To travel between Moroccan cities by bus, two companies cover most of what you need: CTM, the long-established national company, and Supratours, linked to ONCF, the national railway. Their coaches are air-conditioned, seats are numbered and fares are low: allow around ten euros per person for a three-hour journey such as Marrakech to Essaouira. We are a private transport company, but we happily recommend the bus in some situations. Here is how it works, its real advantages, its limits, and when a private transfer makes more sense.
CTM or Supratours?
| CTM | Supratours | |
|---|---|---|
| Network | The whole country, including small towns | Mainly routes to the south, connecting with trains |
| Booking | Online, in the app or at the counter | Online or at the counter, often near train stations |
| Checked luggage | Small fee paid at the luggage desk | Depends on the route |
| Comfort | Good, numbered seats, air conditioning | Similar |
In practice, the two are much the same. Just choose whichever has the time that suits you and the station closest to where you are staying.
The most common routes
| Route | By bus | By private transfer | Transfer price (vehicle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marrakech to Essaouira | about 3 to 3.5 hours | 2h45 | from €90 |
| Marrakech to Agadir | about 3.5 to 4 hours | 3 hours | from €120 |
| Agadir to Essaouira | about 3.5 hours | 2h45 | from €100 |
| Marrakech to Merzouga | around twelve hours, often overnight | 9 to 10 hours | from €320 |
Bus times include intermediate stops and a break on the way; they vary by route and day.
How it works
Buying your ticket
In high season, book the day before or two days ahead, especially for morning departures to Essaouira and Agadir, which fill up fast. At the counter, have your passport and dirhams ready; online, keep the ticket on your phone, ideally with a screenshot in case there is no signal.
Finding the right station
This is the classic trap. CTM and Supratours have their own stations, which are not always the city’s main bus station. In Marrakech, for example, the big Bab Doukkala bus station mostly serves other companies. Check the exact address on your ticket and take a petit taxi from your riad: with suitcases, it is not a distance to walk through the medina.
Luggage
Large suitcases go in the hold. With CTM, you check them in at the luggage desk for a small fee and get a tag; keep the receipt, as you will be asked for it on arrival. Valuables, medication and your phone charger stay with you.
On the way
On journeys longer than three hours, coaches usually stop at a roadside café-restaurant. The air conditioning can be strong, so bring a layer. The advertised Wi-Fi rarely works; download something to read or listen to before you leave.
The bus’s real advantages
- Price, unbeatable for a solo traveller or a couple.
- Reliability: the main routes are dependable and timetables are fairly well kept.
- Safety: drivers for the big companies drive carefully, and the coaches are well maintained.
- Simplicity on main routes between well-served cities.
The limits, frankly
- No door-to-door service: you have to get to the station at the start, then to your accommodation at the end. In Essaouira or the Marrakech medina, that means a handcart, a porter or a taxi.
- No stops: you cannot pull over at Imsouane, an argan cooperative or for a photo.
- Fixed times, which rarely suit a very early or very late flight.
- No child seats, and long journeys with young children.
- Places not served: Agafay camps, Atlas villages and isolated houses are hard to reach without a car.
When a private transfer makes more sense
The maths is simple. For one or two people, the bus is almost always cheaper. From three or four, the gap narrows sharply, because a transfer is priced per vehicle: with four people, a Marrakech to Essaouira private transfer works out at about €22 each, against around ten by bus, but with no station, no taxi at either end and stops along the way.
A private transfer also makes more sense:
- with children, older parents or a lot of luggage;
- with bulky gear: surfboards, golf bags, bikes;
- for a flight arrival or departure, when bus times rarely line up;
- to reach somewhere outside the cities, such as an Agafay camp or a riad in the Ourika Valley.
To compare with a hire car, our article on car hire or a private driver sets out the options, and our page on private transfer prices lists all our rates.
What about the train?
The train does not serve Essaouira, Agadir or the desert. It is excellent, however, on the Marrakech – Casablanca – Rabat – Tangier line, with the Al Boraq high-speed train north of Casablanca. For the south, Supratours coaches take over from the trains, with combined tickets sold by ONCF.
In short
- CTM and Supratours: comfortable, reliable and cheap.
- Check the exact station address on your ticket.
- Checked luggage costs a small fee; keep the receipt.
- From three or four travellers, or with children, a private transfer becomes competitive.
