Is first class on Moroccan trains worth it?

First class on Moroccan trains is one of those small upgrades that delivers far more than its modest price difference, and I recommend it to most travellers without hesitation — with a couple of sensible exceptions. The key thing to understand is what you're actually buying on the conventional ONCF network: a reserved, numbered seat. Second class on those trains is unreserved, so on a busy departure you can end up standing in the corridor with your bags despite holding a valid ticket. First class guarantees you a specific seat, which on a long or crowded journey is worth the premium for that reason alone.

Beyond the guaranteed seat, first class gives you a genuinely calmer, more spacious ride. The carriages are less crowded, the air conditioning is more reliable — which matters a great deal in a Moroccan summer — and you'll often be in a traditional six-seat compartment or a quieter open carriage rather than the busier second-class cars. For solo travellers, families with children, and anyone carrying valuables, that extra space and calm makes the trip noticeably more pleasant. The fare gap is usually small in absolute terms, often just a modest top-up.

Where I tell people to save their money is on short, off-peak hops. If you're hopping forty minutes between Rabat and Casablanca on a quiet midday train, second class is clean, comfortable, and you'll have no trouble finding a seat — paying extra for first there is unnecessary. The calculation flips on anything over an hour, on Friday and Sunday travel, around public holidays, or in peak summer, when second class fills and the guaranteed seat plus reliable AC of first class earns its keep.

On Al Boraq, the high-speed line, the maths is a little different because both classes are reserved and both are excellent — second class there is already very comfortable, so first is a nicer-but-optional step up rather than a fix for crowding. So my overall steer: on the ordinary trains, treat first class as the default for any meaningful journey or busy time and you'll rarely regret it; reserve second class for short, quiet runs where it's genuinely all you need.