Getting around · Fes · Morocco
Getting around Fes
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Abdel Hassouni, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Fes el-Bali is entirely on foot: no cars can enter, and lanes are too steep and narrow even for bikes. Petit taxis link the medina gates with Fes el-Jdid, the Ville Nouvelle and the train station. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- FEZ
- Need a car?
- No
Ways to get around
Walking
Everything inside the medina is on foot; from Bab Bou Jeloud down Talaa Kebira to the Qarawiyyin takes about 20–30 minutes without stops.
Offline maps work reasonably well, but downhill usually leads to the Qarawiyyin and uphill to Bab Bou Jeloud.
Taxi
Red petit taxis are metered and carry up to three passengers within the city; they stop at gates such as Bab Bou Jeloud, Batha, Bab Guissa and Bab R'cif.
Insist on the meter; fares rise at night.
Train
ONCF trains from Fes station in the Ville Nouvelle run to Meknes, Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakech.
Bus
CTM and other coach companies run comfortable intercity buses to Chefchaouen and other towns not on the rail network.
From the airport
Fes–Saïss Airport is about 15 km south of the city. Taxis from the rank outside arrivals take about 20–30 minutes to the medina gates, and many riads arrange pickups that include a porter for the final walk.
Do you need a car?
No. A car is useless in the medina and parking is limited. Use trains, coaches or a hired driver for day trips to Volubilis, Meknes and the Middle Atlas.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Meknes | About 45 minutes–1 hour by train | Train from Fes to Meknes |
| Volubilis | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Private driver or grand taxi; often combined with Meknes |
| Moulay Idriss Zerhoun | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car | Private driver or grand taxi; combine with Volubilis |
| Ifrane and Azrou cedar forest | About 1 hour by car | Private driver or grand taxi |
| Chefchaouen | About 3.5–4 hours by road | CTM coach or private driver |
| Sefrou | About 40 minutes by car | Grand taxi or bus |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Fes?
No. A car is useless in the medina and parking is limited. Use trains, coaches or a hired driver for day trips to Volubilis, Meknes and the Middle Atlas.
+How do you get from the airport to Fes?
Fes–Saïss Airport is about 15 km south of the city. Taxis from the rank outside arrivals take about 20–30 minutes to the medina gates, and many riads arrange pickups that include a porter for the final walk.
+What is the best way to get around Fes?
Walking: Everything inside the medina is on foot; from Bab Bou Jeloud down Talaa Kebira to the Qarawiyyin takes about 20–30 minutes without stops.