Getting to Marrakesh
Marrakesh welcomes visitors year-round with its perfect weather and many interesting tourist spots. Travelling to Marrakesh is easy, as the city boasts its own airport, located within a short drive of the city centre. The road network is in good condition, which makes driving to Marrakesh a convenient and pleasant experience.
By air
Marrakesh is served by Menara Airport, located about five kilometres west of Marrakesh. The airport receives both domestic and international flights from the United States, Europe and the Middle East. The trip from New York to Marrakesh takes about 13 hours, with a change in Casablanca. It takes about 5 hours, 30 minutes to fly here from London.
The facilities for passengers include banks and bureaux de change, duty-free shopping and many shops, restaurants, snack bars and a tourist information desk. There are no bus services to take you to the city, but taxis are plentiful and can get you to the city centre in just 15 minutes.
By bus
Buses connecting Marrakesh to Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Agadir and other cities arrive and depart from the Gare Routire bus terminal at Bab Doukkala. The blue and white C.T.M. buses offer the best choice, as they are air-conditioned and comfortable. Supratours also have bus routes all over Morocco including to Essaouira, which C.T.M. does not serve. Supratours and Eurolines buses arrive at the main train station.
To travel around in Marrakesh, there are several public buses to choose from. Buses run all over Marrakesh, but avoid travelling in rush hours, when people create a mad scramble to get on.
By car
Because Marrakesh is in the centre of Morocco, it is well-connected by road with Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier to the north; Fez and Meknes to the northeast; Essaouira to the west; Agadir to the southwest; and Ouarzazate and Taroudant to the south, over the High Atlas passes. All roads are in good condition, making driving to Marrakesh very convenient. However, there are many one-way streets in the city which you should be aware of.
By train
There are many trains servicing Marrakesh and other major cities such as Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Fez. Morocco boasts a very reliable rail system, ONCF; however, there are only limited services to the south. The trains are equipped with air-conditioning units and some with telephones. From Casablanca and Rabat, the network runs east via Meknes and Fez to Oujda, north to Tangier and south to Marrakesh. If you want to have an ultra comfortable and luxurious ride, take one of the first-class trains. Much cheaper are the second-class trains, which are also quite comfortable.
By taxi
Taxis are plentiful in Marrakesh, but they can be quite expensive. The most economical way to use taxi services is to share a taxi with a few other people. All taxis have meters, but the drivers do not activate them unless you remind them to. If you want to hire a car with a driver, you can hire a grand taxi. Remember to negotiate the fare with the driver before embarking on your journey.