Fès Train Station or Airport: Train + Taxi vs Direct Transfer

Fès has two entry doors. The first is the Fès-Ville train station: the city is one of the main hubs of the ONCF rail network, with direct trains from Casablanca and Rabat and connections from Tangier and Marrakech. The second is Fès-Saïss airport (FEZ), about fifteen kilometres south of the centre. Two very different arrivals — and a question few guides genuinely cross-examine: for your specific itinerary, is it better to take the rail then a taxi, or the plane then a direct transfer?

One honest disclosure before we start: getme sells nothing on the train side. Our service in Fès covers only the airport ↔ centre trip. The entire rail section of this guide is purely informational, and the train figures quoted are public orders of magnitude — not fares we have verified. For exact prices and today's timetable, the only authoritative source is oncf.ma.

Fès-Ville station: arriving by rail

Fès is served by direct trains from Casablanca — expect a journey in the region of four hours — and from Rabat, around three hours. From Tangier, depending on the timetable, you combine the Al Boraq high-speed train with a connection, or take a classic through service. From Marrakech, the train exists but it is a long haul, in the region of six to seven hours. These durations are orders of magnitude: check the day's timetable on oncf.ma or the ONCF app before planning around them.

On price, let us stay cautious: tickets for the main routes into Fès commonly sit between 100 and 200 dirhams one-way, depending on the route and class — noticeably less than a domestic flight in most cases. Fares evolve and depend on the class you pick; again, only ONCF ticketing is authoritative. As a general rule, first class comes with an assigned seat; in second class, a seat is not always guaranteed at busy hours.

Once on the platform, you have not quite arrived. Fès-Ville station sits in the Ville Nouvelle, a few kilometres from the medina gates — figure around ten minutes by car. If you are staying in the Ville Nouvelle, you are practically there. If you are staying in Fès el-Bali, take a red petit taxi on the meter outside the station: the ride to your bab generally comes to a few dozen dirhams. The medina being pedestrian, the taxi drops you at the nearest driveable gate — Bab Boujloud, R'cif or Bab Ftouh depending on the address — and a few minutes on foot remain.

Fès-Saïss airport: arriving by air

Fès-Saïss airport is about 15 kilometres from the centre, a 20 to 30-minute drive. An important point for this comparison: it has no rail link — there is no train between the airport and the city, the trip is by road. Three options: the street taxi, whose fare is usually negotiated around 150 to 250 dirhams according to commonly reported practice; the line 16 bus, a few dirhams but limited frequency and a route restricted to the Ville Nouvelle; and the pre-booked private transfer.

With getme, that transfer costs €15 one-way for the whole vehicle — up to 6 passengers — and €27 round-trip. The price is fixed, paid online, identical 24/7: no negotiating on arrival, no night surcharge. The driver tracks your flight and waits with a sign showing your name. Two rules to know: online booking must be made at least 6 hours before pickup, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.

Train + taxi vs flight + transfer: the comparison

Comparing a train ticket to a transfer price means nothing in itself: everything depends on where you start. The proper comparison is door-to-door — total cost, real duration, luggage, reliability — for one and the same starting point. Here are the two formulas, then the criteria that decide between them.

The right choice by starting point

• From abroad, with a direct flight to FEZ: the airport, no hesitation. No train journey competes with a direct flight — the only remaining question is the final leg, and a fixed-price transfer settles it in advance.
• Landing at Casablanca Mohammed V: Casablanca's airport is itself connected to the rail network — a rail shuttle to Casa-Voyageurs, then a direct train to Fès, in the region of four hours. Often simpler and cheaper than a domestic connection with its layover.
• From Rabat: the train, almost always. Around three hours direct, centre to centre — the plane has no serious argument on this axis.
• From Tangier: rail remains relevant, combining the Al Boraq and a connection depending on the timetable, or via a classic through service. Compare the real total duration on oncf.ma before deciding.
• From Marrakech: the most debated case. The train exists but the journey is long — in the region of six to seven hours. It is a full travel day whatever you do; some do it by train, others prefer the road or a flight with a connection. There is no universal answer, only your tolerance for travel time.

The last kilometre: from the station or the airport to your riad

Whichever door you come through, if you are staying in Fès el-Bali the arrival ends the same way: a vehicle drops you at a bab, and you finish on foot through alleyways no car can enter. From the station, a red petit taxi on the meter handles that short ride perfectly well — and let us be clear: getme does not cover rides from the station, only the airport. From Fès-Saïss, the transfer takes you straight to the right bab, which spares you explaining a medina riad's address to a hurried driver.

Frequently asked questions

Our take

The real dividing line is not "train or plane" in the abstract — it is your starting point. From abroad with a direct flight, the airport wins without discussion, and the only thing to lock in is the final leg, which is exactly what a fixed-price transfer does. From the Casablanca-Rabat-Tangier axis, rail wins almost every time on simplicity and cost, and a metered petit taxi finishes the job. The only two expensive mistakes are paying for a connecting flight when a direct train exists, and improvising the last kilometre — the one that, in Fès, is always decided at the gates of the medina.