Getting Around
346 questions · page 5 of 10
How do I get from Casablanca airport to the city / to Marrakech?
The easiest route is the train station inside the airport. For Casablanca city, take the line to Casa-Voyageurs or Casa-Port (~30–45 min). For Marrakech, board the direct airport train south — roughly 3 hours. A taxi or pre-booked transfer is the door-to-door alternative; the airport is ~30 km from central Casablanca.
Read the answerHow do I get from Marrakech airport to the medina?
It’s a short hop — Menara is only ~6 km / 15 minutes from the medina. Best options: a pre-booked private transfer to your riad’s nearest gate (easiest, fixed price), an official airport taxi at a fixed fare of roughly 100–150 MAD, or the cheap line 19 airport bus into the Koutoubia/Jemaa el-Fnaa area.
Read the answerWhat is Fes airport like / getting into Fes?
Fes-Saïss (FEZ) is small, calm and easy — a compact single terminal about 12–15 km south of the city, roughly 20–30 minutes by road. There’s no airport train, so getting into Fes means a fixed-fare official taxi (around 120–150 MAD) or, far better for a first arrival, a pre-booked transfer to your riad in the labyrinthine old medina.
Read the answerWhat is Tangier airport like?
Tangier Ibn Battouta (TNG) is a small, modern, easy-going airport about 12–15 km southwest of the city, roughly 20–30 minutes by road. It handles European and domestic flights with short queues. There’s no airport train, so getting into town means a fixed-fare official taxi (around 150 MAD) or a pre-booked transfer.
Read the answerWhat is Agadir airport like?
Agadir Al Massira (AGA) is a relaxed holiday airport about 25–30 km southeast of the city and beach resorts, roughly 30–40 minutes by road. It’s geared to package and charter flights, so it’s easy but a real drive from town. There’s no airport train — use a fixed-fare official taxi (around 200–250 MAD) or a pre-booked transfer.
Read the answerIs there a train from Casablanca airport?
Yes — Mohammed V is the only Moroccan airport with its own train station, built into the terminal. Frequent ONCF trains run to Casa-Voyageurs and Casa-Port in the city (~30–45 min), and you can connect onward to Rabat or take the direct service to Marrakech (~3 h). It’s cheap, reliable and avoids the road traffic.
Read the answerHow do I get from Marrakech to Casablanca airport for departure?
Two good ways: the direct train from Marrakech to Casablanca airport (~3 hours, into the airport’s own station — no city change needed), or a private transfer by road (~2.5–3 hours, door to terminal). For an international flight allow generous margin: take an early train or driver, since both immigration and the road can be slow.
Read the answerAre there lounges / facilities at Moroccan airports?
Yes. Casablanca Mohammed V has the most — several airline and pay-per-use lounges, plenty of shops, cafes and duty-free. Marrakech, Fes, Tangier and Agadir each have at least one lounge (often Priority Pass or pay-on-the-day) plus cafes, duty-free and ATMs. Facilities are decent but more limited at the smaller airports.
Read the answerHow long does immigration take at Moroccan airports?
It varies hugely — anywhere from 10 minutes to well over an hour. Off-peak it’s quick; at peak banks of flights (mid-morning and early evening at Marrakech and Casablanca especially) the passport queue can crawl for 60–90 minutes. Fill in your arrival card on the plane and sit near the front to speed things up.
Read the answerCan I get a taxi at the airport / fixed fares?
Yes — every Moroccan airport has an official taxi rank just outside arrivals, and most use a fixed-fare system with posted rates (e.g. ~100–150 MAD into Marrakech, ~120–150 MAD into Fes). Agree the fare in dirhams before you get in, look for the price board, and ignore anyone soliciting a “taxi” inside the terminal.
Read the answerWhat’s the best way from the airport to my riad?
A pre-booked transfer is almost always best. Riads sit deep in car-free medinas, so taxis only reach the nearest gate — leaving you to find an unmarked door down the lanes. A driver who knows your riad meets you with a name board, fixes the price, and walks you (or sends a porter) right to the door.
Read the answerWhere do I do laundry while travelling in Morocco?
Your riad or hotel is by far the easiest option — almost all do same-day laundry by the piece, usually returned washed and pressed within a day. Cities also have walk-in launderettes ("pressing" / "blanchisserie"); self-service coin laundromats are rare outside Marrakech.
