London to Morocco in just 48 hours, in comfort, without flying...
This page explains how to plan & book a
journey from London to
Morocco (Tangier, Marrakech, Fez, Rabat or Casablanca) without
flying, in comfort & safety using scheduled train & ferry
services. And
what a journey! Take Eurostar to Paris, grab a beer in a Parisian café
and
board the excellent 'trainhotel' sleeper train to Madrid. Enjoy a meal
with wine in the restaurant
car and a nightcap in the bar before retiring to your sleeper for the night as the train
speeds south across France, then wake up to breakfast as the sun rises
over distant Spanish mountains. Spend a day in Madrid, visit the Prado Museum or soak up the atmosphere in the
Plaza Santa Ana before taking an afternoon express across Andalusia to Algeciras on the Straits
of Gibraltar. Next morning, take the ferry from Europe to Africa, the
Rock of Gibraltar close on the port beam and the African coast getting slowly
nearer. Once in Morocco, let the real Marrakech Express
speed you south towards the incredible High Atlas mountains...
Day 1: London to Paris by Eurostar. Travel from
London to Paris by
Eurostar,
leaving London St Pancras at 14:01 arriving in Paris Gare
du Nord at 17:17. By all means book an earlier
Eurostar if you'd like to spend some time in Paris or if
it has cheaper seats available. There are left luggage
lockers at both Paris Nord and Paris Austerlitz.
Day 1: Paris to Madrid overnight by Elipsos trainhotel. Travel
from Paris to Madrid overnight on the excellent Elipsos 'trainhotel', leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at
18:53
and arriving next morning at Madrid Chamartin station at
09:10. Until 17 October 2011, the Paris-Madrid
trainhotel runs every night. From 18 October to 10
December 2011 it will run every night except Tuesdays &
Wednesdays. From 11 December 2011 to 17 March 2012
it will only run on Monday, Thursday,
Friday and Sunday nights (and additionally on 24, 31
December, 11, 18, 25 February and 3 March, but not
on 17 or 25 December or 1 January). From 18 March
to 15 October 2012 it will run every night of the week,
except for 31 March, 7 or 9 April, 1, 8, 17 & 28 May. On the days when it's not running, don't worry,
an
alternative train service is available. The trainhotel is a special articulated sleeper train with 4-berth tourist class sleepers, 1
& 2-berth 1st class
sleepers, and 1 & 2-berth Gran Clase sleepers
with private shower & toilet. The trainhotel
has an elegant restaurant car and a vibrant café-bar, see the London
to Spain page for more information about this
train, or the excellent virtual tour at
www.elipsos.com.
Spend some time enjoying
Madrid.
Map of Madrid. There are
left luggage lockers at both
Madrid Chamartin where you arrive & Madrid Atocha from
where you depart. You can take the metro from Chamartin into the city centre,
see www.metromadrid.es,
or
take a
suburban train free of charge to Atocha (show your
trainhotel ticket) and deposit your bags there. In the late
afternoon, make your way by metro to Madrid's Atocha
station, or simply walk there from the city centre which
takes about 25 minutes.
Day 2: Madrid to Algeciras
on the afternoon Altaria train. Travel from Madrid to
Algeciras (the Spanish town across the bay from Gibraltar)
on the early evening 'Altaria' air-conditioned 125mph train,
leaving Madrid Atocha station at 15:05 and arriving in
Algeciras at 20:15. It's a scenic ride, though the
last part is after dark. Altaria trains have 1st
class (Preferente) and 2nd class (Turista) and a cafe-bar
with full length wooden bar and barstools. The
Preferente fare includes a complimentary aperitif of
sherry or cava then an airline-style hot meal with choice
of wines followed by coffee & chocolate.
Preferente passengers may also use the Sala Club (1st
class lounge) in Madrid Atocha station, with complimentary coffee, juices
& free
beer.
Day 3: Sail from Algeciras
to Tangier Med Port by ferry. In Algeciras, the modern
ferry passenger terminal is a 10-minute (800 metre) walk from the
station straight ahead of you. There's no need to book in
advance for any of the ferries, just turn up and buy your
ticket at the ticket offices at the entrance to the
passenger terminal, then go inside the terminal and
upstairs to the check-in windows. There are a range
of departures throughout the day, operated by a variety
of ferry companies. You can choose either a leisurely ship taking 1
hour 30 minutes or a fast ferry taking 1 hour. To check ferry times and fares,
see www.comarit.com (ship),
www.trasmediterranea.es (fast ferry & ship) or
www.euroferrys.com (fast ferry & ship, also bookable
through
www.trasmediterranea.es) or www.balearia.com (fast ferry).
The Seat61 Ferry Shop gives times, fares
& online booking for both Balearia and Trasmediterranea.
