Is the Al Boraq high-speed train worth it?

Al Boraq is a genuine point of pride, and rightly so — it was the first high-speed rail line in Africa, and it's every bit as slick as the European TGV trains it's modelled on. It runs the northern corridor: Tangier, down through Kenitra, Rabat, and into Casablanca, touching 320 km/h on the dedicated high-speed section. The headline number that matters to travellers is Tangier to Casablanca in roughly two hours ten minutes, where the old conventional line took closer to five. If you're moving along that axis, it transforms the day.

Onboard, it's a lovely way to travel. Wide, quiet, smooth carriages, big windows, power sockets, a buffet car, proper air conditioning, and a ride so steady you can read or work without a wobble. First class buys you slightly roomier seats and a calmer carriage, but even second class is comfortable and modern — this is not the rattly Morocco of traveller folklore. Seats are reserved, so you board with an assigned place and there's none of the scramble you sometimes get on ordinary trains.

On value, I think it's clearly worth it. Fares are very reasonable by European high-speed standards — a fraction of what an equivalent TGV hop would cost — for a journey that's faster, greener, and far more relaxing than driving the motorway or queuing at an airport. For Tangier arrivals heading to Rabat or Casablanca, or anyone day-tripping along the coast, I'll choose Al Boraq almost every time.

The one honest limitation is geography: Al Boraq only serves that Tangier–Casablanca line. It does not run to Marrakech, Fes, Meknes, or the south — those are still served by the perfectly good conventional ONCF trains, which are slower but pleasant. So 'is it worth it' really means 'is my route on the line'. If it is, absolutely take it; if your trip is Marrakech-and-desert focused, you simply won't cross its path, and that's fine.