Traveling by train in Morocco can be a convenient and scenic way to experience the diverse landscapes and cultural richness of the country.
Morocco has a well-developed railway network operated by ONCF (Office National des Chemins de Fer), making it easy to travel between major cities and popular tourist destinations.
The Moroccan railways gave us one of the best train travel. The entire Railway system had the European infrastructure combined with Asian customer service.
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Traveling by train in Morocco – How to book tickets online?
There are two ways, either online or through an app. I choose the online method.
Note: The official website doesn’t function in some countries. In this case, try a VPN or book a ticket after reaching Morocco.
1: Choose your desired travel date, destination, and search for connections
2: Select your train and choose between Semi Flex or Flex option
3: Enter your particulars such as name, email, mobile
4: Finalize payment with a Master or Visa card
Tickets confirmed by email
A seat reservation is included by default in your ticket
Moroccan Railways
Morocco Train Map
Morocco has an extensive and well-developed train network connecting major cities, including Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakesh, Fes, and others. These routes form the backbone of the country.
The Orange lines in the map indicate train routes.
Also, the train network has tied up with bus operator – Supratours which connects the remaining small cities/towns making your journey stress-free. The Blue lines in the map indicate bus routes.
On the official ONCF Morocco website, the bus routes are also included along with the train in their schedule. They are planned connections. I didn’t experience this bus ride but it shouldn’t be difficult.
Moroccan train stations
The trains are usually punctual. At the entrance of every platform, there is a security who allows passengers only if they possess a valid ticket.
Every ticket comes with a passenger carriage number and seat reservation. Look for the word Voiture.
Also, there are no shops on the platform which contributes to reducing littering.
My Moroccan train itinerary had three routes. They are listed below
Moroccan Train cost (as of September 2023)| Activity | Time (hour) | Moroccan Dirham (MAD) | Euro (€) | Indian Rupee (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currency conversion | 10.1 | 1 | 83.3 | |
| Casablanca to Marrakesh (First class) | 2.5 | 151.4 | 15 | 1249.5 |
| Casablanca to Rabat (Second class) | 1 | 50.5 | 5 | 416.5 |
| Marrakesh to Tangier (First class) | 5 | 403.6 | 40 | 3332 |
1. Casablanca to Marrakech Train
Casablanca is a modern Moroccan city which resembles close to European cities. This vibrant city has three train stations; Casa Port, Casa Voyageurs, and Casa Oasis.
Pro-tip: Some trains pass through more than one Casa train stations. In this case, you can depart from any of the these three Casa train stations irrespective of which station is mentioned in your ticket
Casa Voyageurs (3 km east of the city center)
This was our first time in a Moroccan train station. We were amazed at how clean the station looked. Filled with Beautiful cafes, restaurants, and exchange centers, the station is as good as any developed European city
Casa Port (close to the city center)
Casa Port is the closest to the Medina. It is less than a kilometer. The station is also modern with ticket machines, active customer service, and a few cafes/restaurants.
I booked all my train routes online. However, due to the Moroccan earthquake which happened a few weeks before our trip, I had to make a few changes.
I wasn’t sure whether you could postpone your tickets. The customer service at Casa Port said, ‘Though you booked train tickets with the Semi-Flex option, you can postpone or prepone your train for 3€’
Casa Oasis (4 km south of the city center)
This is the least popular of the three Casa stations. Located far away from the center, use the taxi app Careem to reach the station.
The app is similar to Uber and the cost was ~ 3.5€.
2. Casablanca to Rabat train (day trip)
Our train to Rabat was delayed by an hour due to the priority given to high-speed trains.
The train was old and the toilets were ok compared to the high-speed train. But I won’t complain as the ticket cost only 5€ one way.
3. Marrakesh to Tangier train with a transit in Casablanca
I read many travel blogs regarding the scams at the Marrakesh train station and Medina.
To our surprise, the train station was pretty clean and huge with all modern facilities like ticket machines, exchange centers, cafes, and restaurant chains. It also had a waiting hall.
Few taxi drivers approached us for a ride, an obvious scam. We ignored and used the taxi app inDrive.
A local recommended this app during the train journey. The app was a game-changing one and eased our Moroccan travel.
The Al Boraq high-speed train in Morocco
Morocco has one high-speed train; the Al Boraq. It covers 323 km from Casa Voyageurs to Tangier in 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Comfortable seats, punctual timings, and affordable prices made this train journey a pleasant experience.
The top speed reached close to 300 km/h at some points. But we never felt that the train was even moving.
Morocco Rail Travel Tips
- Book early – The pricing is similar to airlines, the sooner you book cheaper the tickets are.
- Affordable first-class tickets – The difference between first-class and second-class tickets is minimal. So, for a few extra Euros, go for the first class.
- The official ONCF website has no English version. Use Google Chrome Live Translate while booking tickets.
- The customer service at the station speaks English. Feel free to approach them for any help.
- Every one or two hours during the train journey, a staff comes selling coffee and snacks like chips, and croissants. So there is no need to load food and save it in your backpack.
If you are a fan of taking a bus, then read my complete guide regarding the CTM buses. In case you have any questions, leave a comment and we will get back to you.
Time of visit: September 2023