There's usually a Comarit
ship leaving at 07:00 arriving Tangier Med port at
07:30/06:30, or one at 09:00 arriving Tangier Med port
09:30/08:30. The arrival times vary because
Morocco is sometimes an hour behind Spain, sometimes two
hours behind depending on the time of year. The
fast ferries run by Trasmediterranea & Nautas are more
modern & quicker, but you'll be sealed-in except
for a windy observation deck at the rear which may or
may not be open. The conventional ships are older
and slower, but their open decks allow you to enjoy the
crossing and take photographs in the open air. Whichever
ferry company you choose, the ferry sails out of Algeciras
harbour in a wide arc to starboard with the Rock of
Gibraltar to port, then sails across the Straits of
Gibraltar into the new Tangier Med ferry terminal, around
42 km from Tangier town. It's a scenic trip, and you
can see for yourself just how narrow the straits between
Europe and Africa really are, between the two famous
'Pillars of Hercules'!
Transfer from Tanger
Med Port to Tangier town. Buses & taxis are
available from Tanger Med Port to Tangier. The ferry companies
run a free bus every hour taking
40-50 minutes, according to one report arriving at
Tangier's Place Jamia el Arbia (see
map of Tangier) according to other reports at the
gate to Tangier's old port. A taxi from Tanger Med
Port to Tangier town costs around 300 Dirhams (30 euros). Services should
start on a new
rail link between the port and Tangier town in 2012. If you use Tanger Med
and have any feedback,
please email me.
Alternative ferry from
Tarifa to Tangier town: Alternatively, fast
ferry company
www.frs.es
operates a transfer bus from Algeciras to Tarifa to
connect with its regular fast ferries direct to the more
Tangier's old ferry terminal more conveniently located
in the heart of Tangier town. This may be a better
option, involving an Algeciras-Tarifa bus but avoiding
the Tanger Med Port to Tangier 42 km bus transfer.
Stopover in Madrid?
Here's an alternative if you'd
prefer to
spend the night in Madrid instead of in
Algeciras: On day 2, stay the night in a hotel in Madrid,
then on the morning of day 3 take the 08:35
Altaria train from Madrid Atocha station to
Algeciras, arriving at 13:46. An afternoon ferry
from Algeciras will get you to Tangier in the evening on
day 3. Although a half day slower overall, this
option gives you a full day and evening in Madrid, and the
morning Altaria train to Algeciras will show you the
wonderful mountain scenery in southern Spain in daylight.
Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode
with the seats folded out...
...return from dinner to find the
attendant has made up the beds...
Gran Clase sleepers have a private
toilet & shower...
The
trainhotel is an articulated Spanish 'Talgo' train, run by
Elipsos, a consortium of French & Spanish railways.
The
trainhotel's café-bar
serves drinks & food. Grab a barstool early, it gets
crowded later on!
The elegant trainhotel restaurant
awaits first sitting for dinner. The Gran Clase fares
include dinner & breakfast.
On board the Altaria train from Madrid to Algeciras...
An articulated Talgo
'Altaria' train at Madrid Atocha station...
Turista (2nd class)
seating on an Altaria train...
Preferente (1st
class) seating on an Altaria train...
The
Preferente fare includes an at-seat meal with wine...
The ferry from Algeciras to Tangier...
Africa
ahoy!
Conventional ferries take 2½
hours, and their decks allow you to enjoy the crossing of
the Straits of Gibraltar in the open air. Here, a ferry
from Algeciras approaches Tangier...
Above: Alternatively, fast ferries
take just an hour, although you're largely sealed in.
Here, a fast ferry from Tangier arrives in Algeciras with
the Rock of Gibraltar in the background...
Why not
see Gibraltar on the way?
Buses (bus
M-120) link Algeciras bus
station (across the road from the station) with La
Linea, the frontier with Gibraltar, every 30-45 minutes, taking about
45 minutes,
fare about 2.05 euros. You then walk 250m from La
Linea across the frontier into Gibraltar town centre in
about 10 minutes. The walk takes you across
Gibraltar Airport's main runway, but don't worry, they
stop the cars and pedestrians when a plane comes in to
land! The bus operator website is
www.ctmcg.com.
Alternatively, a taxi from Algeciras railway station all
the way to Gibraltar costs around 24 euros.
A fast ferry occasionally operates
from Gibraltar to Tangier (the operator is
www.frs.es)
but there were no sailings at all in 2007, and only Friday & Sunday evening crossings
in 2008 & 2009, so after visiting
Gibraltar just return to Algeciras for the regular
ferries from there.
For train
connections from Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Meknès
to Tangier, see
below.
Day 1,
transfer to Tangier Med Port: In the afternoon
or evening, take a bus or taxi from Tangier to Tangier
Med Port.
