Getting to Rabat and Around by Al Boraq Train and Tramway

Positioned midway along Morocco's Atlantic rail spine between Tangier and Casablanca, Rabat is the best-connected city in the kingdom for rail travellers, while its river bridge and tram network make crossing between historic quarters effortless.

Arriving by air: Rabat-Sale Airport (RBA) vs Casablanca (CMN)

You have two practical airport gateways when flying into the capital:

• Rabat-Sale Airport (RBA): located roughly 10 kilometres north-east of central Rabat across the Bou Regreg River in Sale. It receives direct flights from France, Spain, Belgium, the UK and Middle Eastern hubs. An airport shuttle bus connects the terminal with central Rabat Ville and Rabat Agdal railway stations, while official fixed-tariff grand taxis wait outside arrivals for the twenty-minute drive into town.
• Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN): Morocco's largest intercontinental hub sits about 115 kilometres south-west. From the underground station inside CMN Terminal 1, take the airport train to Casa Voyageurs and transfer onto a frequent ONCF train north to Rabat Agdal or Rabat Ville (roughly 80 to 90 minutes in total).

Riding ONCF trains and the Al Boraq high-speed line

Morocco's national rail operator (ONCF) runs two tiers of train through Rabat. The 320 km/h Al Boraq high-speed train links Tangier Ville, Kenitra, Rabat Agdal and Casa Voyageurs, cutting the journey from Tangier to Rabat down to just one hour and twenty minutes. Conventional Al Atlas intercity trains run east from both Rabat Agdal and Rabat Ville to Meknes and Fez, and south past Casablanca to Marrakech. Always reserve Al Boraq and first-class Al Atlas seats ahead via the official ONCF website or station ticket counters.

The Rabat-Sale Tramway, petit taxis and river boats

Within the capital, two clean, low-floor lines of the Tramway de Rabat-Sale link Sale on the north bank across the Hassan II Bridge to Place du 16 Novembre, Avenue Mohammed V, Bab El Had, the National Library and Rabat Agdal station. Buy a single-journey ticket from the automatic machine on the platform before boarding and validate it on the train. For places off the rails such as Chellah, hail one of Rabat's distinctive royal-blue petit taxis (in neighbouring Sale they are painted yellow; petit taxis cannot pick up passengers outside their own city boundary, though grand taxis and the tram cross freely).