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Every Morocco long-distance coach has an underfloor hold — but allowances, fees, and oversized-item rules vary by operator. Here is exactly what to expect.
Amelia Hart· Itineraries & Trip Planning Editor
British writer who has built and road-tested Morocco itineraries for everyone from honeymooners to families. She covers multi-day routes, costs, the best time to visit and how to plan a first trip. Casablanca · 9+ years covering Morocco
Published 26 June 2024 Last updated 26 February 2026
Morocco’s long-distance coaches — dominated by CTM and ONCF-linked Supratours, with a large network of smaller regional operators — carry tourists and locals across the country daily. They are comfortable, punctual on the main routes, and cheap. But nobody seems to publish a straight answer to the most common pre-trip question: exactly how much can I bring?
The short answer: a single large suitcase or backpack plus a small cabin bag travels for free on CTM and Supratours. A second large bag typically costs 10–30 MAD extra (about $1–3). Surfboards, bicycles and other oversized items are possible on some routes and operators, but require a phone call ahead and a degree of goodwill from loading staff. Read on for the carrier-by-carrier breakdown.
Policies are indicative — CTM and Supratours do not publish explicit per-kg limits in the way airlines do. Figures below are based on operator information and observed practice at Moroccan stations.
Hold allowance
30 kg (indicative)
Cabin bag
1 small bag, fits overhead shelf
Extra bag fee
~5–15 MAD per extra bag at ticket counter
Bicycles
By prior arrangement; partial disassembly usually required
Surfboards
Not officially supported; operators vary
Hold allowance
~30 kg (ONCF train parity)
Cabin bag
1 bag up to ~10 kg
Extra bag fee
Sporadic enforcement; small surcharge of 10–20 MAD observed
Bicycles
Can be loaded in hold luggage compartment for a fee (~50–100 MAD indicative)
Surfboards
Accepted on some routes if wrapped; confirm at ticket office
Hold allowance
No official limit; driver discretion
Cabin bag
Overhead rack or at feet
Extra bag fee
Informal; 5–30 MAD per extra bag negotiated at depot
Bicycles
Often possible; secure yourself with rope in hold
Surfboards
Case by case; smaller boards sometimes fit in hold
The rules exist but enforcement is human — these habits make the difference between a smooth departure and a frantic hold-side negotiation.
Both operators tag hold bags at the ticket counter before loading. If you arrive at the last minute, the hold may already be locked and your bag might travel on the next service. Early arrival also gives you time to negotiate any oversized-item fee without holding up the queue.
CTM provides luggage tags but the system is informal. Adding your own coloured ribbon or lock to a large suitcase makes it instantly recognisable at the destination and reduces the chance of it being opened in transit. Hold security is generally fine on the main tourist routes, but common sense applies.
Cameras, laptops, passports, medication and anything fragile travel with you in the cabin. The hold is not temperature-controlled on regional coaches and jolts on mountain roads between, say, Ouarzazate and Zagora can be severe. Think of the hold like a car boot on a bumpy track.
If you are travelling with a surfboard, bicycle, large musical instrument or other unusual item, call the specific station — not the general CTM or Supratours number — the day before. Staff at the loading dock make the call, not head office. A simple conversation the day before almost always avoids a gate-side refusal.
Paradoxically, local regional coaches on quieter routes (say, Midelt to Errachidia, or Tiznit to Sidi Ifni) tend to be more flexible than high-frequency CTM runs between the major cities, where the hold fills quickly. If your cycling route includes less-touristed corridors, you'll often find a loader who will rope a bike in for 20–30 MAD without any drama.
Most travellers with a standard suitcase and day bag board a Moroccan coach without a second thought. But there are scenarios where the logistics genuinely tip in favour of a different option.
For any of these situations, a private transfer removes every luggage variable — your bags travel with you, there is no hold weigh-in, and you are dropped at your riad door rather than a bus station on the city outskirts.
CTM's published guideline is approximately 30 kg in the hold luggage compartment plus one small personal item you keep on board. In practice, checked luggage is tagged at the ticket counter and stowed below — there is no conveyor weigh-in at most stations, so enforcement is light for bags that are clearly a single suitcase or backpack. If you are travelling with two large cases, expect to pay a small fee of around 5–15 MAD per extra bag (indicative). The ticket agent will tell you at the counter.
Standard allowances on CTM and Supratours are included in the ticket price for one hold bag up to about 30 kg and a small carry-on. Extra bags, oversized items or pieces clearly beyond normal traveller volume usually attract a fee of 10–30 MAD (roughly $1–3), charged informally at the loading bay or ticket desk. Local private coaches tend to load everything without ceremony — the driver or loader may ask for 5–20 MAD per extra piece. Enforcement varies hugely by route, day and staff.
Supratours officially discourages surfboards but in practice boards have been accepted on the Marrakech–Agadir and Marrakech–Essaouira corridors, particularly outside peak season when hold space is available. Wrap the board in a padded bag, arrive early, and speak directly to the loading staff before the bus fills. An informal fee of 30–80 MAD (indicative) is common. Your best guarantee is to call the Supratours station on your route the day before. For peace of mind with surf gear, a private transfer is the practical alternative — boards travel in the vehicle with you.
Yes. All long-distance coaches in Morocco — CTM, Supratours and most regional operators — load suitcases, backpacks and large bags into an underfloor hold compartment accessed via doors in the sides of the bus. On CTM, your bag is typically given a numbered tag matching your ticket. On smaller regional coaches the process is less formal but the hold space is the same. Do not expect to store a backpacking pack or large suitcase inside the cabin; overhead racks are shallow and intended for day bags only.
If your bag exceeds normal proportions — think: a family-size suitcase, a very tall backpacking pack, or sports equipment — it will go in the hold rather than the cabin. This is standard and not a problem on CTM or Supratours routes. The only scenario where a bag is genuinely refused is if the hold is already full on a busy departure, which is rare on reserved-seat services but can happen with local coaches that operate on a walk-up basis. Arriving 20–30 minutes before departure and placing your bag in the hold queue early avoids this.
Bicycles are the most complicated oversized item. CTM does not have a standing bicycle policy on most routes; in practice, bikes need to be partially disassembled (front wheel off, pedals removed), placed in a bag or wrapped, and accepted by individual loading staff. Supratours has allowed bikes in the hold on some routes for a fee of around 50–100 MAD (indicative) — confirm at the departing station. Local regional coaches are often the most flexible and will rope a bike into the hold for a small negotiated sum. Cyclists planning a Morocco bike tour often use private transfers for legs where the hold size is uncertain.
Luggage facilities vary widely. Marrakech's CTM station and Marrakech's main gare routière (near Bab Doukkala) both have informal left-luggage services run by attendants charging around 10–20 MAD per bag per day. Fes and Casablanca bus stations have similar arrangements. Supratours stations attached to ONCF train stations sometimes share the train station left-luggage room. There are no automated coin lockers at most Moroccan bus stations — it is always a manned service.
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