As from May 2010,
all ferries to Algeciras leave from the new
ferry terminal at Tanger Med port (Port
Tanger Mediterranée, see map), which is 42 km east of
Tangier itself. The ferry companies run a free
bus, according to one report departing from Place Jamia
el Arbia (see
map of Tangier), according to others departing from
the main gate to Tangier's port. A taxi from
Tangier town to Tangier Med Port will cost around 300
dirhams (30 euros). A train service to Tangier Med
Port is due to start at some point, perhaps in 2012.
Day 1,
sail from Tangier Med Port to Algeciras by ferry: Once at Tangier Med Port, on most days there's a
Comarit ship which sails at 18:00
arriving in Algeciras at 20:30/21:30 and another at 20:00 arriving
Algeciras at 22:30/23:30 (Spain is normally an hour ahead
or Morocco, but at certain times of year is 2 hours ahead).
By all means take an earlier ship or fast ferry if you
want more of an evening relaxing in Algeciras at the
recommended
Hotel Reina Cristina. It's
a 1hour 30 minute crossing by ship or around 1 hour by fast
SeaCat. See
www.comarit.com,
www.trasmediterranea.es,
www.euroferrys.com, or www.balearia.com to
check ferry times & fares. If you
use Tanger Med and have any feedback,
please email me.
Alternatively, the FRS fast ferry from Tangier to Tarifa still
departs from the old
ferry terminal in the heart of Tangier town, and they provide
a transfer bus from Tarifa to Algeciras, see
www.frs.es.
This may be the better option.
Spend the night in Algeciras, ideally at the characterful
Hotel Reina Cristina set in its own grounds a 10
minute walk from both the station and ferry terminal.
Day 2, travel
from Algeciras to Madrid by high-speed Altaria train.
You
leave Algeciras at 08:45 and arrive in Madrid Atocha at
14:05. Altaria trains have
air-conditioned 2nd class (Turista), 1st class
(Preferente) and a cafe-bar. The Preferente fare
includes an at-seat meal with aperitif and selection of
wines.
Make your way by metro or suburban
train to Madrid Chamartin.
An alternative if you'd
prefer a day and night in Madrid: On day 1, leave
Tangier Med Port on a ferry around 09:00 or 10:00 arriving Algeciras, see www.trasmediterranea.es,
www.comarit.com or
www.euroferrys.com to check sailing times and fares.
Then take the afternoon Altaria train from Algeciras
(departing at 15:05) to Madrid (arriving Madrid Atocha at
20:25), and
spend the night in Madrid.
Day 2, travel
from Madrid to Paris on the excellent Elipsos
trainhotel. You leave Madrid Chamartin at 19:00 and
arrive in Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 09:03 next
morning. Until 16 October 2011, the Madrid-Paris trainhotel
runs every night. From 17 October until 10
December 2011 it will run every night except Mondays &
Tuesdays. From 11 December 2011 to 17 March 2012 it will
only run on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
nights (but it will also run on 17 December, 7 January,
11, 18, 25 February and 3 & 10 March). From 16
March to 15 October 2012 it will run every night of the
week, except for 24 & 31 March, 6, 7 & 8 April, 1, 8, 17
& 28 May. On the days when it's not running, don't worry,
an
alternative train service is available. Sleepers,
bar, restaurant are available. Trainhotel passengers in Preferente and
Gran Clase sleepers may use the Sala Club (1st class
lounge) at Madrid Chamartin near platform 14, with
complimentary tea, coffee, juices and free beer. On
arrival in Paris,
take the metro to the Gare du Nord:
Metro line 5 links Paris Nord & Paris Austerlitz, just
follow the signs 'M5 direction Bobigny Pablo Picasso'.
Day 3, morning: Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at
11:13
and arriving in London
at 12:30.
£54 each way. You must occupy the whole compartment.
10%-22% higher fares apply
mid-June to mid-September & at Easter (e.g.
£68 becomes £86).
* Special fares: In Tourist Class the £66
fare (£83 in summer) is called 'Prems', book at least
14 days in advance, non-refundable, non-changeable.
In 1st Class & Gran Clase 2 people must travel
together & either the higher
price (Duo) or if you're lucky, lower price (Mini
à Deux) will be available on any given date.
Mini is non-refundable, non-changeable, limited
availability. Duo is refundable, exchangeable,
usually available.
** Child = 4-11 years old;
Youth = 12-25 years old; Senior = anyone over 60.
***
Fare includes breakfast. **** Fare includes
evening meal with wine in the restaurant & breakfast.
Children under 4 go free, as long
as the parents have sole use of a compartment.
3. Madrid to Algeciras
by Altaria train:
2nd class (Turista):
Cheap 'Web' fare booked in advance at
www.renfe.com:
24 euros (£17) one-way.
Cheap 'Estrella' fare if you book in advance: 37 euros
(£26) one-way.
Madrid: A day in Spain's wonderful capital is
a bonus when you travel by train to Morocco. This is the
Puerta del Sol right at the city's heart...
