How do I book a train in Morocco (ONCF online)?

Moroccan trains are all run by one operator — ONCF, the national railway — so there's only one place to book, which keeps things refreshingly simple. The official site is oncf.ma, and there's an ONCF Voyages app that I genuinely recommend installing before you fly out. You pick your route and time, choose first or second class, pay with an international card, and you get an e-ticket with a QR code straight to your phone. I've booked dozens of these for travellers and the system, while not the prettiest website in the world, works perfectly well once you're in it.

A couple of honest quirks to save you frustration. The site occasionally rejects a foreign card on the first try; if that happens, try a different card or your phone's saved card in the app, which tends to be smoother. Place names appear in French and sometimes Arabic — Casablanca's main station shows as 'Casa Voyageurs', Tangier as 'Tanger', Fes as 'Fès' — so don't panic when the spelling looks off. And buy the actual journey, not a vague 'Casablanca' that might mean the wrong one of the city's several stations.

You absolutely don't have to book online, though. Every station has staffed counters and self-service machines, and for ordinary inter-city trains — Casablanca to Marrakech, Fes to Rabat — turning up an hour before and buying on the spot is completely normal. Second-class seats aren't reserved on those services, so a ticket simply lets you board any train that day in that direction. I often tell relaxed travellers to skip the online faff entirely and just buy at the station.

Where I do push people to book ahead is the Al Boraq high-speed line and any travel around big public holidays, Eid, or peak summer weekends, when trains genuinely fill. Al Boraq seats are reserved, so the train can sell out; reserving a day or two before locks in your seat and often a slightly cheaper fare. For everything else, Moroccan rail is one of the easiest things you'll do on your trip — turn up, tap your phone or flash your ticket, and go.