Getting around Morocco by train is generally easy and comfortable-- if you are flexible. The rewards for having a relaxed agenda are the beautiful views of unexpected landscapes that evoke Tuscany and New Mexico, and others that are uniquely Moroccan, experienced alongside the diverse people who call this place home.
Between the coastal commercial center of Casablanca and the cultural capital of Marrakech, the land feels desolate-- once you move out of the industrial grime. Rock-strewn red dirt fields gradually build into dry hills of occasional tufts of green. Stout mudbrick homes cluster together in squares like Lego villages. After a while, those homes and their fields are surrounded by lines of cacti that grow in chaotic cascades of broad flat leaves and small fruit. The red of the soil seems to intensify, now contrasted by the green scrub bushes that are munched on by herds of sheep and goats. From this silent landscape suddenly rise the loud white and pastel buildings that mark Marrakech’s suburbs, strewn with power wires and satellite dishes. A few moments more and you pass grand villas and compounds of the upper classes before arriving in the heart of the new city.
Heading north from Casablanca instead, you keep within sight of the Atlantic Ocean, moving up the coast where industrial ports and resort towns are visible along the route. Turning inland a bit you quickly arrive in the suburbs of the capital and arrive in Rabat’s manicured station. From here to Fès, there are plenty of villages and minarets visible between the forested areas. You will begin to wonder which side of the Mediterranean you really are on when you catch sight of the rows of olives and grapes that dip into shallow valleys. Now far to the east of the coast, you approach Meknès, ancient city of Morocco’s princes, high in the hills. The train climbs to slightly higher altitudes in these foothills until you come into the burnt umber buildings of Fès.
Where You Can Go
The train system easily connects the major metropolitan and tourist centers, from Tangiers at the most north point to Marrakech in the south, and many small towns in between. As long as you are not on a tight schedule and have allowed time for the unexpected delay, such as when your train hits an unfortunate sheep (true story), travel by rail is convenient and enjoyable.
First Class: Reserved Seat and less passengers per compartment
Bon Voyage!
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| The view from our train, Casablanca to Marrakech |
Between the coastal commercial center of Casablanca and the cultural capital of Marrakech, the land feels desolate-- once you move out of the industrial grime. Rock-strewn red dirt fields gradually build into dry hills of occasional tufts of green. Stout mudbrick homes cluster together in squares like Lego villages. After a while, those homes and their fields are surrounded by lines of cacti that grow in chaotic cascades of broad flat leaves and small fruit. The red of the soil seems to intensify, now contrasted by the green scrub bushes that are munched on by herds of sheep and goats. From this silent landscape suddenly rise the loud white and pastel buildings that mark Marrakech’s suburbs, strewn with power wires and satellite dishes. A few moments more and you pass grand villas and compounds of the upper classes before arriving in the heart of the new city.
Heading north from Casablanca instead, you keep within sight of the Atlantic Ocean, moving up the coast where industrial ports and resort towns are visible along the route. Turning inland a bit you quickly arrive in the suburbs of the capital and arrive in Rabat’s manicured station. From here to Fès, there are plenty of villages and minarets visible between the forested areas. You will begin to wonder which side of the Mediterranean you really are on when you catch sight of the rows of olives and grapes that dip into shallow valleys. Now far to the east of the coast, you approach Meknès, ancient city of Morocco’s princes, high in the hills. The train climbs to slightly higher altitudes in these foothills until you come into the burnt umber buildings of Fès.
Where You Can Go
There is also a connected bus system ("Liaisons routieres") that reaches farther into the south, if you want to travel to Agadir or farther. You can find out about schedules and tickets online at the OCNF website (that’s the Moroccan Amtrak). This blog has also helpfully organized the times into a spreadsheet, but beware that schedules may change.
Ticket Class
There are two classes on Moroccan trains, First and Second. What’s the difference?
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| First class compartment, we had to ourselves for part of the journey. You can see our luggage stored overhead in the mirror. |
First Class: Reserved Seat and less passengers per compartment
- Six seats and a compartment of people using iphones and tablets that are newer than yours, so you will feel more secure about your stufF
- Guaranteed seat, so less rushing- and you can request a window.
