Rabat to Tangier: Al Boraq High-Speed Train, Buses and Times

For Rabat to Tangier, the Al Boraq high-speed train is the answer for almost every traveller. It links the capital to the Strait of Gibraltar in about an hour and twenty minutes at speeds up to 320 km/h — Africa's fastest train — running several times a day and arriving in the centre of Tangier. It is quick, comfortable, punctual and reasonably priced, and it leaves the alternatives looking slow by comparison.

Those alternatives are a CTM or Supratours coach, which takes four to five hours down the motorway for a fare only a little below second-class rail, and a private driver, a comfortable splurge for groups. There is no meaningful flight option on this short a pair once airport time is counted. In practice, then, the decision is simply which Al Boraq departure to take and whether to travel first or second class.

For the wider network and ticketing, our Morocco train guide covers the basics, and the flagship line is explained in the high-speed rail feature. This leg also slots neatly into the car-free Morocco by train itinerary.

The balance here tilts hard toward the train, but each mode has a niche. Al Boraq is fastest, most comfortable and central at both ends, at a fare most find very reasonable. The bus wins only on the tightest budget, trading three or more extra hours for a modest saving. A private driver buys door-to-door flexibility for groups with luggage. The table sets the realistic 2026 figures side by side.

The key comparison is train versus bus, and it is not close. Al Boraq covers the route in a third of the coach's time, arrives centrally, and costs only a little more in second class than the bus. Unless your budget is truly rock-bottom or a coach slots into a wider CTM itinerary, the train is the obvious choice — this is exactly the kind of medium-distance city pair high-speed rail is built to serve.

Al Boraq is Morocco's high-speed flagship, and Rabat sits right on its Tangier–Casablanca spine. Trains run from Rabat up to Tanger Ville in about an hour and twenty to thirty minutes, reaching 320 km/h on the dedicated high-speed section. The carriages are modern, air-conditioned and quiet, with first and second class, luggage racks and a café service on many departures. Second class is comfortable and perfectly adequate; first buys wider seats and a little more room.

Fares run roughly 119–160 MAD in second class and 180–250 MAD in first, with advance and off-peak bookings cheapest and last-minute or peak trains dearer. Book on the ONCF app or website, or at station counters, and reserve ahead in summer and around holidays when popular departures fill. Because Tanger Ville is central, the train is genuinely door-to-door faster than flying would be — you step off into the city rather than a distant airport. Children travel at reduced fares, and large luggage goes on the racks at the carriage ends rather than needing a separate ticket, so a family can move between the capital and the coast cheaply and with little fuss.

Rabat has two Al Boraq stations, and choosing the right one saves time. Rabat-Agdal is the flagship high-speed station, rebuilt for the Al Boraq era, and sits in the Agdal district — modern, well-equipped, and convenient if you are staying in that part of the city or connecting. Rabat-Ville is the older central station, closer to the medina, the Kasbah des Oudaias, the Hassan Tower and much of the tourist accommodation. Most Al Boraq services call at both, so pick the one nearest your hotel.

For sightseeing travellers, Rabat-Ville is usually the more convenient end, being walkable or a short petit-taxi ride from the medina and the main sights. If your accommodation is in Agdal or you are arriving from elsewhere in the city, Rabat-Agdal may suit better. Check your ticket and the departure board to confirm which station your specific train uses, and give yourself a few minutes to find the platform — Al Boraq departures are punctual and will not wait.

Airport logistics depend on where you land. Rabat has its own airport, Rabat-Salé (RBA), but it serves a limited set of routes, so many travellers arrive instead at Casablanca's Mohammed V (CMN), the country's main international gateway. From Mohammed V, the shuttle train runs to Casa Voyageurs, where you pick up an Al Boraq north — an easy, all-rail connection that reaches Tangier in good time. Budget the airport shuttle leg and a short wait into your planning.

If you do fly into Rabat-Salé, the airport is close to the city but not directly on the rail line, so you take a petit taxi or grand taxi into central Rabat and pick up your Al Boraq from Rabat-Agdal or Rabat-Ville. Either way, the train is the through-line north. For the airport ends of this journey, our Casablanca Mohammed V airport guide and Tangier Ibn Battouta airport guide cover transfers and facilities.

The CTM and Supratours coaches run Rabat to Tangier in four to five hours for 100–140 MAD — comfortable and cheap, but the time penalty against the sub-90-minute train is large, and second-class rail costs only a little more. The bus makes sense on the very tightest budget or as part of a wider coach itinerary. A private driver, at roughly 1,800–2,500 MAD per car, buys door-to-door service and flexibility for families or groups with luggage.

For everyone else, the verdict is simple: take the Al Boraq. It is faster, more comfortable and central at both ends, at a fair price even in first class. Choose second class unless you want the extra space, pick the Rabat station nearest your hotel, and book ahead in peak season. All fares here are approximate 2026 figures — confirm on the ONCF app, as prices vary with the service and how far ahead you book. This route is a highlight of northern Morocco travel, and the train makes the most of it. If you are building a longer trip, this leg pairs naturally with the onward high-speed run to Casablanca or Marrakech in one direction and the grand-taxi network out to Chefchaouen and the Rif in the other, putting much of northern and central Morocco within a comfortable half-day of the capital.