Don Quixote country: The sun is low in the
sky as the afternoon train from Madrid to Algeciras snakes
across the Andalusian plateau on its way south to the
Straits of Gibraltar...
The Slow Boat to Africa... Next day, aboard the
ferry from Algeciras to Tangier with the Rock of Gibraltar
on the port beam...
Can I stop off on the way?
Of course.
The Eurostar, the trainhotel and the Altaria train are ticketed as
three separate journeys, so feel free to book each leg of the
journey on whatever dates you like, spending however long you
like in Paris or
Madrid on the way. The Altaria trains all stop at Ronda
on the way to and from Algeciras, a wonderful town to visit.
Left
luggage facilities in Paris & Madrid.
Step 2, book
the train from Madrid to Algeciras & back. There are
two ways to do this. Option 1, painless but usually
more expensive, is to stay with
www.raileurope.co.uk,
click 'continue shopping' and book it along with your
London-Paris-Madrid tickets as one transaction. Remember that the outward date
will be the day after your departure from
London. If it refuses to book a return, try
booking as two one-ways. However,
www.raileurope.co.uk
can only sell the normal flexible fare between Madrid &
Algeciras, it can't sell the cheap 'Web' or 'Estrella'
fares. So option 2 is to book the Madrid-Algeciras &
Algeciras-Madrid trains using the Spanish
Railways website
www.renfe.com, looking for these cheap deals.
Before trying to use www.renfe.com,
please read these step-by step instructions.
Step 3, tickets for the ferry can easily be bought at the ferry
terminal when you get to Algeciras, as there are always
places available, no pre-booking necessary. Alternatively, you can pre-book using the
Seat61 Ferry Shop, which will
book either Trasmediterranea (ship or fast ferry) or Nautas
(fast ferry).
You may prefer to
book by phone. To book train
travel all the way from
London to Algeciras, call
www.spanish-rail.co.uk on
020 3137 4464 (lines open 09:30-13:30 &
14:30-17:30 Monday-Friday),
or Rail
Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 09:00-19:00
Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, no longer open on
Sundays). There is no need to book the Algeciras-Tangier ferry in
advance, just buy a ticket at the ferry terminal when you get to
Algeciras. See the 'how to buy tickets' section on the
Europe page for more info about how
to book European trains.
Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...
If putting the trip together
yourself seems too complicated (even with the advice I
provide!), one experienced company offers a compete tailor-made
travel service with all your rail tickets booked for you and
hotels arranged at stops along the way. You simply
tell them where you want to go and where you'd like to stop
off on the way, and they will do the rest. Contact
www.railbookers.com, on 020 3327 0761. They
can advise you on the best trains,
routes & hotels too. They get
very positive reviews, and look after their customers very
well.
Browse suggested itineraries
to Marrakech &
sample prices. At the time of writing, they
suggest a deluxe 12-night return train journey from London
to Marrakech & back, with hotel stopovers in Cordoba,
Tangiers, Fez, Marrakech, Rabat, & Ronda from £1,885.
However, they can arrange train journeys between the UK and
Morocco with whichever routes and stopovers you like, just
ask.
Other UK-Morocco options...
London ► Morocco by alternative trains
This
means more time on trains and less time in Madrid, but you can
leave London a couple of hours later, and it can be handy if
the trainhotel is fully-booked, or (as on Mondays & Tuesdays
in January & February) the trainhotel isn't running.
It's also cheaper for railpass holders, as InterRail or Eurail pass
holders need to pay a £67 sleeper supplement or £30 reclining
seat supplement to travel on
the Paris-Madrid trainhotel in each direction, but the option
below only requires an £18 couchette
supplement plus a £10 Alvia
supplement.
Day 1
afternoon, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at
18:02 (17:32 on Saturdays) and
arriving in Paris Gare du Nord at 21:17 (20:47 on Saturdays).
Cross Paris by métro
to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
Day 1
evening, travel
from Paris to Irun on the Spanish frontier overnight leaving Paris Austerlitz at 23:10 and
arriving 07:36 next morning. This Lunéa train
has 6-berth 2nd class couchettes & 4-berth 1st class couchettes,
but no longer any sleeping-car.
What
are Lunéa trains like?
Day 2
morning, take a connecting air-conditioned Alvia train
leaving Irun at 08:25 and arriving Madrid Chamartin at 14:00.
Day 2 evening, travel from Madrid
(Atocha station) to
Algeciras by Altaria train, leaving Madrid at 15:05
arriving Algeciras at 20:39. Spend the night there.
Day 3 morning, take a ferry to Tangier as
shown above.
Morocco ► London
by alternative trains
Day 1
morning, take a ferry from Tangier to Algeciras around
10:00,
a 2½ hour crossing, see www.trasmediterranea.es
for ferry times.
