Fès-Meknès is a region of north-central Morocco that holds two of the country's four imperial cities: Fès, home to the world's largest living medieval medina and the oldest university in continuous operation, and Meknès, the 17th-century capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Between and around them lie the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the holy hilltop town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, the cedar forests and lakes of the Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Azrou, and the cherry-growing towns of Sefrou and Bhalil.
Getting around Fès-Meknès combines walking in the car-free medinas with trains, shared grand taxis and buses between towns. Fès-Saïs Airport (FEZ) sits about 15 km south of Fès; Fès and Meknès are linked by an ONCF rail line that also runs to Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech and Taza. Red petit taxis serve Fès city, blue petit taxis serve Meknès, and white or colored grand taxis run shared routes to Sefrou, Ifrane, Azrou, Taza and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. CTM and Supratours buses cover longer distances such as Chefchaouen and Merzouga.
Airport transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation.
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- Petit taxi (20-30 min) · City bus 16 (30-45 min) · Pre-booked hotel or riad transfer (20-30 min) · Ride-hailing app (20-30 min)
Local transport
Getting around the city.
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Taxis & rideshare
What to expect from taxis and apps.
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Intercity travel
Getting between cities and regions.
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- Destination
- Meknès
- Mode
- Train
- Operator
- ONCF
- Duration
- 45 min
- Cost
- About 30-45 MAD (2nd class)
- Frequency
- Roughly hourly
- Destination
- Rabat
- Mode
- Train
- Operator
- ONCF
- Duration
- About 2.5-3 hours
- Cost
- About 85-110 MAD (2nd class)
- Frequency
- Around 10 daily
- Destination
- Casablanca
- Mode
- Train
- Operator
- ONCF
- Duration
- About 4 hours
- Cost
- About 130-170 MAD (2nd class)
- Frequency
- Around 10 daily
- Destination
- Marrakech
- Mode
- Train
- Operator
- ONCF
- Duration
- About 7-8 hours
- Cost
- About 250-320 MAD (2nd class)
- Frequency
- A few direct or connecting departures daily
- Destination
- Taza
- Mode
- Train
- Operator
- ONCF
- Duration
- About 1.5-2 hours
- Cost
- About 50-70 MAD (2nd class)
- Frequency
- Several daily
- Destination
- Sefrou
- Mode
- Shared grand taxi
- Operator
- Independent drivers
- Duration
- 30-45 min
- Cost
- 15-25 MAD per seat
- Frequency
- Departs when full from the rank below Place de la Résistance
- Destination
- Ifrane and Azrou
- Mode
- Shared grand taxi
- Operator
- Independent drivers
- Duration
- 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cost
- 40-60 MAD per seat to Ifrane; 50-80 MAD to Azrou
- Frequency
- Departs when full from the lot west of the CTM station
- Destination
- Chefchaouen
- Mode
- Bus
- Operator
- CTM
- Duration
- About 4 hours
- Cost
- About 80-100 MAD
- Frequency
- Few departures daily
- Destination
- Merzouga (Sahara)
- Mode
- Bus
- Operator
- CTM
- Duration
- About 9-10 hours
- Cost
- About 200-250 MAD
- Frequency
- One or two departures daily
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
The medinas of Fès el-Bali and Meknès are largely closed to cars, so walking is the main way to see the sights. Petit taxis cover short trips between the medina gates and the ville nouvelle, while ONCF trains connect the main cities and shared grand taxis reach the Middle Atlas towns. A rental car is the most flexible option for Dayet Aoua, Aguelmame Sidi Ali, Tazekka and Bou Iblane.
Airports
Useful apps
Download before you arrive.
ONCF Voyages
Official train booking site and app for ONCF, covering timetables and tickets for Fès, Meknès and Taza lines. Website: oncf-voyages.ma.
CTM
Bus booking via the CTM website (ctm.ma) and app for long-distance coaches from Fès and Meknès.
InDriver
Bid-based ride-hailing app that sometimes works in Fès and Meknès; drivers accept or counter an offer.
Google Maps
Reliable for roads and ONCF stations; inside Fès el-Bali walking directions are approximate, so rely on landmarks and gates.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Buy ONCF train tickets at the station or on oncf-voyages.ma; keep the ticket until you leave the platform.
In Fès, ask the petit taxi driver to use the meter ('compteur') and have small notes ready for change.
Medina alleys are not reachable by car; ask your lodging which gate (such as Bab Boujloud or Bab Rcif) the taxi should stop at.
Shared grand taxis depart only when full; pay for an extra seat if you want to leave sooner.
Grand taxis to Sefrou wait just below Place de la Résistance, those to Ifrane and Azrou park west of the CTM station, and those to Taza leave near Bab Fettouh.
From December to March, check road conditions on the N8 and N13 around Ifrane and Azrou before driving.
Download offline maps for Fès and the Middle Atlas; mobile coverage is weak in the mountains.
Emergency numbers in Morocco are 19 (police), 177 (rural gendarmerie) and 15 (ambulance and civil protection).