Taking the Casablanca Airport Train: The Cheap Way Into the City
This guide shows you all you need to know about taking the Casablanca airport train, a cheap, fast and safe way of transport between the airport and city centre.
From Casablanca Airport into the city
After a comfortable flight with Royal Air Maroc, I had finally arrived at Casablanca Airport.
It marked my first visit to Morocco and although I sadly had only two nights to spend in the country, I was immensely looking forward to discovering as much as I could of the city of Casablanca.
By the time I got through immigration, it was 9pm and already completely dark outside.
To get to my hotel in the city centre, I basically had the choice between the taxi and the airport train.
Casablanca airport train
Whenever there is good public transport available, I always prefer to take the bus or train from the airport instead of a taxi, and fortunately this is perfectly possible at Casablanca Airport as well.
Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport is connected by a train to the stations of Casa Voyageurs (the city’s main railway station) and Casa Port, the station serving both the harbour and the city centre.
Furthermore, Casa Voyageurs is connected to Casablanca’s tramway system, making it a convenient interchange between the train and the tram.
Unlike negotiating for an airport taxi, the airport train offers a hassle-free experience that gets you into the city center in the same time – or even faster during the day if there is heavy traffic on the roads.
Do however note that the airport train doesn’t operate around the clock.
When I visited Casablanca, there was an airport train departing once every hour.
The first train from Casablanca Airport towards Casa Voyageurs and Casa Port was at 4.50 am, and the last train of the day ran at 10.50 pm.
You can check train schedules online at the website of ONCF Voyages, the national passenger train operator.
Buying your ticket
The train station, located one floor below the main arrivals hall, is clearly signposted throughout the airport.
After withdrawing some Moroccan money from one of the ATMs, I went down the escalator towards the train station.
The ticket office, called “billetterie” in French, is situated directly in front of the terminus platforms of the airport train station.
Most of the signs and information boards at Moroccan railway stations are bilingual in Arabic and French, so having some knowledge of French or knowing a few words (such as “gare” for train station) can certainly be helpful to get around.
When I arrived at the ticket office, there was no queue at all, and I easily managed to purchase my ticket to Casablanca.
For the train ride between Casablanca Airport and Casa Voyageurs station I paid 50 Moroccan dirham (€4.60) for a 2nd class ticket.
On board the train
The ride from the airport to the city was rather uneventful.
The seats on the airport train to downtown Casablanca are all unreserved seating, so these trains never sell out and you can take any available seat you like.
With it being dark outside, there wasn’t much of a view from the window, so I spent my time people watching.
The train was filled with a curious mix of Western, Arab, and African passengers, all heading into town.
I always enjoy this aspect of airports and taking public transport from them because it allows you to encounter so many diverse passengers from all over the world, and clearly, Casablanca was no exception.
The airport train was airconditioned and perfectly comfortable.
It took 33 minutes for the Casablanca airport train to reach Casa Voyageurs station, arriving right on time.
Casa Voyageurs
As I entered the main hall of Casa Voyageurs station, it was 10.30pm and the space was almost completely deserted.
However, there was still a small convenience store open where I could buy a drink and a small snack for in the hotel.
Although it was already late in the evening, I felt perfectly safe walking around the station and its immediate surroundings.
There were enough people around, including some police officers, which helped maintain social control.
Ibis Casa Voyageurs
As I knew I would arrive late in Casablanca, I had booked a hotel right outside Casa Voyageurs station.
For the next two nights, I would stay at the ibis Casa Voyageurs, a hotel which I will review in the next chapter of this trip report.
For what it’s worth, there are plenty of other hotels besides the mid-range ibis hotel located directly around both Casa Voyageurs and Casa Port stations, ranging from local budget lodgings to luxury hotels like the Sofitel.
If you are looking for an airport hotel in Casablanca, you can expand your search to include the areas directly around Casa Voyageurs and Casa Port stations as these stations are easily accessible by train from the airport.
Hotels like ibis Casa Voyageurs are also handy if you have an early train departure the following morning to another city in Morocco.
Exploring Casa Voyageurs
When I woke up the next morning I got a much better view of Casa Voyageurs train station from my room at the ibis hotel.
It was interesting to see the contrast between the neo-Moorish design of the old Casablanca train station with its landmark clocktower and the modern concourse over the railway tracks that now forms Casa Voyageurs station.
I managed to get a quick peek inside the wonderful old train station hall before an overzealous security guard promptly booted me out.
