When I decided to visit multiple cities in Morocco I also took the decision to do the round trip by train. It is a pleasure you can’t have in many countries, but in this case you see the strong influence of the French colonialization: the high-speed trains are the same model like the TGV trains at France and the doors even close two minutes prior to departure like only in France. The rail network is suitably good, the stations have a great quality, you can buy tickets online upfront and travelling with locals and foreigners through the country is an absolutely nice experience.
The Moroccan railway network is shaped like a Y with some additional side tracks to smaller cities. The main connections are from Marrakech via Casablanca and Rabat to Tangier and from Rabat via Meknès and Fès to Oujda. All imperial cities can be reached via train, it is just not possible to reach the touristic hotspot at Agadir and the desert behind the Atlas mountains via train. Railway stations at Morocco are different in the various locations, but always good. In smaller places like Meknès you’ll only find a coffee bar and ticket office, In cities like Casablanca or Rabat you’ll find multiple shops and coffee bars.
Make sure that you pick the right station, because there are often multiple ones, some closer to the modern city center, some closer to historic sites. It makes a big difference if you exit at Rabat-Agdal or at Rabat-Ville. The station names are mosten often clearly visible, only at Meknès I was irritated by everyone exiting at Gare Al Amir Abdul Kader, shortly prior to the main Gare de Meknès. At Casablanca the main station is called Casa Voyageurs. Important to know is that you can only gain access to the tracks by showing your ticket; no chance for trainspotters at Morocco.
When booking railway tickets at Morocco you need to look at the different qualities of trains available. On the major tracks you have the opportunity to book the Al Boraq which is a high-speed train based on French TGV technology; the trains are completely equal. The alternative is similar to German InterCity trains with six-person compartments. In these trains often the doors remain open on hot days to improve ventilation. Train tickets at Morocco always include a seat reservation but in non-highspeed trains this rather feels like a recommendation.
I went from Casablanca to Rabat (45 minutes in Al Boraq, 100 dh), continued from Rabat to Meknès (2:16 hours, 137 dh), from Meknès to Fès (39 minutes, 40 dh) and finally I made the long trip all the way from Fès to Marrakech (6:34 hours, 350 dh). And I would definitely do it again! It was a great pleasure and pretty reliable with delays acceptable for a vacation. Just remember that your next riad will have a time after which you can arrive and access your room – but Moroccans are friendly, if you arrive too early they’ll park you with a cup of tea in a waiting room until your space is ready.
Casa voyageurs
Casablanca
Morocco
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