We will be heading to Morocco from Spain. We are debating flying from Malaga to Tangier and working our way to Chefchaouen for the night before heading to Fes. From Fes we considered taking the train to Marrakesh and doing a couple of day trips from there before flying out of Casablanca. Alternatively, we could fly from Malaga to Marrakesh and then work our way to Fes and back to Casablanca to fly home. Ultimately I'm wondering if we should hire a driver between places or use the train or a combo of both. Thank you in advance for any recommendations you can share about getting in and around Morocco.
Posted by
Washington DC
28062 posts
I don't know anything about the current conditions on the ground in Morocco, but I'd skip or minimize time in both Tangier and Casablanca. There are so many more interesting places to see. You may need to pass through one or both for logistical reasons, depending on the places you want to see, but there are flights into both Fes and Marrakech. I haven't been to Chefchaouen; I went to Fes, Marrakech, Rabat, Meknes, Taroudant and Ouarzazate. The bus trip over the Tizi n' Test pass between Marrakech and Taroudant was dramatic.
When I went to Morocco in the early 1990s, some of my inter-city trips were via large, overstuffed shared taxis. A hired taxi or private driver would be more expensive, but road safety would be less of a concern. There wasn't a lot of rail service 30 years ago, but that situation may have improved. There were some scheduled inter-city buses, but the equipment was usually old (not like European inter-city buses), and they, too, were overcrowded. They stopped at prayer time, not necessarily at a place where there were any tourist services (i.e., cafe or toilets).
I'd get hold of a recently-published guidebook. Or two. I really liked Morocco, but it's not like Europe.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6969 posts
The train situation has improved. Today, the trains in Morocco are comparable to what you find in western Europe.
Posted by
OP
39 posts
Thank you for the advice!