- The First class car is either at the very front or very back end of the train
- Eight seats, slightly more cramped and busy than first
- Interesting people-watching
- Treat it like a subway, get on the first car that stops in front of you and find a seat from there
On the Train
Once you find your spot, you can store your bags over or under the seat—just don’t forget it if you put it underneath!
The conductor will come by to check tickets. If the price of your ticket is not on your seat ticket, make sure you also have the receipt—some places will staple them together, others will not and you might be tempted to throw it away, but keep it!
Smoking is prohibited on the train, but like most places in Morocco where this is true, smokers have found their way around the rules and just congregate around the doors to smoke. If you’re a guy who smokes and would like to chat with local men, this is a good place to strike up a conversation. (You won’t normally see women smoking here).
People are also generally friendly and often chatty in the compartments, especially on long trips. You might encounter businessmen, university students heading home for the weekend, women visiting family—all kinds. Friday is an especially busy travel day as the weekend begins. Many speak some English, everyone speaks French if you do.
You’ll eventually here a metallic “tap tap tap”—this is the foodcart warning you he’s coming down the hall. The cart offers tea and coffee, water, sodas and snacks, and sandwiches (I don’t recommend the sandwiches or any non-packaged foods, just FYI). Coffee is about 10 Dirhams.
The Station (Le Gare)
The stations are all different, with varying levels of services. Even small town stations are staffed, but of course most of the big city stations have more seating, air-conditioned lobbies, restrooms, restaurants and shops. At every station you need to show your ticket before you can walk to the platform (though some won’t bother asking foreigners). Here’s a quick view of what to expect at three key stations you may encounter:
· Marrakech: Perhaps the best in Morocco. New and clean, it greets you with pleasant architecture and abundant amenities. Ticket agents even speak some English to help you. The lobby is huge with air conditioning and lots of seating, several shops for snacks and water, restaurants, good restrooms. If you’re heading farther out of town by bus, the Supratours station is just around the corner. The station is sort-of walking distance from the Medina through a pretty high-end “New Town” neighborhood, but it’s a little far while carrying all your gear. I would opt for a taxi to the Jemma El Fna for around 20 Dirhams (depending on your negotiating skills) or better yet if you don’t mind the expense, the transfer arranged by your Riad.
· Fès: A welcoming station, though the services are less spectacular. Speaking French will help you here, as we didn’t encounter any English-speaking staff. Also offers restrooms, stores, and cafes. ATM and currency exchange right outside the door on the right. There are no phones inside the station—you need to cross the street (out the front doors, head to the right diagonal) to find payphones that take change or cards, if you need to call your host.
· Casablanca: If you had any romantic ideas of Casablanca, they will probably die here at the train station. It is small, busy, crowded, and offers few services. The ticket queue seems always long but moves fast and staff are helpful. Don’t trust the signs telling you when the next train is coming; it’s better to ask someone to be sure you’re on the right platform. The café facing the parking lot is pleasant enough for a short break.
A Few Hints
· Buying tickets: you can’t buy tickets outside of Morocco, but once here it’s no problem, even same day or a half-hour before the train departs usually. Try not to wait until the last minute as you might be delayed by long queues. Pay in cash.
· Queuing: people in Morocco— and many other non-American/British societies—do not line up in the neat rows we might expect. Just like with traffic on the streets, people merge together in a seemingly undisciplined way. To get your turn requires being proactive and not waiting to be told to move up. Don’t get frustrated, adapt and do as they do.
· Casablanca Airport: Taking the train between the airport and center of the city is easy, but infrequent. Trains run about every hour most of the day, but not necessarily on time- more often than not they are a few minutes late. It takes about 30 minutes to get between Casa Voyageurs and Mohammad V Airport. There is little difference here between 1st and 2nd class—price is marginally different, aircon is equally unreliable.
If you must get there and need to guarantee your seat, spring for 1st, but otherwise you should be able to jostle for a seat in 2nd. Jump on as fast as you can and be extra careful with your wallet/passport.
Bon Voyage!
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