Day 1 afternoon, travel from
Algeciras to Madrid by Altaria train as shown above,
leaving Algeciras at 15:05 and arrives at Madrid Atocha at
20:25. Spend the night in Madrid.
Day 2, travel from Madrid to Hendaye on the French frontier on
an air-conditioned 'Altaria' train leaving Madrid Atocha
at 16:15 arriving Hendaye at 22:05 (double-check times
at www.renfe.com).
This connects with the
overnight Lunéa train to Paris, leaving Hendaye at 22:12 and
arriving in Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at
07:13. 2nd class 6-bunk couchettes & 1st class
4-bunk couchettes are available.
What
are Lunéa trains like?
Day 3 morning, a Eurostar leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 09:13 arriving back in London
St Pancras at 10:34.
London ► Morocco
via Barcelona-Tangier 'Ferrimaroc' ferry...
This can be an
attractive alternative to the route via Madrid & Algeciras,
though it's not cheap. The Barcelona-Tangier ferry route
is new for 2010, run by Ferrimaroc, a subsidiary of Acciona
Trasmediterranea (www.trasmediterranea.es).
Travel from
London to Barcelona by afternoon Eurostar & overnight
trainhotel, see the Spain page.
Ferrimaroc sails
from Barcelona every Monday & Friday at 12:00, arriving in
Tangier at 20:00 next day (Tues & Sat).
The ferry has
2-berth & 4-berth cabins, plus reclining seats (but seats are
not recommended for this long overnight voyage).
Unfortunately, you cannot book shared cabins, only whole
cabins, making it expensive for solo travellers. Two
adults sharing a 2-berth cabin can find fares from 314 euros
one-way (157 euros or £142 each) or 576 euros return (288
euros or £261 each).
Morocco ► London
via Tangier-Barcelona 'Ferrimaroc' ferry...
Ferrimaroc sails
from Tangier every Tuesday & Saturday at 23:59, arriving in
Barcelona 2 nights later at 07:00 (Thurs & Mon).
Spend a day
exploring Barcelona.
Travel from
Barcelona to London by overnight trainhotel & morning
Eurostar, see the Spain page.
South of France
to Morocco by 'Comanav' ferry...
If you prefer a longer sea voyage, there
are regular passenger ships from Sète in the South of
France to Tangier, run by Comanav (Compagnie Maroccaine de Navigation).
See
www.southernferries.co.uk/comanav_ferries.htm
for sailing dates and fares. It's easy to get from
London to Sète by train - use
http://bahn.hafas.de
for train times.
Using a
railpasses...
If you
simply want to travel to and from Morocco, just buy normal tickets as a railpass is unlikely
to save any money. In fact, it will probably cost a lot
more. For example, if you have a
railpass you have to pay a £65 supplement to travel on the
Paris-Madrid trainhotel in a 4-berth sleeper, but you can find
a £65 special fare if you book in advance without a
railpass, so why bother with the pass?! However, if you already have a
railpass or InterRail card, or if you want to make other trips
in France, Spain or Morocco so that a railpass becomes
worthwhile, here are approximate supplements which railpass holders
need to pay on this route:
A global
InterRail pass giving
unlimited travel in most of Europe including France & Spain
(but no longer Morocco). See the
InterRail pass page to check
prices & buy online.
You will need to add at least £69 return for the Eurostar
from London to Paris as railpasses do not cover Eurostar.
You will need
to budget for supplements: Railpass holder
supplement for Paris-Madrid trainhotel is £67 in 4-berth
sleeper, £101 in a 2-bed sleeper. Supplement for
Altaria train Madrid-Algeciras around £10.
In Tangier, easily
the most interesting & atmospheric place to stay is the
venerable Continental Hotel,
whatever your budget. As you walk into town from the
ferry, you'll easily spot it on your right high up on the edge
of the Medina overlooking the port. Opened in 1888 and
used by many famous people including (allegedly) Winston
Churchill and Queen Victoria's son Alfred, it's now a travellers'
favourite, with classic Moroccan décor and an atmosphere
straight out of Agatha Christie. In spite of all this
history, it's cheap, a single room with shower & toilet costs around
460 dirhams (£38) per night including a light breakfast, a
double room with shower & toilet around 560 dirhams (£47)
including breakfast. Ask for a room on the first floor with
a balcony overlooking the port and new
town.
Rooms are small and fairly basic, but have clean en suite showers
&
toilets, the hotel is handy for the port,
well-located inside the old medina walls and
a stone's throw from the old town centre, Petit Socco & Grand
Socco. The hotel has a good and cheap restaurant, too.
Rooms can
now be booked
online here. Or just turn up, they usually have
rooms available. They don't accept credit cards. The address is 36, Dar Baroud
(Medina), Tangier, tel +212 39 93 10 24.
