Marrakesh Travel Forum

Hi i am new to this site but a question please to any one out there! My son and I are going to Marrakesh on Tuesday 10th Feb , just a short break till Friday. To keep us both amused, Chris, my son will troll the souks and the square gjemma el fna with me, but he would like to visit a beach area for the day. We love train travel or any really, any sugestions as to how to travel to any beach resort, how long it may take? how much it may cost? any tips at all to help us pack in as much fun things as poss in our short stay? We are quite 'lively up for it ' characters, have even been known to go to gatecrasher raves now and again!We cannot wait to get to Marrakesh....It is snowing here in England. But i am sure by Tuesday it will be clear for us to fly! I have picked up loads of tips from this site. So glad i discovered it! Thank you to all you helpful knowledgable people out there x x

hi! no train to go to beach easily from Marrakech. If you want to foreign Essaouira, nice beach town and location, you have to take a bus (about 2h30-3h travelling) Possible to do it in a day, departure in the morning, returning at evening.
2 bus company, safe one:
- Supratour (near the train station) departure 08h30 am
http://www.oncf.ma/
- CTM (in the new town)no website (departure 08h30 am)
Price about 12 euros each one for going and returning.
If you absolutly wants to take train, you must have to go to Casablanca, beach town, it needs 3 hours minimum for one point to the other. Arrival at the train station, you must habe to take a cab to foreign the beach... so you will lost time!

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/7d287/20372e/9/

There are three types of inter-city buses to and from Marrakech. Firstly, at the bus station, opposite Bab Doukkala, there are the private bus companies, which operate to all major cities, including many every day to Tangier, Agadir, Essaouira, Goulimine and Casablanca. The buses look fine, but they don't use airconditioning and they stop frequently to pick up passengers and sometimes just to do a bit of shopping in local markets. Only use these buses, if there is no alternative. The passengers who use them are more than 95% locals.

Then there are the Supra Tours buses, which are run by the state rail company. They are fast, direct and use their airconditioning. More than 90% of their passengers are foreign tourists, but usually these buses are full. So, it is essential that you go to the Supra Tours office, next to the train station, and book your ticket the day before you plan to travel. They run to Agadir, Essaouira, Smara and Goulimine

Thirdly, there is the state-run CTM company, which operates from an office in the centre of Gueliz. The passengers on these are about a 70/30 split between locals and foreigners. They are fast, direct and use their airconditoning and, in my opinion, they are even better than Supra Tours. They run buses to many destinations, including Agadir, Casablanca, Fes, Rabat, Taroudannt, Ouarzazate, Zagora and Goulimine.

To give you some idea of times and prices, a Supra Tours bus to Essaouira cost DH65 and took just under 4 hours. On all of these buses, you will have to pay at least DH5 extra for each piece of heavy baggage.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/7d287/20417c/9/

The Supra Tours bus terminal in Esaouira is next to Bab Marrakesh. A ticket to Marrakech costs DH65, but you really need to book a day in advance as the buses are completely full with foreign tourists. The buses are non-stop and comfortable, with airconditioning.

In October 2006 there were four per day, at 6am, 12 midday, 3.30pm and 6.40pm. But you should check, as the time and frequency of buses change seasonally. The journey takes just under 4 hours and the bus drops you in front of Marrakech train station in the new city. So, if you are planning to stay in the old city, you will need to take a taxi from there, for which you should pay no more than DH15.