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 14:04 arriving in Paris Gare
du Nord at 17:26. 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 by trainhotel. Travel
from Paris to Madrid overnight on the excellent Elipsos 'trainhotel', leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 19:47
and arriving next morning at Madrid Chamartin station at
09:10. The Paris-Madrid trainhotel
normally runs daily, but it will not run on Tuesday or Wednesday nights
from 13
October 2010 until March 2011 (but it
will run on 9 Nov, 7, 8 December 2010).
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
by 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 20:39. 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 2: Spend the night in Algeciras
- easily the nicest place to stay is the historic 4-star
but relatively inexpensive
Hotel Reina Cristina, set in its own grounds 10
minute's walk from both the railway station and the ferry
terminal.
Algeciras
hotels.
Map of Algeciras & Gibraltar area.
Day 3: Sail from Algeciras
to Tangier by ferry. In Algeciras, the modern
ferry passenger terminal is only 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. To check ferry times and fares,
see
www.trasmediterranea.es (ship & fast ferry),
www.comarit.com (ship) or
www.euroferrys.com (ship & fast ferry, also bookable
through
www.trasmediterranea.es) or
www.nautas-almaghreb.com(fast ferry).
The Seat61 Ferry Shop will
give ferry times, fares and online booking for both Nautas
and Trasmediterranea.
You sail from Algeciras to
Tangier on either a leisurely ship taking 2½
hours or a fast ferry taking 1
hour. There are a range of departures
throughout the day, operated by a variety of ferry
companies. There's usually a ship leaving at either 08:00
arriving Tangier Med port at 08:30/09:30, or at 09:00
arriving Tangier Med port 09:30/10:30. The arrival
times vary because the time difference between Spain &
Morocco varies at different times of year. The fast
ferries 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 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
42km 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'!
Day 3: Arrival at Tanger
Med port. As from May 2010, all ferries from Algeciras are
now using the new ferry terminal at Tanger Med (Port
Tanger Mediterranée, see map), some 42km from Tangier
itself, but a shorter crossing. Buses & taxis are
available from Tanger Med to Tangier, and services should
start on a new
rail link later in 2010. If you use Tanger Med
and have any feedback,
please email me.
The Tarifa-Tangier FRS fast ferry still uses Tangier town
ferry terminal, at least until late 2010, and they provide
a bus Algeciras-Tarifa, see
www.frs.es.
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 09:05
Altaria train from Madrid Atocha station to
Algeciras, arriving at 14:45. 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.
The
trainhotel's full-length bar - grab a bar stool early, it gets
crowded later on!
The
elegant trainhotel restaurant awaits first sitting for
dinner...
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.
On board the Altaria train from Madrid to Algeciras...
The afternoon
train to Algeciras about to leave Madrid Atocha...
Turista (2nd class)
on Altaria...
In Preferente, passengers get a
complimentary 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,
evening: Take a ferry from Tangier to Algeciras.
On most days there's a ship which sails from Tangier Med
port at 18:00
arriving in Algeciras at 21:30 or at 19:00 arriving
Algeciras at 22:30. It's
a 2½ hour crossing by ship or 1½
hours by fast seacat. See
www.trasmediterranea.es,
www.comarit.com,
www.euroferrys.com, or
www.nautas-almaghreb.com to
check ferry times & fares. Important:
As from May 2010,
all ferries to Algeciras now leave from the new
ferry terminal at Tanger Med port (Port
Tanger Mediterranée, see map), some 42km from Tangier
itself. Buses & taxis are
available from Tangier town to Tanger Med, and a train
service is due to start at some point, perhaps in late
2010. If you
use Tanger Med and have any feedback,
please email me.
The Tangier-Tarifa FRS fast ferry still uses Tangier town
ferry terminal, at least until late 2010, and they provide
a bus from Tarifa to Algeciras, see
www.frs.es.
Day 2, morning: Travel
from Algeciras to Madrid by high-speed Altaria train.
You
leave Algeciras at 08:24 and arrive in Madrid Atocha at
13:57. 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 on a lunchtime ferry around 10:00 or 11:00 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 16:50) to Madrid (arriving Madrid Atocha at
22:50), and
spend the night in Madrid.
Day 2, evening: Travel
from Madrid to Paris on the excellent overnight
trainhotel, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 19:00 and arriving
in Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 08:31 next morning. The Madrid-Paris trainhotel
normally runs daily, but it will not run on Monday
or Tuesday nights from 12 October 2010 until March 2011.
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 12:29.
£56 each way. You must occupy the whole compartment.
* Special fares: In Tourist Class the £66
fare (£81 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 lower (Mini
à Deux) or higher
(Duo) price will be available on a 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.
10%-22% higher fares apply
mid-June to mid-September & at Easter (e.g.
£67 becomes £83).
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 7725 7063 (lines open 09:30-13:30 &
14:30-17:30 Monday-Friday),
or Rail
Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 09:00-21:00
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.
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
17:55 (17:25 on Saturdays) and
arriving in Paris Gare du Nord at 21:17 (20:53 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 15:08 and arrives at Madrid Atocha at
20:50. 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 16:10 arriving Hendaye at 22:03 (double-check times
at www.renfe.com).
This connects with the
overnight Lunéa train to Paris, leaving Hendaye at 22:18 and
arriving in Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at
07:11. 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 place to stay is the 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, 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't be booked
online and they don't accept credit cards, but email them at
hcontinental@iam.net.ma or
hcontinental@menara.ma
or just turn up. 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. 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 39 93 58
77 or email
nait@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. Tangier is on a branch line from a junction
station called Sidi Kacem, located on the main line
linking Fez,
Meknès, Sidi Kacem, Rabat, Casablanca &
Marrakech. Most trains run Tangier-Sidi
Kacem-Casablanca, so you must change at Sidi Kacem for Meknès
& Fez. However, a couple of trains run Tangier-Sidi
Kacem-Fez, and on these you change at Sidi Kacem for
Casablanca. Trains now run every hour or so on the main
line between 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
X
A
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.
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.
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 Liberte
(next to the El Minza Hotel), Tanger, call +212 39 93 58
77 or email
officetanger@travellink.ma, said_zenith@yahoo.com. Travellink charge a
hefty 500 dirham (£41) booking fee on top
of the ticket cost, 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. It costs £13.99 from any branch of Thomas
Cook or you can buy it online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com.
Alternatively, buy the
independent traveller's edition at Amazon.co.uk,
Overseas Timetable
Summer 2010 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...
A Lonely Planet or
Rough Guides guidebook will point you at some good hotels
Morocco when you get there. Alternatively, you
can pre-book hotels (budget, mid-range and upmarket) in most
Moroccan cities through
www.hotelscombined.com using the search box
below. It's not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms,
Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to
find the cheapest hotel rates on the net. It's an amazing system and probably the best place to
start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.
In Tangier, the
wonderfully atmospheric and central
Continental Hotel is the top choice, and very inexpensive.
Ideally located for both port and old medina, and with its own
restaurant too. It's not bookable online,
see the section above.
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
La Mamounia Hotel, if you can (a) afford it and (b) get a room!
In Algeciras: For Algeciras hotels,
click here. The 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.
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..
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). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
Columbus Direct or
Go Travel Insurance, or go to
Confused.com to run a price comparison on a whole range of
travel insurance providers for your dates of travel, seeing
their policy's features at a glance.
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.
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 pre-paid euro currency MasterCard from Caxton FX...
You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a
Caxton FX euro currency MasterCard, or indeed the
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' MasterCard.
Find out about these cards & sign up here.
Get an international SIM card...
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 by train from £2,395. 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.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, see
If you live in the USA or Canada, see
