you fly to Marrakech or Fes. You will clear Morocco's immigration upon arrival.

And the key to David's sensible suggestion : "spend a few days there" That way you won't be scrambling to make the connecting flight in case your original flight is delayed. Same thought on the way back -- no risk of missing your expensive transAtlantic flight because your puddle-hopper has problems. So force yourself to spend a few days in, oh, Paris.

Thanks for the replies! I agree that flying from the US to Morocco with only a change of plans in an EU country is less than ideal, but timing issues with some friends and scheduling a dog sitter may make it inevitable. I'm actually not finding too substantial a difference in the ticket prices, which may be because I'm a) traveling around the holidays and b) flying out of a city that is anything but an airline hub. Most of the flights I'm seeing, like I mentioned, offer a window on the European to Morocco leg of between 80 minutes and 2.5 hours.

To clarify, I'll be traveling from the U.S., and on a U.S. passport.

Thanks!
Caroline

I'm actually not finding too substantial a difference in the ticket prices, which may be because I'm a) traveling around the holidays and b) flying out of a city that is anything but an airline hub.

More likely, the reason is c) you're doing it wrong.

How are you searching for ticket prices? I could be wrong, but I'd bet my lunch money that you're simply looking at prices from home to Casablanca versus home to someplace-in-europe. If that's the case, I'd bet you will pay too much no matter which way you go.

If ticket price is an important consideration for you should:
1) Figure out what low-cost airlines fly between major European cities and cities in Morocco (hint: there are many, the tickets are crazy-cheap - like well under US$100 - and these usually will NOT appear in major/simplistic search engines). As an example, look for cheap flights from Madrid, Barcelona, London or Paris to Marrakech or Fes. Cheap cheap cheap. Figure out which days the flights go (someof them only go 2X or 3X a week so you need to plan).
2) Find an inexpensive flight from home to that city in Europe.
3) Add ticket prices together. Add in some $ for the day(s) you would spend in the connecting European city.

On a separate subject: Casablanca? Not much to see there, no good reason to go there (the movie was filmed in California). The good stuff is elsewhere in Morocco (go to Marrakech and/or Fes or other more interesting cities).

Good luck.

There are non-stop flights on Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca from Montreal, if a connecting flight from your home airport would be feasible.

Norma, I did look at it and the flight to Casablanca, plus what I'd have to pay for another flight from Richmond up to Montreal, comes out to about the same or more as tickets I'm finding from my home airport, but I thank you for the suggestion.

David, you would lose your lunch money. I'm not new at this. I've been pricing flights for weeks and the ticket prices have been consistently similar regardless of how I arrange the journey, and by similar, I mean within $100-150. Booking an independent, low-cost carrier ticket between whatever European capital and Casablanca or Marrakesh doesn't offer a marked savings and in the case of some tickets, is actually more expensive. This surprised me as well, which is what I meant by wondering if the proximity of the holidays could be relevant. If I had time to stay in Paris or wherever for a few days at the beginning of my trip, this is likely what I'd do, but as I mentioned previously, it looks like I will not. I appreciate your taking the time to help, but I asked the question that I did about immigration in Europe and then again in Morocco because it looks like that's the way it's going to go. If I had needed advice about savvy flight-searching, I would have asked for it.

Caroline