Read the answerAre there internet cafés / coworking spaces in Morocco?
Old-style internet cafés ("cyber" / téléboutiques) still exist but are fading as smartphones take over. For working, Morocco has a real coworking scene — Marrakech and the surf town of Taghazout especially — plus plenty of café laptop-friendly spots. A local SIM with data is usually the better bet.
Read the answerHow do I send a postcard / use the post office in Morocco?
Morocco's post is Barid Al-Maghrib (look for the yellow "La Poste" signs). Buy stamps at the counter or sometimes where you buy the postcard, drop it in a yellow postbox, and expect a postcard to Europe in roughly one to two weeks, longer to North America. It is slow but it usually arrives.
Read the answerHow do I charge my devices (plugs and power banks) in Morocco?
Morocco uses European-style Type C and Type E plugs at 220V, 50Hz — the round two-pin sockets common across France and Spain. Bring a Type C/E adapter (UK, US and Australian plugs will not fit). Most modern chargers handle 220V automatically; a power bank is essential for long desert and travel days.
Read the answerIs there left-luggage / storage at stations and airports in Morocco?
Yes — major ONCF train stations (Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, Rabat, Tangier) have a left-luggage office or lockers ("consigne"), and bags are security-screened. Airport storage is patchier. The easiest fallback is to leave bags with your riad or hotel, which they do happily, often even after checkout.
Read the answerWhere can I refill water, and is tap water ever OK in Morocco?
For drinking, stick to bottled water — it is cheap, sold everywhere, and the safest choice for visitors whose stomachs are not adjusted to local tap water. City tap water is chlorinated and generally fine for brushing teeth, but to avoid any upset, drink and refill from sealed bottles or use a purifying filter bottle.
Read the answerWhat apps are useful for travelling in Morocco?
The essentials: Google Maps with offline maps downloaded, the ONCF app for train times and tickets, a ride-hailing app (Careem or inDrive) in the big cities, Google Translate with the offline French and Arabic packs, and WhatsApp, which is how Moroccans and riads actually communicate.
Read the answerHow do I find a pharmacy, and what is open late in Morocco?
Pharmacies (look for the green cross) are plentiful and pharmacists are knowledgeable, often speaking French. For nights, Sundays and holidays, pharmacies rotate an on-duty roster called the "pharmacie de garde" — every pharmacy posts the current one in its window, and you can ask your riad or search it online.
Read the answerAre public toilets available in Morocco, and do they cost money?
Dedicated public toilets are limited, and the ones that exist usually charge a small fee (a few dirhams) to an attendant who provides paper. The reliable strategy is to use toilets in cafés, restaurants, museums and your riad. Carry small change, tissues and hand sanitiser, and expect squat toilets outside tourist venues.
Read the answerHow do I get small change and break large notes in Morocco?
Cash flows on small notes in Morocco, and the big 200-dirham bills ATMs spit out are hard to break for taxis, tips and souk stalls. Withdraw odd amounts, break large notes early at supermarkets, petrol stations, busier cafés or your riad, and hoard coins and 20/50-dirham notes for daily small payments.
Read the answerIs there free wifi in cafés and riads in Morocco?
Yes — free wifi is widespread. Nearly every riad, hotel, café and many restaurants offer it free to guests, and it is generally fine for messaging, maps and browsing. Speeds vary and thick medina walls weaken the signal, so for reliable, anywhere connectivity a cheap local data SIM is the smarter backbone.
Read the answerHow do I call and text within Morocco?
The cheapest way is a local prepaid SIM (Maroc Telecom, Orange or inwi), bought at the airport or any phone shop with your passport, topped up with call/data bundles. For most communication, though, Moroccans and businesses use WhatsApp over data or wifi — so calls and texts mostly happen in that app.
Read the answerWhat time do shops and restaurants open and close in Morocco?
Roughly: shops open around 9–10am, many take a long afternoon break, then reopen into the evening, with souks busy until 8pm or later. Restaurants serve lunch about noon–3pm and dinner from 7pm. Friday (the main prayer day) and Ramadan shift hours significantly, so always double-check locally.
Read the answerHow reliable are Moroccan trains — do they run on time?
