Marrakech to Casablanca: train or private car?
Marrakech to Casablanca by train or car: the two are nearly equal on time. The ONCF train takes about 2 h 40 station to station and a car takes 2 h 40 for the 240 km of motorway. The train is cheaper for one or two travellers, at roughly 120-200 MAD each at the time of writing. A private car costs €110 per sedan and wins when you are three or more, carry luggage, or need a door or an airport at the other end.
Marrakech to Casablanca by train or car: side by side
| ONCF train | Private car with driver | |
|---|---|---|
| Journey time | About 2 h 40, station to station | 2 h 40, door to door |
| Cost | Roughly 120-200 MAD per person depending on class and date | €110 sedan, €130 minivan, €180 minibus, per vehicle |
| Departures | Several a day, fixed timetable | Any time, day or night |
| Start and end points | Marrakech station in Gueliz to Casa Voyageurs | Your hotel or riad to any address |
| Luggage | You carry it on and off | Loaded by the driver, 3 suitcases in a sedan, 6 in a minivan |
What is the train like?
The line is run by ONCF, the national railway. Trains on this route are conventional intercity services, not the Al Boraq high-speed train, which runs between Casablanca and Tangier. They are air-conditioned and generally punctual, with first and second class. First class gives you a reserved seat in a quieter carriage for a modest supplement. In second class on a busy train you may stand for part of the way.
Trains leave from Marrakech station on Avenue Hassan II in Gueliz, about 10 minutes by petit taxi from the medina gates. They stop at Benguerir and Settat, then at Casa Oasis and Casa Voyageurs. Casa Voyageurs is the main station but it is not in the centre: count a tram or petit taxi ride to the old medina, the Corniche or the Hassan II Mosque.
Buy tickets at the station, from the machines or on the ONCF website. Prices vary with the date and how early you book. On Fridays, Sundays and around public holidays, buy at least a day ahead.
The train is a good product. For a solo traveller or a couple with a backpack each, going from central Marrakech to central Casablanca, we would take it ourselves.
What is the drive like?
The motorway runs north from Marrakech across the Rehamna plain, past Benguerir and Settat, then through farmland to Berrechid and the edge of Casablanca. It is a toll road, dual carriageway the whole way, flat and fast. Service areas with fuel and coffee appear at regular intervals.
The 240 km take 2 h 40 in normal conditions. The variable is Casablanca itself. It is the largest city in the country, and traffic on the urban motorway is heavy from about 8 to 10 am and 5 to 8 pm. A driver who knows the city picks the exit that suits your address. Plan your arrival outside those hours if you can.
When the car beats the train
A private transfer from Marrakech to Casablanca costs €110 for a sedan (1-3 passengers), €130 for a minivan (4-6) and €180 for a minibus (7-14). Tolls, fuel, taxes and luggage are included, and the price does not change at night.
- You are three or more. Three first-class tickets plus a taxi at each end already cover more than half the price of a sedan. Six people in a minivan pay under €22 each.
- You are flying out of Casablanca. Mohammed V Airport (CMN) lies about 30 km south of the city, on the Marrakech side. By rail you ride into Casablanca and change to the airport train. By car you leave the motorway before the city and go straight to departures.
- Your start or end point is far from a station. A riad in the medina, a hotel in the Palmeraie, a business address in Sidi Maarouf or a villa in Dar Bouazza all add taxi legs to a train journey.
- You leave very early or arrive late. The first and last trains do not fit every flight. A car leaves at 3 am for the same price.
- You have heavy bags or small children. No platform stairs, no luggage racks. Child seats are free on request.
The car loses on price for one or two people travelling light between the two city centres. That is the honest summary.
Is the bus worth considering?
CTM and other coaches link the two cities in about 3 h 30, for fares close to the train. With a faster train on the same corridor, few travellers choose the bus. It is useful only if a coach station is closer to your hotel than the railway station.
Practical tips for either option
- Look back in the first half hour. As the road or the railway climbs through the low Jbilet hills north of Marrakech, the High Atlas fills the horizon behind you on a clear day.
- Time the Hassan II Mosque. Non-Muslim visitors enter only on guided tours at set times, mostly in the morning. Check the day's schedule before you choose a train or a pickup time.
- Carry cash in dirhams for petit taxis. In Casablanca they are red and metered. Ask for the meter.
- With a driver, ask for a stop. Short breaks are free. Benguerir, about 70 km from Marrakech, is the usual coffee stop.
Continuing north or onward
Casablanca is the junction for the rest of the country. Rabat is under an hour further by train or motorway: see our Marrakech to Rabat travel guide. For the imperial city in the north-east, the Marrakech to Fes route guide compares the motorway with the Middle Atlas road.
Fixed prices for all long-distance transfers from Marrakech are published per vehicle, with no prepayment: you pay the driver on arrival in EUR, MAD, GBP or USD.
Key takeaways
- Marrakech to Casablanca is 240 km. Train and car both take about 2 h 40.
- ONCF train fares run roughly 120-200 MAD per person depending on class and date, at the time of writing.
- Trains arrive at Casa Voyageurs, which is a tram or taxi ride from the centre and the Hassan II Mosque.
- A private car costs €110 per sedan, €130 per minivan and €180 per minibus, tolls included, day or night.
- The car is the better choice for groups of three or more, airport connections and door-to-door trips with luggage.
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