Back to the airport
After spending two nights in the surprisingly nice and interesting city of Casablanca, it was time for me to head back to the airport.
This time, I would again use public transport and take the train to get to Casablanca Airport.
As I was traveling in the morning hours, I finally had the opportunity to have a better look at the modern-day train station of Casa Voyageurs as well.
The main hall of Casa Voyageurs train station is reached by two sets of escalators from the street level.
In the main hall you can find numerous shops, cafes, a fast-food restaurant and plenty of benches to wait for your train departure.
It was easy to locate the main ticket office, where I managed to buy my ticket for the train to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport.
There are plenty of overhead monitors, as well as a main departures board, where you can check the platform from which your train will depart.
View over the tracks
Before you board your train it’s well worth to walk to the outdoor terrace overlooking the train tracks.
The entrance to this outdoor terrace is located right next to the McDonald’s.
From here, you can enjoy a lovely view over the platforms and engage in some serious trainspotting.
As Morocco’s most important train station you’ll find a wide variety of train traffic at Casa Voyageurs station, ranging from Casablanca suburban trains to ‘Al Atlas’ InterCity trains and ‘Al Boraq’ TGV high-speed trains.
There was even a super cute ginger cat relaxing in the sun on the train station terrace at Casa Voyageurs – do give him some cuddles if you pass by and see him!
Platforms
About 10 minutes before my train was scheduled to depart, I headed down to the platform.
My airport train had departed from Casa Port station a short while ago and arrived right on time at Casablanca Voyageurs station, where many passengers were waiting to catch the train to the airport.
However, there was plenty of space inside the train for passengers to spread out, and I was lucky to have a bay of four seats all to myself.
The train ride to the airport
Unlike the late evening ride from the airport into the city, this time I had the opportunity to look outside and enjoy the Moroccan scenery passing by through the train window.
Although the scenery is certainly not spectacular, the views from the train are quite pleasant.
Shortly after stopping at Casablanca Oasis station, our train diverged from the mainline heading south to Marrakech and took the branch line to the airport.
We arrived at Casablanca Airport station right on schedule after a 32-minute journey.
The scenes on arrival were a bit chaotic as dozens of passengers mobbed the train trying to board for the ride back to downtown Casablanca, even though many passengers still had to disembark.
Conclusion
There is no need to take a taxi if you need to travel between downtown Casablanca and the airport as there is a great public transport alternative with the Casablanca airport train.
The Casablanca airport train connects Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport with the downtown stations of Casa Voyageurs and Casa Port, with hourly departures and tickets costing only 50 Moroccan dirham (€4.60).
Especially when you have just arrived in the country, the train will provide you with some nice initial views of the Moroccan landscape and a glimpse into local life.
Moreover, you will appreciate that the train is an entirely safe and hassle-free experience.
If you disembark from the airport train at Casa Voyageurs station with its interesting mix of neo-Moorish and modern architecture, you have a great connection to the Casablanca tramway or to trains heading to every corner of Morocco, while the final stop of Casa Port is the most convenient for the city centre.
Trip report index
This article is part of the ‘Qatar Airways Qsuites Adventure to Casablanca‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. A Stopover Walk Through Barcelona
2. Review: Joan Miró VIP Lounge Barcelona Airport
3. Review: Royal Air Maroc Economy Class Barcelona to Casablanca
4. Taking the Casablanca Airport Train: The Cheap Way Into the City (current chapter)
5. Review: Ibis Casa Voyageurs Hotel, Casablanca
** rest of the chapters to follow soon **
Hi Koen, thank you for this. I am arriving into Casablanca as a solo female and this account of the train has made me feel comfortable enough to do so. Are you able to buy train tickets with card or is it cash only? Thank you!
Both should be accepted. Card payment was possible at the Casa Voyageurs ticket office, so I believe it should be too at the airport, even though I paid cash there myself when I bought my ticket as I wanted to break up some larger notes I had just withdrawn from the ATM.
Have a great trip!
Hey same as Emily, solo femaIe traveller, I found this post so helpful thank you!
Just one thing if anybody could please help, l arrive at night international 9:45 pm. Airport website has last train at 9:56 pm (so no good):
Yet your post says last one is 10:50 pm (which I could make in time after immigration).
I’ve tried to confirm this but ONCF is too slow to load overseas and times out. Can anyone confirm last train time for early November 2023 schedule please?
Really appreciate it,
Highly likely to still be the same schedule in November – as the hours I listed in my article were taken from the summer schedule for 2023!