Trains
Morocco's ONCF trains are comfortable, punctual and great value, linking Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Meknes and Marrakech. The Al Boraq high-speed line covers Tangier–Casablanca in just over 2 hours. Trains are ideal for the northern 'imperial cities' corridor — but they don't reach the desert or the southern valleys.
Buses · CTM & Supratours
For destinations trains don't serve — Chefchaouen, Essaouira, Merzouga, the south — CTM and Supratours run clean, reliable coaches at low prices. They're a solid budget option, though slower and tied to fixed schedules and stops.
Grand taxis & petits taxis
Shared 'grand taxis' (old Mercedes) run fixed inter-town routes and leave when full; 'petits taxis' handle short city hops — always agree a price or insist on the meter. Cheap and local, but cramped for long distances.
Domestic flights
Royal Air Maroc and budget carriers connect the main cities and can save time on long hops (e.g. Tangier–Marrakech), but for most itineraries the time saved is offset by airport faff.
Private driver-guide
For desert tours and southern circuits, a private driver-guide is the most comfortable, flexible and time-efficient way to travel. You see far more, stop wherever you like, and skip the logistics — which is exactly what we provide on every tour. It costs more than buses but transforms the trip.
Should you self-drive?
Renting a car is feasible and roads are mostly good, but city driving is chaotic, parking is stressful and police checkpoints are frequent. Most visitors find a private driver better value once fuel, parking and stress are factored in.
Driving times between the big destinations
A sense of the distances helps you plan a realistic itinerary. Marrakech to the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga is around 9 hours of driving, which is why the classic desert trip is spread over three days rather than rushed there and back. Marrakech to Fes direct is about 8 hours, or a full, scenic day; Marrakech to Essaouira on the coast is a comfortable 3 hours; and Fes to Chefchaouen is roughly 4 hours.
The lesson most first-timers learn is to resist cramming. Morocco's highlights are spread across a large country, and the journeys between them — over Atlas passes, through kasbah valleys and palm oases — are often as memorable as the destinations. Building in driving time, rather than fighting it, is the secret to a relaxed trip.
Combining transport on a typical trip
Many well-planned itineraries mix modes to play to each one's strengths. A common pattern is to take the fast, comfortable train between the imperial cities — say Marrakech to Fes via Casablanca — then switch to a private driver-guide for the southern desert circuit that trains and most buses can't reach. You get the value of the rails where they shine and the freedom of a private vehicle where it matters.
If you'd rather not juggle logistics at all, a fully private tour handles every transfer end to end, including airport pick-ups, so you simply step off the plane and start travelling. We tailor the balance to your budget and how hands-on you want to be.
Accessibility and slower travel
Morocco's historic medinas — narrow, stepped and cobbled — are challenging for travellers with reduced mobility, and public transport is not built with accessibility in mind. A private vehicle with a driver-guide who knows step-free routes, accessible entrances and the right pace makes an enormous difference, and we're glad to plan around specific needs.
The same flexibility helps older travellers or anyone who simply prefers a gentle rhythm. Because a private tour bends entirely to you, days can be shorter, stops more frequent and the route adjusted on the spot — comfort that fixed buses and trains can't offer.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best way to get from Marrakech to the desert?
A private 4x4 or minivan tour. There's no train, and while buses reach Merzouga, the journey through the Atlas and kasbahs is the whole point — best enjoyed with your own driver-guide.
Are trains or buses better in Morocco?
Trains for the main city corridor (faster, comfier); buses for everywhere trains don't go. Many trips use trains between cities and a private driver for the south.
Official resources
Born beside the dunes of Erg Chebbi and a licensed Moroccan guide since 2008, Elhoussaine founded Visit Maghreb to share the country he grew up in. Over more than 15 years he has guided travellers from every continent across the High Atlas, the imperial cities and the Sahara — and still plans every itinerary personally.
Planning a trip? We design private, tailor-made Morocco tours around exactly this kind of advice. Tell us your dates →
