Getting around · Tangier · Morocco
Getting around Tangier
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The medina, kasbah and Ville Nouvelle are walkable, though steep. Petit taxis are cheap for short hops, grands taxis run longer routes, and the Tanger Ville station connects with the high-speed Al Boraq line and regular trains. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- TNG
- Need a car?
- No
Ways to get around
Walking
Walking is the only way around the medina and kasbah, and the Ville Nouvelle is a short walk uphill from the Grand Socco.
Taxi
Small petit taxis cover the city and should use the meter; larger grands taxis run fixed routes and longer trips such as Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules.
Ask the driver to use the meter in a petit taxi, and agree the price beforehand in a grand taxi.
Bus
City buses connect the centre with outlying districts, the beaches and the Caves of Hercules in summer, but routes are confusing for first-time visitors.
Train
From Tanger Ville station, Al Boraq high-speed trains reach Rabat in about 1 hour 20 minutes and Casablanca in a little over 2 hours, and regular trains serve Asilah, Fes and Marrakech.
Book Al Boraq seats ahead on Fridays, Sundays and holidays, when trains fill up.
Ferry
Fast ferries from the city port at Tanja Marina Bay cross to Tarifa in Spain in about an hour; most other ferries to Spain use the larger Tanger Med port, about 40 km east.
From the airport
Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport is about 15 km south-west of the centre. Taxis take about 20–25 minutes to the Ville Nouvelle or the edge of the medina; agree the fare before departure.
Do you need a car?
No. Taxis and trains cover the city and most day trips; a car or driver only helps for Chefchaouen and the Atlantic coast at your own pace.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Asilah | About 45 minutes by train or car | Train from Tanger Ville, or grand taxi |
| Chefchaouen | About 2–2.5 hours by car or bus | Private driver, tour or CTM bus |
| Tetouan | About 1 hour by car or bus | Grand taxi, bus or private driver |
| Tarifa | About 1 hour by fast ferry | Fast ferry from the Tanja Marina Bay port |
| Rabat | About 1 hour 20 minutes by high-speed train | Al Boraq high-speed train from Tanger Ville |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Tangier?
No. Taxis and trains cover the city and most day trips; a car or driver only helps for Chefchaouen and the Atlantic coast at your own pace.
+How do you get from the airport to Tangier?
Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport is about 15 km south-west of the centre. Taxis take about 20–25 minutes to the Ville Nouvelle or the edge of the medina; agree the fare before departure.
+What is the best way to get around Tangier?
Walking: Walking is the only way around the medina and kasbah, and the Ville Nouvelle is a short walk uphill from the Grand Socco.