By Train, Marrakesh

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When getting to Marrakech the options are either fly which is extremely expensive or take the train .... the train was cheap ... we paid 140 Dirham in 1st class about $15 US from Casablanca one-way. The train are suppose to run about 1 every hour and a half ... needless to say our 8:50 am train was 3 hours late ....... Your ticket which can be bought either at the station at the Casablanca airport or at the Casa Voyageurs station. The imformation on the tickets tell you the train number the number on the right ... then it tells you which car and compartment and then seat number ...

Once on the train it somewhat of a boring ride ... not much to see ... rolling hills and at times sheep herders . ....

A big WARNING !!!! ..... on the train ... you'll have people try to scam a free 1st class ride so don't be scared to ask for there tickets if they are seated in your seat ... also be WARNED .... people will try to be friendly and try to talk to you ... ignore them or be stern and tell them to leave you alone that you are not interested .... we had a guy talking to my cousin and next thing you know he was trying to sell us a tour and even WORSE ... he followed us to our HOTEL !!!!!!!!!!

They are relentless and only talking firm to them would they understand ......

Also trains do sellout during busy periods so try to buy your tickets as soon as you arrive in Morocco, unfortanetly you can not buy the tickets online, only in person ....

And if you are returning via Casablanca to the airport ..... you can not buy a ticket all the way thru from Marrakech ... you must get off in Casa Voyageurs and purchase a ticket to the airport .... and jump on a different train ... so give yourself plenty of time ... we took a 7:00 am train and walked into the airport in Casablanca at 12:00 for a 2:00 PM flight ... so it was perfect ...

Once you arrive in Marrakech purchase your return ticket right there and then .... that also leaves the tons of people to get out and you won't be harassed by the numerous shady people waiting to prey on the tourist and travelers.

Also do not pay more than 60 dirhams for your taxi ride to your hotel ... Marrakech is a real small city and distances are very close ..... Also the train station is pretty nice and clean with several places to eat .... even a McDonald's ... for those who get homesick

There is 1 overnight train to Tangier.

Journey time ?.

Tickets are around 188 dirhams.

Book tickets 1 or 2 days before departure.

It's worth it to pay abit more and go 1st. still very cheap.

Please use prices as a rough guide only.

There are 8 trains departing for Meknes.

Journey time 7 hours.

Tickets are around 154 dirhams in 2nd Class.

It's worth it to pay abit more and go 1st. still very cheap.

Please use prices as a rough guide only.

There are 8 trains departing for Fes.

Journey time 8 hours.

Tickets are around 171 dirhams in 2nd Class.

It's worth it to pay abit more and go 1st. still very cheap.

Please use prices as a rough guide only.

There are 9 trains departing for Rabat.

Journey time 4 hours.

Tickets are around 101 dirhams in 2nd Class.

It's worth it to pay abit more and go 1st. still very cheap.

Please use prices as a rough guide only.

There are 9 trains departing for Casablanca.

Journey time 3 hours.

Tickets are around 76 dirhams in 2nd Class.

It's worth it to pay abit more and go 1st. still very cheap.

Please use prices as a rough guide only.

Took the train to Marrakesh from Casa. Cost DH140 in 1st class - seats allocated.

Generally it was fine, but it left 30 minutes late and had lost another 15 minutes by the time it arrived.

It had a refreshment trolley to sell you a sandwich & Coke at your seat. Bring your own beer.

Leaves from Casa Voyageurs station. Check the ONCF website for times.

The first half of the trip (coastal plain) is uninteresting, but once you get into the dry semi-desert it is more fun.

What a wonderful thing to do in mid December – bouncing along on the mid morning Marrakesh Express through bright red semi desert watching the goats flee the excitement.

From Marrakech you can take only the train to the north, to Casablanca (3-4 hrs), Rabat (4 hrs), Meknes (7hrs) or Fez (8 hrs). There are several trains a day to Casablanca, some direct trains to Meknes and Fez and overnight trains to Tangier.

To other places in Morocco you can take the ONCF related supratours busses. For all actual schedules of the trains and the supratours busses you have to look at the website of ONCF.

The railwaystation is the Ville Nouvelle about 1 km west of the Place du 16 Novembre. When I visited Marrakech in march 2007 and january 2008 the reconstruction of the new railwaystation was still in progress.

Getting to Casablanca - and out of - by train is very comfortable. Trains are mostly on time, cheap and quite nice. There are two classes - and the second class is more than adequate and quite roomy. We travelled once in first class and noticed very little difference, except perhaps that seats are reserved. Basically: take second class if you are departing from where the train is originating - and this is always the case in Marrakech, since it's the end of the train line. Try to be there some 30 minutes before your departure, as trains are normally there quite a while earlier to be cleaned - and hop on as soon as possible.

An added bonus of Marrakech station is that it is right beside an Ibis hotel - which means that you can use a clean toilet as soon as you arrive, since toilet trains are never too clean (well, in Morocco they are not that bad either).

If you want to make sure you get a seat buy a first class ticket, the first class is the front cars.
Generally I found Moroccans to have an almost German-style efficiency about things, the return trains were late though.