Is the Morocco train (ONCF / Al Boraq) any good?

I am happy to recommend Morocco’s railways without hesitation — they surprise visitors who expect chaos. ONCF, the national operator, runs clean, air-conditioned, generally punctual trains along the populated north-west corridor, and prices are very reasonable. First class buys you reserved, spacious seats and is worth the small upgrade on longer hops; second class is perfectly comfortable for shorter ones.

The headline is Al Boraq, Africa’s first high-speed line, which connects Tangier and Casablanca in about 2 hours 10 minutes at up to 320 km/h. It is sleek, modern and genuinely fast — the kind of train that makes a day trip between the two cities effortless. From Casablanca the conventional network continues to Rabat, Fes and down to Marrakech, so the whole imperial spine is rail-connected.

The catch is coverage. The network serves the corridor from Tangier through Rabat and Casablanca across to Fes, plus the branch down to Marrakech — and that is essentially it. There is no train to the Sahara, no train to Chefchaouen, no train to Essaouira or the Atlas mountains. The moment your plans head south or east of the main cities, you switch to buses, grand taxis, or a private driver.

So my practical rule: use the train for the big city-to-city legs — Tangier–Casablanca, Casablanca–Rabat–Fes, Casablanca–Marrakech — where it beats driving on speed, cost and comfort. For the desert, the mountains, the coast and the blue town, the train simply does not go, and you need road transport. Book Al Boraq and busy intercity services online in advance, especially around holidays.