Marrakech to Fes, Rabat and Tangier by Car: Routes, Times and One-Way Rental

From Marrakech, Rabat is about 320 km and 3h15 by motorway, Fes about 530 km and 5h30 by motorway via Casablanca and Meknès, and Tangier about 580 km and 5h30 by motorway. All three are straightforward drives on the A7, A2 and A1 toll motorways, and all three can be the end point of a one-way rental: return in Fes costs 1,500 MAD, in Tangier 2,000 MAD. Here are the routes, the alternatives through the Middle Atlas, the timing, and how the one-way works.

Distances and times from Marrakech

Times are without stops at a steady 120 km/h on the motorway. Add 30 to 45 minutes for fuel, coffee and toll queues, and more around Casablanca at rush hour.

Marrakech to Rabat

Take the A7 north past Ben Guerir and Settat, bypass Casablanca on the A3/A1 ring and continue to Rabat. The whole drive is dual carriageway. Rabat’s centre is easy by car compared with Casablanca; hotels in Agdal and Hassan have parking, and the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Hassan tower are ten minutes apart. If you continue to Tangier or Fes the next day, Rabat is the natural overnight stop.

Marrakech to Fes

By motorway

A7 to the Casablanca area, then the A2 east through the Khouribga and Khemisset junctions to Meknès and Fes. It is the fastest and the least tiring: two lanes, rest areas every 40 to 60 km, no mountain section. Stop at Meknès (30 km before Fes) for the Bab Mansour gate and the Roman site of Volubilis, 30 km north of the city.

By the Middle Atlas

The N8 from Marrakech to Beni Mellal, then Khenifra, Azrou and Ifrane, is the scenic road: cedar forests, Barbary macaques at Azrou, the alpine-looking town of Ifrane, and no toll. It takes a good hour longer, has a long single-carriageway section with trucks between Marrakech and Beni Mellal, and snow around Ifrane in winter. Do it in daylight, ideally in spring or autumn.

In Fes, park outside the medina: the Bab Boujloud car parks and the hotels of the Ville Nouvelle are the usual choice. The medina itself is the largest car-free urban area in the world.

Marrakech to Tangier

A7 to Casablanca, A1 to Rabat, Kenitra, Larache and Tangier. It is the longest of the three drives but the easiest road: flat motorway from end to end. Leaving Marrakech at 8 am puts you in Tangier by 2 pm with a lunch stop. Tangier’s Ville Nouvelle and the Kasbah have paid car parks; the port area is for the ferries. If you are taking the ferry to Spain, note that our cars do not leave Morocco: return the car in Tangier and cross as a foot passenger.

The one-way rental

1. We deliver the car for free at Marrakech Menara Airport or at your riad, at any hour.
2. You keep it for as many days as you need at the daily rate, from €35 with comprehensive insurance, 200 km per day, free second driver. Extra kilometres are 2 MAD each: Marrakech to Fes uses 530 km, so plan the allowance over the days of your rental.
3. On the last day our agent meets you at your hotel, at the station or at the airport (Fes-Saïss, Rabat-Salé, Tangier Ibn Battouta) and checks the car with you; the €800 deposit is released.
4. The return fee covers bringing the car back to Marrakech: Fes 1,500 MAD, Tangier 2,000 MAD, Casablanca 120 €. For Rabat, Chefchaouen or Meknès, ask us for the fee when booking.

Full conditions on the rental conditions page.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Marrakech to Fes?

About 5h30 for 530 km by motorway via Casablanca and Meknès, or 6h30 to 7h for 480 km through the Middle Atlas via Beni Mellal and Ifrane.

Can I rent a car in Marrakech and drop it in Fes or Tangier?

Yes. Return in Fes costs 1,500 MAD, in Tangier 2,000 MAD. Pick-up in Marrakech is free.

Is the Marrakech to Rabat road a motorway all the way?

Yes, A7 then A1/A3 around Casablanca, about 3h15.

Can I take the rental car on the ferry to Spain from Tangier?

No. Rental cars stay in Morocco. Return the car in Tangier and cross as a passenger.

Is Fes or Marrakech the better place to start a Morocco road trip?

Either works. Starting in Marrakech gives the Atlas, the coast and the desert first; ending in Fes or Tangier with a one-way rental avoids driving back the same 500 km.