How do you get from Marrakech to Fes: train, bus or flight?

Marrakech to Fes at a glance

Last checked 27 October 2026. Fares are approximate; dollar figures convert at our committed exchange-rate snapshot.

Planning more legs? Use the route finder.

Train from Marrakech to Fes (ONCF): times, prices, change

ONCF, Morocco's national railway, runs the classic Al Atlas line north from Marrakech station in Gueliz, about 15 minutes by petit taxi from Jemaa el-Fnaa. Third-party timetables and travel guides updated in 2026 put the total trip at about 6.5 to 7.5 hours. Most journeys involve a change at Casablanca Voyageurs; sources disagree on whether any departure runs right through without a change, so read your ticket: it lists each leg and the connection time.

Fares quoted across 2025 and 2026 cluster around 200 to 230 MAD (≈ $20–23) in second class and 330 to 360 MAD (≈ $34–37) in first class one way. Prices on the classic network are fairly stable, but we could not load ONCF's own fare table this session, so treat these as approximate and confirm on the ONCF site or app.

First class gets you an assigned seat in a six-seat compartment or a reserved open-coach seat. Second class is unreserved on many classic trains: on a 7-hour Friday or holiday journey that can mean standing for the first stretch, which is the main reason we suggest paying the extra 120 MAD (≈ $12.2) or so for first.

Booking the train and arriving in Fes

Tickets sell on the ONCF website and app (oncf-voyages) up to about three months ahead, and at station counters and machines. Same-day tickets are usually available, but book a day or two ahead for first class around weekends, school holidays and Eid. Pay by card online; counters take cash and usually cards.

Trains arrive at Fes station in the Ville Nouvelle. The medina's Bab Boujloud gate is roughly 10 minutes away by red petit taxi; insist on the meter or agree a price, and expect the driver to drop you at the nearest gate since cars cannot enter most of Fes el-Bali. Ask your riad for the gate to use and whether someone can meet you there. Our Fes guide and how many days in Fes cover what to do once you are in.

CTM or Supratours bus: slower, rarely worth it

CTM runs Marrakech to Fes buses several times a day. Listings from 2026 show a journey of about 7 hours 45 minutes or longer and fares of roughly 190 to 310 MAD (≈ $19.3–31), depending on the class of service. That is longer than the train and no cheaper, so the bus mainly matters when trains are full or when a night departure suits you better.

CTM buses leave from CTM's own station in Marrakech, not the main Bab Doukkala gare routière, and arrive at the CTM station in Fes's Ville Nouvelle. Expect a small checked-luggage fee paid in cash. Supratours, ONCF's bus arm, mostly feeds rail connections and is not the obvious choice here.

Flying from Marrakech to Fes

The flight from Marrakech-Menara (RAK) to Fes-Saïss (FEZ) takes about 1 hour 5 minutes. Nonstop service has been operated at different times by low-cost and national carriers, and route listings disagree on who flies it in 2026, so search both directions on the airlines' own sites before you count on a direct flight. Royal Air Maroc connections via Casablanca exist but can take longer than the train.

Add the real time cost: about 20 minutes to Menara airport, arriving 1.5 to 2 hours early, the flight, then 20 to 30 minutes from Fes-Saïss into the city. A direct flight still saves 2 to 3 hours on a good day, which matters if you only have a week; see our 7-day Morocco itinerary.

Private driver or a desert tour on the way

A private car directly via the motorway takes about 6 hours, but many travelers instead turn the transfer into a 2- or 3-day tour via the Atlas, Dades and the Merzouga dunes, ending in Fes. That costs far more than the train and puts 15+ hours of driving into the trip, but it replaces a separate desert excursion. Our Erg Chigaga vs Merzouga comparison helps you decide which desert suits your route.

If you plan to drive yourself, read our driving in Morocco guide first, and see the Morocco driver tipping guide for the usual tip at the end of a tour.

Our route and how to fit Fes and Marrakech together

We spent 3 days in Fes in early September 2022 (after Chefchaouen, before Rabat and Casablanca), then reached Marrakech via Essaouira and finished with 5 more days there after the Sahara. Going north to south like that avoids doing Marrakech to Fes as one long leg at all: the coast-and-desert loop fills the distance. If your flights force a Marrakech-to-Fes jump, the train is the simple answer.

For the whole picture see our 24-day Morocco route, Marrakech and the Sahara guide and how many days in Marrakech. From Fes, the usual next leg is Fes to Chefchaouen.

Frequently asked questions