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From Times Online

May 16, 2008

Getting out of Tangiers

Nigel Brookes arrives by ferry at the Moroccan port and is interested in seeing Fez and beyond

Direction signs for passengers headed for the hydro-foil in Tarifa, southern Spain

Richard Green

I’m planning to catch the ferry across from Spain to Tangier. While I don’t particularly want to spend any time in the city, I do want to head south and explore the country. Are there good transport links from Tangier, say to Fez? Nigel Brookes, Tadcaster

Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: You might be surprised at Tangier – it’s an exotic blend of Moroccan and European influences, thanks to its days as when it was administered as an International Zone and shared between nine different countries. It has a fine old Medina and Kasbah, plus a broad city beach backed by a grand corniche.

That said, if time is tight, you won’t find anywhere more spectacularly Moroccan than Fez, and it’s easy to get to from Tangier.

There’s a wonderful new station in Tangier, a couple of miles from the Medina, and standing in splendid isolation on a patch of land just back from the corniche. You’ll find it clean and tidy and relatively hassle free too. From here you can get trains to Fez (5hrs and about 100 Dirham’s), Casablanca (5hrs, about 130 Dirham’s), Meknes (4hrs, about 90 Dirham’s), or Marrakech (10hrs, about 300 Dirham’s in First Class couchette, or 200 in Second Class).

There’s an overnight service back from Marrakech to Tangier, which arrives early enough for you to gat a taxi straight to the port (about 20 Dirham’s) and head back to Spain on the ferry.

For train times and fares, visit the national rail operator ONCF.

The bus station in Tangier is a short walk from the port, just past the police station, which used to be the old railways terminus. Here you’ll find a little chaos, but regular busses heading to Fez (6hrs, and about 100 Dirham’s), Marrakech (10hrs, and about 200 Dirham’s). See www.ctm.co.ma for timetables.