How to get from Casablanca to Essaouira: your travel options explained

Casablanca is the main international gateway to Morocco, especially for travellers arriving from outside of Europe. Its large and modern Mohammed V International Airport is the busiest in the country, operating flights across Europe, Africa, America and the Middle East.

The city itself has a mixed reputation among travellers and, although it’s not without its charm, it feels more like a business and commerce capital than a tourist destination. After checking out the main things to do in Casablanca, we’d suggest you set your sights south and head down to Essaouira.

In this guide we look at all the different transport options available and help you decide on the best way to get from Casablanca to Essaouira.

Getting the bus from Casablanca to Essaouira

CLICK HERE to book your bus tickets from Casablanca to Essaouira

The most common way to travel between the two cities is on the bus. Several companies make the six or seven hour journey, with CTM offering the most reliable and comfortable service. Unless you’re on a tight budget, it’s usually recommended to use the CTM bus rather than the other operators.

Although tickets can be booked at the main bus station in Casablanca (located here, sometimes referred to as Casablanca FAR), it’s far simpler to book via the excellent 12Go website, from where you can also check timetables, routes and operators.

CTM buses take 6.5 hours to run from Casablanca to Essaouira, departing at:

• 7.30am
• 8.45am
• 12.45am
• 4.15pm

Stopping at Casablanca’s Maarif station, then onto El Jadida, Safi and Sebt Gzoula, before arriving at the CTM bus station in Essaouira. Note that the 8.45am departure includes an additional stop in Oualidia and takes an extra hour.

Essaouira’s CTM bus station is slightly outside the medina, located here. Unless your accommodation is close by, it’s usually easy enough to flag down a petit taxi for a flat 8DH fare to the medina rather than attempting the walk.

The CTM buses are comfortable, with reclining seats, AC and USB charging points. Aside from a quick stop at the intermediate stations, there aren’t any opportunities for a proper meal, so make sure you pack enough supplies for the journey.

You can read our review of the CTM bus from Essaouira to Casablanca here for more information.

Self-drive road trip from Casablanca to Essaouira

Driving your own vehicle is a lovely way to experience the coastline between Casablanca and Essaouira. If you plan to make the trip non-stop, it’ll only take about four or five hours, saving you two hours on the bus timings.

From Casablanca to Safi, you can choose to follow the ultra-modern A1 highway, which is tolled and dual-carriageway for a large portion of the route. It’s very easy driving, although it can feel a bit soulless at times. Once you approach Safi, you might decide to detour there and visit the pretty town, or continue on the N1 road to Essaouira. Safi is well worth the detour (check out our guide for things to do in Safi), with the option afterwards of taking the coastal road south if you’re in the mood for a change of scenery.

Check out this guide to driving in Morocco if you need some tips.

Hiring a car can be very cheap in Morocco (about $20 per day) but a one-way rental will make it much more expensive (and often, not even possible). It’s easier if you’re driving from Casablanca to Essaouira as part of a self-drive Moroccan road trip.

Private transfer from Casablanca to Essaouira

CLICK HERE to book a private transfer from Casablanca to Essaouira

The most expensive, but by far most convenient way to get from Casablanca to Essaouira is a private transfer. With door-to-door collection and drop-off, it’s especially useful if you have a large amount of luggage or are travelling in a group or with a young family.

Once again, the 12Go website is the best place to book a private transfer, with a choice of operators and vehicle types. The journey should take around four or five hours, and you’ll be able to request stops along the way when you need a break.

Prices start from around 1500DH for the entire vehicle up to four passengers and luggage. Larger vehicles are available at a higher cost if you need more space.

Is there a train from Casablanca to Essaouira?

Casablanca is one of the main hubs of Morocco’s ever-expanding railway network, including Africa’s first high-speed railway. Unfortunately, the railways never reached Essaouira; there are tentative plans to build a line to Marrakech but don’t expect this to happen anytime soon.

As an alternative, there are two daily trains from Casa Voyageurs to Safi, taking just over four hours and costing 130DH. Once you arrive, you can either continue directly to Essaouira (two hours on the bus), or spend some time in Safi before heading south.

Train tickets can be booked on the 12Go website.

Can you fly from Casablanca to Essaouira?

No, flying from Casablanca to Essaouira isn’t possible, unless you want to make a torturous fifteen hour journey via Paris (which you don’t). For the time being, Essaouira isn’t linked by air to any other Moroccan cities, so you’ll be keeping your feet on the ground.

Getting from Casablanca Airport to Essaouira

If you’ve arrived into Casablanca on a flight, Mohammed V International Airport is 30km south of the city centre.

It’s not served by the Essaouira bus, which uses a different road westwards along the coast away from the airport. If you are planning on catching the bus, there’s a train service running from the airport to Casa Port railway station, which is only a simple ten minute walk to the Casablanca FAR bus station.

For the other transport options, it’s easy enough to hire a car from the airport or arrange your private transfer to begin from there.