Riding the rails in Morocco...

The trains in Morocco are some of the best in Africa, and they're the ideal choice for getting around between cities.  New 300km/h (186mph) Al Boraq high-speed trains now link Tangier, Kenitra, Rabat & Casablanca every hour using a new high-speed line.   Several air-conditioned trains per day branded Al Atlas still link Tangier with Sidi Kacem, Meknes & Fez via the old classic line, and similar Al Atlas air-conditioned expresses run Oujda-Fes-Meknes-Sidi Kacem-Kenitra-Rabat-Casablanca-Marrakech,  Regular trains link Casablanca airport with the city centre, and Trains Navette Rapides (fast shuttle trains) link Rabat & Casablanca.  Agadir and Essaouira have no railway station, but are linked to Marrakech by connecting bus.

Route map:  See a zoomable train route map at openstreetmap.com.

Travel from London & Paris to Morocco by train, see the London to Morocco page.

How to check train times & fares...

You can easily check Moroccan train times & fares at the Moroccan Railways (ONCF) website, www.oncf-voyages.ma, English button top right.

Fares are pretty cheap by European standards, see fare examples below.  Fares for the Al Boraq high-speed trains have variable pricing in 2nd class, with cheaper advance-purchase non-flexible fares and more expensive flexible fares.  This policy has now been extended to most conventional long-distance trains too, which have been branded Al Atlas.  At short notice the more expensive flexible fares will apply.

Children aged 0-3 travel free, children aged 4-10 travel at half fare, children aged 11 and over pay the adult fare.

Tangier ► Rabat

• Journey time 1h20 by Al Boraq high-speed train.

• Departures from Tangier at 06:00 and every hour until 19:00, then 21:00.

• Rabat Agdal is the station you want for high-speed trains, only conventional non-high-speed trains call at Rabat Ville.

• Fares vary between 89 to 172 dirhams 2nd class, the fare is 224 dirhams in 1st class.

Tangier ► Casablanca

• Journey time 2h10 by Al Boraq high-speed train.

• Departures from Tangier at 06:00 then every hour until 19:00, 21:00.

• Casa Voyageurs is the main station for high-speed trains.

• Fares vary between 99 to 224 dirhams 2nd class, the fare is 292 dirhams in 1st class.

• Alternatively, there's also a direct overnight train, leaving Tangier at 23:25 & arriving Casablanca 06:10.

  The train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with private single-berth compartments, an air-conditioned 1st class couchette car with shared 4-berth compartments & 2nd class air-conditioned seats cars, see the Tangier-Marrakech overnight train section below.

  The fare is around 375 dirhams in a shared 1st class 4-berth couchette or from 399 dirhams in advance or 670 dirhams full-price for a private single-berth compartment in the sleeping-car.

Tangier ► Marrakech

• Option 1, by daytime train:  Take an Al Boraq high-speed train from Tangier to Casablanca Voyageurs, then a classic Al Atlas train onwards to Marrakech.

  Departures from Tangier at 06:00, 08:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00.  Journey time around 5h14.

  Fares vary between 186 to 338 dirhams 2nd class, the fare is 472 dirhams in 1st class.

• Option 2, by direct overnight train, leaving Tangier at 23:25 & arriving Marrakech 09:01.

  The train has an air-conditioned 1st class couchette car with shared 4-berth compartments & 2nd class air-conditioned seats cars, see the Tangier-Marrakech overnight train section below.

  The fare is 216 dirhams in a 2nd class seat, around 375 dirhams in a shared 1st class 4-berth couchette or from 399 dirhams in advance or 670 dirhams full-price for a private single-berth compartment in the sleeping-car.

Tangier ► Meknes, Fes

• Option 1, journey time around 2h40 to Meknes or 3h25 to Fes, taking an Al Boraq high-speed train from Tangier to Kenitra and changing onto a classic Al Atlas train eastwards to Fes.  Departures from Tangier at 06:00, 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00.

• Option 2, journey time around 3h40 to Meknes or 4h13 to Fes by direct Al Atlas train over the classic line from Tanger to Fes.  Departures at 07:40, 11:35, 14:30, 19:05.

How to buy tickets...

1. Buy online...

   You can book Moroccan long-distance trains online at www.oncf-voyages.ma which is the official ticket sales site.

   Originally it only accepted Moroccan credit cards, but it now usually accepts non-Moroccan cards.  If it rejects your card check with your bank and /or try another card.  Further feedback appreciated.

   Booking now opens 3 months before departure (increased from one month in 2022).

   If you have any payment problems, you can also book online with agency www.bookaway.com.

   When you're in Morocco, you can also book by phone on 0890 20 30 40, but this number is not accessible from overseas.

• Buy at the station...

