Let’s look at each mode of transportation in detail.
From Marrakech to Fez by airplane
The quickest way to travel the distance to Fez is by plane. Air Arabia’s direct flights are available five times a week. Marrakech and Fez airports are beautiful, modern and convenient.
Please note that when booking air tickets on the company’s website, the service automatically adds the service of additional insurance. This significantly increases the price of the ticket. When you buy a ticket, uncheck the «checkboxes» next to the hidden charges.
- There is a morning flight on Monday and Friday and an afternoon flight on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays.
- Schedule on Air Arabia and Omio's website.
Bus Marrakech to Fez.
Between the two imperial cities there are 550 kilometers by highway, the journey by bus takes about 9 hours. Passenger transportation is provided by private bus companies, the largest of which are CTM and Supratours. They have new and comfortable buses, websites with timetables and their own stations.
Smaller carriers depart from the central city bus stations in Marrakech and Fez. It is difficult to find out the schedule for these buses in advance, and flights are often delayed. It happens that the driver will not start on the route until the free seats are filled. On the other hand, the prices are lower with such carriers.
Tickets for these buses are sold at the ticket offices of city stations, often distributed by a local employee-hostess right at the bus parking lot. While looking for an STM ticket office, we happened to be at the main bus station in Morocco and got a little scared. People with carts, oddly dressed vendors, crowds of locals and loud pushy callers. We are not used to such an environment, but for Moroccans it is the norm.
We took the STM and Supratours buses. They have modern stations and websites with up-to-date schedules. I will tell you more about them. Another article about traveling around Morocco by bus
CTM buses
STM bus stations in Fez and Marrakech are open 24 hours a day, have an electronic scoreboard, a waiting room, a ticket office, and cab parking. In Marrakech there is even a café at the bus station. Apart from the website, the company has an android and ios app. Unlike the main city bus stations, there is no fear of leaving late in the evening.
Before boarding the bus, luggage must be handed in at a special counter, and the employee gives you a ticket to collect your luggage upon arrival. The system is similar to the airport service. You will have to pay extra for your luggage.
When buying tickets online, you need to choose a payment option: Moroccan card or international card. According to reviews, there are cases when payment does not go through the first time or the site hangs up. We did not take any risks. We bought tickets at the ticket office for the planned transfers on the first day of the trip. There were no difficulties or misunderstandings with the seller. We just wrote the dates, times, directions on a sheet of paper, he indicated the prices and calculated the amount. We paid and received the printed tickets.
- Number of flights per day: six, including three night flights.
- Cost: 170 — 265 DH.
- Travel time: 9 hours.
- The schedule is on the CTM website.
Supratours buses
This carrier is owned by a railroad company, so the stations in Marrakech and Fez are located near the main train stations. The buses are new and comfortable.
- Number of flights per day: one night flight.
- Cost: 195 DH.
- Travel time: 9—9.5 hours.
- Schedule on the ONCF website
Train from Marrakech to Fez.
Another way to get to Fez is by train. The train stations are modern and decent, the trains are relatively new and quite comfortable. In Marrakech, there is a McDonald’s near the train station, where even late in the evening there are many local modern young people. We stopped in to buy coffee and were struck by the contrast with the medina.
Trains have first and second class cars, and the difference in price is sometimes not very big. The train can be late, which is the norm in Morocco.
To book your ticket online, you will need a local Moroccan number. Without it, you will not be able to register online.
- Number of flights per day: 5, 1—2 hours apart.
- Schedule on the Oncf-voyages website.
Marrakech to Fez by car
It is worth renting a car in Morocco — it is faster to travel by car than by bus, and it is more profitable if you travel with at least two people. Even for a one-way trip between Marrakech and Fez, you can rent a car from 23 € per day on Rentalcars: rent a car in Marrakech for one or two days and return it in Fez, or vice versa.
The plus side of this option is what you’ll see along the way. The shortest route between Marrakech and Fez passes through Casablanca, the current capital Rabat and another former capital Meknes. The road from Casablanca to Rabat runs along the ocean. Everything that you would only see from the window when traveling by bus, you can see in person by car, making stops in Casablanca and Rabat.