Casablanca to Marrakech: train, minibus or private transfer?
Updated October 19, 2026 · 5 min read
For one or two people travelling light, the train is the answer: it is by far the cheapest and not much slower than the car. For a group with luggage, or anyone who does not want to arrange a taxi at each end, the minibus transfer with hotel pick-up is the practical middle: €43 per person, 4.9 out of 5 from 69 reviews. A private car is €198 for up to four people and starts to make sense from about four travellers.
See prices and dates for the minibus transfer to Marrakech
The train
The state railway ONCF runs trains from Casablanca to Marrakech roughly every hour. Route planners give a journey of about 2 hours 40 minutes and a second-class fare of 100 to 140 MAD, which is roughly €9 to €13. Those are planner figures, so check the timetable and the fare on the ONCF site or app before you go.
What the fare does not include is the way to and from the stations. In Casablanca the main station is Casa Voyageurs; if your hotel is on the Corniche or near the mosque, you need a taxi or the tram to reach it. In Marrakech the station lies outside the old medina, so a taxi to your riad is the rule rather than the exception. Add that to the price and to the time.
The minibus and the private car
Both listings take you from your hotel, so there are no stations to reach. The minibus takes 3 hours by the listing, and the description calls it the most affordable transfer option on GetYourGuide from Casablanca to Marrakech. The private car takes 2.5 hours by the listing, is air-conditioned, has a professional driver and one break stop on the way.
| Option | Time | Price | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train (ONCF) | about 2 h 40 min | roughly €9 – €13 per person, 2nd class | not applicable | station to station, runs about hourly |
| Minibus with hotel pick-up | 3 hours | €43 per person | 4.9 (69 reviews) | door to door |
| Private transfer | 2.5 hours | €198 per group up to 4 | 4.7 (31 reviews) | one break stop, own car |
The sums: for four people the minibus costs €172 and the private car €198, so the private car is €26 more, and it leaves when you want. For two, the minibus is €86 against €198, and the private car is hard to justify unless you have a lot of luggage. The booking page shows the total for your date and group.
The day trip, and what it leaves of Marrakech
There is also a guided day trip from Casablanca to Marrakech: €97 per person, 10 hours, with the Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace, the Djemaa el-Fna square and a camel ride. It is the most reviewed of the Marrakech day trips starting here, with 180 reviews, but it is also the lowest rated of the offers in this article at 4.1.
Do the arithmetic before you book. If the drive takes 2.5 to 3 hours each way, as the transfer listings say, a 10-hour day leaves about four to five hours in the city. That is enough for a first look and not for the souks. If you can spare a night, the train or a transfer plus a hotel in Marrakech gives you more city for less money. The ten-hour day is for people who cannot stay.
If you would rather drive
Casablanca and Marrakech are linked by a toll motorway, roughly 240 km. A car gives you freedom, but you take on the parking in Marrakech’s centre and the toll, and you should read the rental terms before you pay: what the excess is, whether the CDW cover removes it, and what deposit the company blocks on your card. Check all three with the provider, not from a blog. If you want to compare, you can compare rental cars for Casablanca.
When I would take what
Train: one or two travellers, light bags, a hotel near a station. Minibus: two to three people who want a fixed door-to-door price. Private car: four people, or a flight to catch. Day trip: only if there is no way to sleep in Marrakech.
Other trips out of the city are on our Casablanca day trips page. For another train-based plan see Tangier or Chefchaouen by high-speed train, and for a shorter outing the Rabat day trip.