  It's easy enough to buy your ticket at the station on the day or perhaps the day before.  Tangier Ville station now accepts credit cards as well as cash.

  On both the Al Boraq high-speed trains and the classic Al Atlas trains, all tickets come with a reserved seat so trains can in theory sell out, but there are so many seats that in practice they seldom do.  The Al Atlas trains have only one first class car, and that can indeed sell out on occasion.

  The shuttle trains linking Rabat & Casablanca and the few remaining conventional long-distance trains which have not yet been branded Al Atlas have unreserved 2nd class where tickets do not include a reserved seat so tickets cannot sell out, you sit where you like on a first come, first served basis.

• How to book a sleeper from Tangier to Marrakech...

  Sleeping-berths on the convenient Tangier-Marrakech overnight train can be reserved up to 2 months in advance.  These sometimes get fully-booked as there's only one couchette car on the train, but it's reportedly sometimes possible to find berths available on the day of travel.

  Unfortunately, the couchettes cannot be booked online - only 1st & 2nd class seats can be booked at www.oncf-voyages.ma.  To book a couchette, contact one of the agencies suggested below...

• Buy from outside Morocco through these local agencies...

  If it's mission-critical to book a specific train, or you want a couchette on the Tangier-Marrakech night train, contact one of these agencies:

  Marrakech Tickets: www.marrakechtickets.co.uk - tickets for daytime trains can be emailed to you, tickets for the overnight couchette train can be collected in Marrakech or for departures from Tangier couriered to you for around £35.

  Travel link:  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.  You can also try similar agency www.andotravel.com.

Tangier's new station...

The old station in Tangier near the port & medina was closed some years ago (it's now a police station), but an impressive new Tanger Ville station has been built just inland from the far end of the sea front.  It's now been expanded to accommodate the Al Boraq high-speed trains.  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).  The station includes a comfortable Al Boraq lounge for anyone with a 1st class Al Boraq ticket.

Tangier's modern station		Interior showing ticket windows

Al Boraq high-speed trains...

Africa's first high-speed trains started running in November 2018 on the new Tangier-Rabat-Casablanca high-speed line.  Morocco's Al Boraq high-speed trains are 300km/h (186mph) double-deck trains, a version of French Railway's TGV Duplex.  They have 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar.  The new line roughly follows the route of the (still-operating) classic line, but joins the Fes-Casablanca main line at Kenitra rather than Sidi Kacem.

Tip:  There is an Al Boraq lounge for anyone with a 1st class Al Boraq ticket at Tangier Ville, Kénitra, Rabat Agdal and Casablanca Voyageurs

Morocco's new Al Boraq double-deck high-speed train.  Photos in this section courtesy of Nicholas Brooke...

1st class...		2nd class...

The cafe-bar...		An Al Boraq train...

Classic Al Atlas trains...

The classic long distance trains have smooth-riding 1st & 2nd class air-conditioned coaches, with a trolley selling tea, coffee, sandwiches & snacks.  Most of these classic expresses have now been branded Al Atlas, with a reserved seat automatically included with every ticket.  The few remaining classic expresses which have not yet been branded Al Atlas have reserved seats in 1st class but no reservation possible in 2nd class.

An Al Atlas train in the new colour scheme.  A refreshment trolley comes down the train.  Photo courtesy of Tom Whitehead...

1st class is very comfortable indeed, with plush carpeted 6-seat air-conditioned compartments or occasionally open-plan seating.  It's still cheap, and well worth the extra over 2nd class.  First class tickets include a specific reserved seat, so can sometimes sell out. Courtesy of Tom Whitehead		2nd class has 8-seat air-conditioned compartments with basic padded plastic seats.  The coaches now look a bit tatty, but they're still perfectly adequate & incredibly cheap.  2nd class seats aren't reserved so cannot sell out, you find an empty one & sit down...

Overnight train from Tangier to Marrakech...

The overnight train is a popular and time-effective way to travel from Tangier to Marrakech, sleeping in a couchette and saving a night in a hotel.  Until early 2022, the train had one sleeping-car with single-berth compartments and one couchette car with 4-berth compartments, but the sleeping-car has now reportedly been discontinued.  Only the 1st class 4-berth couchettes remain.

The couchette car has 11 shared 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.

For the record, and in case it resumes, the air-conditioned sleeping-car had 11 private single-berth compartments (Lit Single in French), each with a comfy bed with full bedding, a washbasin and a chair.  The compartment doors lock securely, a car attendant is on duty, and it's a safe, comfortable & time-effective way to travel.  This sleeper is a relatively new addition, introduced in 2018 although the car itself is older.

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.  The couchettes can't be booked online, to book a couchette in advance from outside Morocco, see the specific advice on this train in the How to buy tickets section above.