ONCF vs CTM vs grand taxi 鈥?which should you take?
Most Morocco guidebooks say 'take the train' as if it were always true. It is often not. The right answer depends on the pair of cities, time of day, and whether you want to be guaranteed a seat.
The tool
What this solves
A first-class passenger from Tangier to Marrakech paying 340 MAD on a 9h30 train (with a Casablanca hub transfer) is not getting the same deal as a 230 MAD Al Boraq TGV. The standard guidebook advice to 'take the train' misses that ONCF doesn't go where you need to go in 60% of Moroccan pairs of cities. This tool lays out cost, duration, frequency, and the hub-transfer penalty for the most common pairs so you can pick.
How to read the result
The cost column is the per-person second-class fare multiplied by your group. Add 10% for a checked bag in a shared taxi where the driver charges for luggage.
Frequency tells you how patient you have to be. CTM bus routes that say '1/day' usually mean one morning departure 鈥?miss it and you wait until tomorrow.
Hub transfer warning: ONCF does not connect Tangier鈥揗arrakech directly. You change at Casa-Voyageurs. The transfer works, but it adds 60-90 minutes and a different station depending on whether you came in on Al Boraq (TGV) or a conventional train.
Limitations
Fares are 2026 reference values from ONCF (oncf.ma) and CTM (ctm.ma). Real ticket prices vary by class, promotion, booking lead time, and whether you book on the Al Boraq app vs at the station. Grand taxi prices shown are the quoted per-seat price for filling the car; an empty taxi for the whole car is 4-6x that, paid to the driver. Frequency for grand taxis is not a schedule 鈥?it is 'when full' at a known rank, usually within an hour of daylight.
FAQ
Is the train always faster than CTM?
No. Between Marrakech and Essaouira, no train runs. Between Marrakech and Ouarzazate, no train runs. Between Marrakech and Fes, train is 7h15 vs CTM 8h45 鈥?close. The train wins decisively only on the Tangier 鈫?Casablanca 鈫?Marrakech axis (Al Boraq).
Can I just take a grand taxi anywhere?
Grand taxis operate on a per-seat basis on set routes. To hire the whole car for a private transfer is also possible, but you pay for all 6 seats (or 4 for a petit taxi) regardless of passengers. Out of the medina, you'll find ranks. Out of small towns, ask your riad.
Should I pre-book?
For CTM and train, yes 鈥?a day or two ahead for off-season, weeks ahead for Easter or Christmas. Grand taxis cannot be pre-booked; you show up at the rank.
Sources
- ONCF (oncf.ma) 鈥?Al Boraq and conventional rail timetables 2026
- CTM (ctm.ma) 鈥?intercity coach schedule and fares 2026
- Supratours (supratours.com) 鈥?secondary bus operator for tourist routes