The short answer: Morocco is easy to get around. The Al Boraq high-speed train links Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca; regular ONCF trains reach Fes, Meknes and Marrakech; comfortable CTM and Supratours buses cover the places the railway doesn't; and a private driver makes the most sense for the south, the Atlas and the desert, where there is no railway south of Marrakech. For most trips you'll mix the train between cities with a driver for the desert run. The detail below is practical and first-hand — but for exact times and fares, always check the official sources, because those move.
The train: usually your best bet city-to-city
Morocco's railway is run by ONCF, and it's good. At the top of the network is Al Boraq, Africa's first high-speed line, which runs Tangier–Kenitra–Rabat–Casablanca. Between those northern cities it is fast, modern and comfortable, and it goes station to station in the centre of town — which usually beats both flying and driving once you count the time at each end. For the classic traveller's triangle, the conventional ONCF lines then carry you onward to Fes and Meknes in the interior and down to Marrakech. If your trip is mostly Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Meknes and Marrakech, the train can do almost all of the heavy lifting.
A few practical notes from experience: there are different comfort classes, seats can be reserved on the faster services, and the busiest departures — Friday evenings, Sunday returns, public holidays — fill up, so it pays to book ahead on those. Stations in the big cities are central and walkable to many hotels. Our structured getting-around-Morocco guide lays the same options out as a quick reference — this journal piece is its conversational companion.
The bus: where the train doesn't go (and it's good)
The railway doesn't reach everywhere, and that's where Morocco's intercity coaches come in. The two names to know are CTM and Supratours (Supratours is run by ONCF and is often timed to connect with trains). Both are comfortable, reliable and air-conditioned, with proper ticketed seats — a different world from informal local minibuses. They reach the places travellers most want that the train misses: Chefchaouen (the blue city), Essaouira on the coast, Agadir, and the towns of the south. For those journeys the bus is genuinely the right tool, not a compromise. As with the train, reserve popular routes ahead, and check current timetables and fares on the operators' own sites.
Grands taxis and petits taxis
Morocco has two kinds of taxi and it helps to know the difference. Petits taxis are the small city cabs for getting around within a town — they should run on the meter, so ask for it to be switched on, or agree the fare before you set off. Grands taxis are older, larger shared cars (often the classic Mercedes) that run fixed routes between nearby towns, usually leaving when full; you can pay for the whole car if you don't want to wait or share. They're handy for shorter hops the train and bus don't cover well. With grands taxis especially, agree the price first — confirm whether it's per seat or for the whole car — so there are no surprises.
When a private driver is worth it
For a lot of Morocco's best travel, a private driver and car is the answer — and the clearest reason is simple: there is no railway south of Marrakech. The moment you head for the High Atlas, the south, Aït Ben Haddou, the Dadès and Todra gorges or the Sahara, the train stops being an option and the bus, while it runs, can't stop where you want. A private driver lets you stop freely for the viewpoints, cover several places in a day, travel on your own clock, and have someone who knows the mountain roads at the wheel. It's also the calmest way to do multi-stop days and door-to-door city transfers with luggage. Many visitors do exactly this: train between the cities, a private driver for the south and the desert.
That's the part we handle. If you want a comfortable, fixed-price run between cities or out to the sights, our Casablanca–Marrakech private transfer is a good example of the door-to-door approach, and our Rabat day trip from Casablanca shows how a driver turns a chain of stops into one easy day. If you'd rather self-drive, read our honest take on driving in Morocco first.
Do you ever need a domestic flight?
Usually no. For the classic circuit — the imperial cities, the coast, Marrakech and a desert trip — the train, bus and a driver cover everything, and you'd spend more time getting to and from airports than you'd save. The exception is the far south: somewhere like Dakhla, well over a thousand kilometres down the Atlantic coast, is far enough that a domestic flight genuinely makes sense rather than a very long drive. For most itineraries, though, you can plan a great trip without flying internally at all.
Getting from Casablanca airport (CMN) into the city — and onward
Most visitors arrive at Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), Morocco's main gateway, and getting into Casablanca is easy. There's a train station right under the terminal, with services into the city centre (Casa-Voyageurs and Casa-Port), and from the network you can connect onward — including picking up Al Boraq toward Rabat and Tangier. If you're carrying luggage, arriving late, or just want the simplest door-to-door option, a taxi or a pre-booked private transfer is the easy choice. We cover this in detail in our guide to getting from Casablanca airport to the city and Marrakech, and if you're only passing through, the Casablanca layover guide shows what you can fit in between flights.
Rabat, the capital, is on the same northern spine: Al Boraq stops there, so it's a quick, comfortable train hop from Casablanca, and it has its own airport (Rabat–Salé) too. For getting around within Casablanca once you've landed — the tramway, petits taxis and local trains — see our guide to getting around Casablanca.
"How would I do X to Y?" — a few worked examples
- Casablanca → Marrakech: take the train — direct ONCF services run the route and it's a relaxed ride. A private driver is the alternative if you want to stop on the way; there's a fuller Casablanca-to-Marrakech guide if you want the detail.
- Casablanca → Fes (or Meknes): the train again — conventional ONCF lines link Casablanca and Rabat to Fes and Meknes, so the imperial cities chain together neatly by rail.
- Tangier → Rabat → Casablanca: this is Al Boraq's home turf — the high-speed line connects all three, and it's the fastest, most comfortable way to move along the northern coast.
- Marrakech → the Sahara: by road only — there's no railway south of Marrakech, so you go by private driver or organised tour over the High Atlas to Merzouga or Zagora, usually as an overnight or multi-day trip.
- Anywhere → Chefchaouen or Essaouira: take the bus — CTM or Supratours, since the train doesn't reach either.
Our trips are operated from Casablanca by Serenity Morocco Tours, so we can put the whole thing together — airport pickup at CMN, the train legs sorted, and a private driver for the south and the desert. Browse our private tours and transfers or just get in touch. If you're still shaping the route, our 7-day Morocco itinerary shows how the trains and a driver fit together over a real trip.