Mostly yes. The Al Boraq high-speed trains (Tangier–Kenitra–Casablanca) are very punctual, almost always within a few minutes. Conventional ONCF inter-city trains are generally reliable but can run 10–30 minutes late, occasionally more in summer or around holidays. Build a buffer around tight onward connections and you’ll rarely be caught out.
Read the answerAre Moroccan buses comfortable for long journeys?
On the two reliable lines — CTM and Supratours — yes, very. You get a reserved reclining seat, air conditioning, a clean modern coach and a short rest/toilet stop on longer runs. Avoid the cheaper informal local buses for long trips. For routes with no train, a CTM or Supratours coach is genuinely comfortable for five-plus hours.
Read the answerWhat if I miss a train or bus connection in Morocco?
It’s rarely a crisis. ONCF trains run frequently on the main corridors, so a missed train usually means catching the next one — though a specific reserved/Al Boraq ticket may be tied to that departure. Missed CTM/Supratours coaches are stricter, as seats are reserved per service. Talk to the counter; staff are used to helping, and rebooking is often cheap or possible.
Read the answerCan I change or refund a Moroccan train or bus ticket?
Sometimes, with conditions. Flexible ONCF train fares can often be exchanged or partly refunded at a station counter before departure, while cheaper or promotional fares may be non-refundable. CTM and Supratours allow changes/cancellations within their rules, usually with a fee and a cut-off time. Always do it at the counter before your train or coach leaves, not after.
Read the answerAre there toilets on Moroccan trains and buses?
Yes. ONCF trains have toilets at the ends of the carriages — functional, though cleanliness varies by service and time of day, so bring tissues and hand gel. CTM and Supratours coaches usually rely on a scheduled rest stop at a café with toilets every couple of hours rather than an onboard loo. Stations and main bus terminals also have (often paid) facilities.
Read the answerHow do I find the right bus station in a Moroccan city?
Key point: many cities have more than one bus station. CTM often runs from its own dedicated terminal, Supratours frequently from beside the train station, and the big municipal “gare routière” serves the cheaper local lines. Always check which station your specific operator and ticket use, and tell your taxi driver the operator name (“CTM” / “Supratours”), not just “bus station”.
Read the answerAre there overnight / long-distance buses in Morocco?
Yes. CTM and Supratours run long-distance routes that the train network doesn’t reach — to the deep south, the desert gateways and across to the east — and some operate overnight to save a travel day. The coaches are comfortable with reserved seats and rest stops, but an overnight seat is no sleeper berth. For comfort on the very longest hauls, weigh an internal flight or private driver.
Read the answerWhat are the luggage limits on Moroccan trains and buses?
Trains are very relaxed — ONCF has no strict weight or size limit; you carry your own bags on board and stow them on racks, so a large case is fine if you can lift it. CTM and Supratours set a notional allowance (around 20–30 kg in the hold) and charge a small per-bag fee for hold luggage; oversized or excess pieces may cost a little extra. Cabin bags ride free.
Read the answerIs there food / a buffet car on Moroccan trains?
On Al Boraq high-speed trains, yes — there’s a buffet car selling drinks, snacks and light bites. On conventional ONCF inter-city trains, food service is limited or absent: sometimes a trolley or a vendor, but don’t count on it. The smart move is to buy snacks and water at the station before boarding, especially for longer journeys.
Read the answerHow crowded do Moroccan trains get?
It varies hugely by day. Midweek and off-peak, conventional ONCF trains are quiet and finding a seat is easy. But Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings, public holidays, Eid and peak summer get genuinely packed — second class can mean standing in the corridor. The fix is simple: book first class (a reserved seat) or Al Boraq (fully reserved) for busy travel days.
Read the answerCan I reserve a specific seat on a Moroccan train?
Yes, in the reserved classes. First class on conventional ONCF trains gives you a numbered, assigned seat, and Al Boraq high-speed trains are fully reserved in both classes, so you always get an allocated seat. Standard second class on conventional trains is unreserved — you sit where you can. To guarantee a seat, book first class or Al Boraq.
Read the answerHow do I know which platform / when to get off?
Platforms (“voie/quai”) are shown on station departure boards and announced shortly before the train arrives — check the board, match your train’s time and destination, and ask staff if unsure. For your stop, note the scheduled arrival time, watch the station name signs on each platform as you pull in, and don’t rely on onboard announcements alone, which can be quiet or only in Arabic/French.
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