Above:
The Continental Hotel, Tangier. In the middle
picture, the passenger port is in the background, that's
how close it is...
Things to see in
Tangier...
Tangier sometimes
gets a bad press from travellers who are hassled
by a few touts at the port, who then hurry through without
seeing it and tell everyone else to do the same.
This is very short-sighted, as Tangier is the intriguing
and atmospheric city where
Europe meets Africa. Indeed, fans of the film
'Casablanca' will find it a far more plausible setting
for Rick, Elsa, Captain Renault and Major Strasser than the
big and unremarkable city to the south. Tangier was an
international zone from 1923 until its incorporation with
Morocco in 1956, and it really was awash with spies from both
sides in world war 2. It retains a faint air of mystery
and intrigue even today, although I've always felt very safe
there! It's a wonderful and
fascinating place
to spend a day or two, so make sure you include it in your
itinerary. Make sure you see the medina (old
town), kasbah (fort), the Petit Socco (small square) and Grand
Socco (large square), the English Church, and
Tangier American
Legation museum (the first bit of overseas territory ever
acquired by the United States). For more information on
Tangier, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangier.
Where to go next?
Modern
air-conditioned trains are waiting to whisk you south to the
rest of Morocco. Rabat is the country's capital and well
worth a stop; Casablanca is certainly a name to conjure with
(you have to say you've been there!) but in reality it's just
a large city. Marrakech is the obvious destination, and
a worthy (if touristy) one. Why not hire a car for a few
days and explore the country south of Marrakech? Meknès
& Fez are amazing places, as good or better than Marrakech an
with fewer tourists, so don't miss them!
The
trains in Morocco are some of the best in Africa, and they're the ideal
choice for getting around between cities. Fast,
modern, air-conditioned 'trains rapides climatisés' link Tangier,
Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Meknès, Fez & Oujda, see the route map above. Regular
trains link Casablanca airport with the city
centre. Agadir and Essaouira have no railway station,
but are linked to Marrakech by
connecting bus.
Above: A
Moroccan train at Sidi Kacem...
Above: The
11:00 express from Tangier has just arrived in Fes...
How to check train times & fares...
You can
easily check Moroccan train times & fares at the Moroccan
Railways (ONCF) website, www.oncf.ma,
which now has an English language button at top left.
Fares are very cheap, see fare examples below.
How to buy tickets...
There is
no easy way to book trains from outside Morocco, and you don't
generally need to book in advance anyway. Just buy your ticket at the station on the
day, or perhaps the day before. In 2nd class, seat
reservation isn't even possible, you just buy a ticket and
hop on, so the train cannot be 'full', at least in 2nd class. Seats can be reserved in 1st class, up to a
month in advance. When you're in Morocco, you can also book by phone on 090 20 30 40,
but this number is not accessible from overseas.
Sleeping-berths (4-berth couchettes) on the convenient
Tangier-Marrakech overnight train can be reserved up to 2
months in advance. These can sometimes get fully-booked, so book as
soon as you reach Morocco if you can,
but it's reportedly sometimes possible to find berths
available on the day of
travel.
One seat61 correspondent suggests arranging couchette tickets
on this train through local travel agency Travel
Link (www.travellink.ma, 83 Rue de la
Liberté (next to the El Minza Hotel), Tanger, call +212 539 93 58
77 or email
both officetanger@travellink.ma
& imad@travellink.ma, though
reports about this agency have been mixed, see below.
Tangier's new station...
The old
station in Tangier near the port & medina was closed a few
years ago (it's now used as a police station!), but an impressive new Tanger Ville station has now
been completed just inland from the far end of the sea front.
Walking from the port, the medina or the Continental Hotel to
the new station takes around 30-35 minutes, so take a petit
taxi as this only costs 20 dirhams or so (about £1.70).
Above:
Tangier's new station
Above:
Inside Tangier station, showing ticket windows
Taking the train South from Tangier...
Here
is the complete train timetable from Tangier to the rest of
Morocco. As you can see from the
route map above, Tangier is on a branch line from
the main Marrakech-Casablanca-Rabat-Meknès Fès line.
Most trains from Tangier reach the main line and turn
southwest to Rabat & Casablanca, and you have to change trains
to go east to Meknès or Fès, although there are two daily
direct Tangier-Meknès Fès trains. Indeed, in 2010 ONCF
have opened a new line that bypasses Sidi Kacem, 'cutting the
corner' at the junction with the main line and significantly
speeding up Tangier-Rabat-Casablanca trains. Trains now run every hour or so on the main
line between Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknès & Fez, see www.oncf.ma
for a complete timetable. Look for the 'Les horairies dans la
poche' link at the bottom of the ONCF home page to print out a
complete pocket timetable to take with you.
Tangier ► Marrakech / Fez
See note:
A
A
A
A
A
A
X
A = Air-conditioned
rapide, 1st & 2nd class, refreshment trolley.
This timetable shows all trains to and from Tangier, but there are lots of other trains on the
mainline linking
Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknès and Fez.
You can check train times
at www.oncf.ma,
in French 'horaires' = timetables, 'tarifs' =
fares.
High-speed service due to start in 2015:
French-built double-deck TGV Duplex trains running
at up to 320 km/h are due to link Tangier &
Casablanca in just 2 hours 10 minutes when Africa's
first high-speed line opens in 2015.
Children aged 0-3
travel free, children aged 4-10 travel at half fare, children
aged 11 and over pay the adult fare.
On board the
trains...
The long distance 'rapides
climatisés' have 1st & 2nd class air-conditioned smooth-riding
coaches, with a trolley service of inexpensive tea, coffee,
sandwiches and snacks.
Above: 1st
class is very comfortable, with plush carpeted 6-seat
air-conditioned compartments. It's still
cheap, and well worth the extra over 2nd class.
First class tickets include a specific reserved
seat.
Above: 2nd
class has 8-seat air-conditioned compartments with
basic padded plastic seats. The 2nd class
coaches now look a bit tatty, but they're still perfectly
adequate & incredibly cheap. 2nd class seats
aren't reserved, you find an empty one & sit down...
Above: The
refreshment trolley sells excellent hot sweet
coffee!
The
overnight train is a popular way to travel from
Tangier to Marrakech, sleeping in a couchette and saving a night in a hotel.
One couchette car is
attached to this train, with eleven 1st class 4-berth
compartments, each berth provided with pillow, sheet and light blanket.
The car is air-conditioned, although it may be a while
before the air-con kicks in if the car has been standing
in the sidings all day! The compartment doors
lock securely, and it is a safe, comfortable and time-effective way
to travel. As there is only one couchette car, berths
can get sold out, so book ahead
if you can.
However, it's not
impossible to find berths available even if you book at
the station on the
day of travel, so give it a try. All compartments
are shared 4-berth, sharing is absolutely fine and
normal, though if you are not on a tight budget and
there's only 1, 2 or 3 of you, you can book all 4 places
in a compartment for private occupancy.
How to book
the Tangier-Marrakech couchette train from outside
Morocco: There's no direct way
of booking this train from outside Morocco, but you can arrange it through local
Tangier travel agency Travel
Link, www.travellink.ma, 83 Rue de la
Liberté
(next to the El Minza Hotel), Tanger, call +212 539 93 58
77 or email
both officetanger@travellink.ma
& imad@travellink.ma. Travellink charge a
hefty 500 dirham (£41) booking fee on top
of the ticket cost, credit cards are accepted, but it can be worth it if
catching this train the day you arrive in Tangier is
mission-critical. Travellink have been highly recommended by
five separate
correspondents, although two other travellers say the agency
seems to have bought their couchette tickets on the day
of travel anyway (which defeats the whole point of using
them, and in one case, they then found the
couchettes full), and one other traveller reports poor
service.
Feedback
if you book this train through Travel Link is always
welcome.
Above: An upper berth
in a 4-berth couchette compartment on the Tangier
to Marrakech overnight train... There are upper &
lower bunks on each side of the compartment. Photo
courtesy of Patti White.
Above: The 1st class 4-berth couchette car attached
to the Tangier - Marrakech overnight train.
Photo
courtesy of Dave Turner.
New double-deck
air-conditioned trains linking Rabat & Casablanca...
These smart
new double-deck air-conditioned trains are now entering
service on the hourly Rabat-Casablanca fast shuttle service (TNR
or 'Train Navette Rapide' and a few
Fez-Meknès-Rabat-Casablanca express trains.
Double-decker
train at Fez... Photo courtesy of Marie Javins
First class
seats on the new Moroccan double decker train.
Photo courtesy of Marie Javins
Buses
from Marrakech to Agadir & Essaouira are run by Supratours, a subsidiary of
Moroccan railways, and depart from the Supratours
terminal next to Marrakech railway station. You can
check bus times at
www.oncf.ma.
Marrakech - Essaouira costs about 65 dirhams (£5 or $7),
Marrakech - Agadir about 95 dirhams (£8 or $12).
Luggage must be checked in, and a small fee is payable for
this in addition to your fare. You can buy combined train+bus tickets from any Moroccan railway station to Agadir and
Essaouira via Marrakech - ask for a 'billet rail et route'.
Make sure you take a good guidebook.
Easily the best guidebooks for
the independent traveller are Lonely Planets and Rough Guides. Both
provide an excellent level of practical information and
historical background. You won't regret buying one
of these!
My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe
based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and
is available from Amazon.co.uk.
Thomas Cook Timetables
There
are two truly remarkable books that are a 'must' for
serious overland travellers and an inspiration for
armchair travellers:
This is probably the most adventurous timetable ever
produced. It has train, bus & ferry times for every country in
Asia, Africa, North and South America and Australasia,
including non-European Russia, Asian Turkey, Mongolia, China and the
Trans-Siberian Railway. Sadly, the Nov/Dec 2010
edition was the very last to be published, but you may
still be able to buy
a copy of the final edition at Amazon.co.uk,
Overseas Timetable
Winter 2010/2011 edition.
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe...
This is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at Amazon.co.uk with worldwide delivery. See an extract from the map
Hotels in Algeciras, Tangier, Marrakech, Fez & elsewhere in
Morocco...
In Algeciras: For Algeciras hotels,
click here. The
Hotel Reina Cristina is easily the best hotel in
Algeciras as well as the most historic, set in its own grounds just
10 minutes walk from either rail station or ferry passenger
terminal. It costs only about 53 euros per night for
a single, 68 euros for a double.
In Marrakech, the
Hotel Islane is a good mid-range choice at around 35-45
euros (£26-£31) per room per night, with an excellent
central location just round the corner from the Jemaa el Fnaa,
the main market square. It also has a good rooftop
restaurant. The most
famous hotel in Marrakech is of course the top-notch
La Mamounia Hotel, if you can (a) afford it and (b) get a room!
www.hotelscombined.com
is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia,
Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and
others) to find the cheapest hotel rates. Set up in
2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any
hotel online in any country, worldwide.
Hotel Reina Cristina, Algeciras...
The classic Hotel Reina Cristina
is easily the best place to stay in Algeciras between train &
ferry...
Hiring a car might
not be the first thing you think of doing in Morocco, but if
you've a few days to spare in Marrakech I'd highly recommend
hiring a car and driving over the High Atlas Mountains via the
incredible Tizi n Tichka Pass, perhaps the most amazing road
I've ever driven. Stay the night at the Kasbah at
Tifletout (now a hotel) and visit the Gorge du Dadès,
Todra Gorge, and the remarkable mud-built town of Aït
ben Haddou. Driving isn't difficult, indeed the roads
are far less crowded than in the UK or Europe, making it a
very pleasant way to get around. Instead of searching
multiple websites to sort out your car, try this search engine which compares
different hire companies' prices.
Travel insurance, health card, SIM card
Get travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel without insurance from a
reliable travel insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself).
Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed
connection, but European international rail conditions of
carriage (known as the 'CIV') contain consumer protection
provisions that entitle you to travel forward by the next
available train if you miss a connection because of a delay to
the first train, irrespective of who operates which train, and
even if your ticket is in theory train-specific and
non-changeable.
Feedback from using
insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome. Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you're a
UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free
European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or
reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in
many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with
the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from
www.ehic.org.uk. It doesn't remove the need for
travel insurance, though.
Get a spare credit card, one designed for foreign travel with no currency
exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.
If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're
not left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition,
some credit cards are significantly better for
overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which
UK credit cards
have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something
overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when
you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice
can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your
normal high-street bank credit card! You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a
Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card,
find out about these cards & sign up here.
Get an international SIM card
to save on mobile data and phone calls...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're
not careful you can return home to find some huge bills
waiting for you. I've known people run up over £1,000 in
data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a
simple trip to Europe. However, if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and
limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid. Go-Sim
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also allows cheap data access for laptops
& PDAs. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
Believe it or not, there are two tour companies who can
arrange a holiday to Morocco by train rather than plane.
Railbookers.com tailor-makes itineraries to your own
specifications leaving on any date you like, whereas Great
Rail Journeys offers escorted group tours on a range of
specific dates. Both companies have very good
reputations.
Railbookers can
tailor-make a flight-free holiday to Morocco, with train
travel, transfers & hotels all arranged for you, for however
long you like, leaving on any date you like. Their
website has a suggested 9-day holiday from the UK to Morocco
for around £1,250 per person with 4 or 5 star hotels, and
although this is outwards by train and back by air they can
book you both ways by train if you like. If you tell
them what you want, they'll advise you on the best trains,
routes & hotels and sort it all out for you. They
operate a high-quality service and get a lot of
repeat business.
See the
Railbookers Morocco page for suggested itineraries and
prices.
If you want a holiday to Morocco
without flying, travelling with a group of fellow travellers
and a professional tour manager, one company offers a remarkable escorted
tour overland
from the UK to Morocco and back by train from £2,975. Check out Great Rail Journey's Marrakech Express tour from the UK to
Spain & Morocco, with
1st class train travel and 4* or 5* hotels. Stopovers include
Madrid, Ronda, Seville, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech, Casablanca. Check the details
online, then call 01904 527120 to
book or use their
online
booking form. Seat61 gets some commission to support
the site if you book your holiday through this link or phone
number.
In
the UK, try
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, try
If you live in the USA or Canada, try
