Casablanca and Chefchaouen are two places that couldn’t be more different from each other, but that’s exactly why visiting both of these places during a trip to Morocco is such an attractive possibility for most tourists. As one of the more modern cities of Morocco, Casablanca will ease first time visitors, and greatly lessen any potential culture shock. Furthermore, Casablanca is a hub for traveling through Morocco.
You will be hard pressed to find a bus or a train service that doesn’t go through Casablanca, or one that doesn’t have a route that ends or starts in Casablanca. However, getting from Casablanca to Chefchaouen is still a challenge!
Chefchaouen is one of the most recommended tourist destinations of Morocco, and part of its allure comes from the fact that it’s literally secluded from the rest of Morocco, and it’s at least a couple of hours away from the nearest major city. However, many people feel hesitant about going from Casablanca to Chefchaouen during the same trip, as the two locations seem to be very far from one another. This article will detail the best route for going to Chefchaouen from Casablanca.
There are only a couple of ways to go to Chefchaouen from Casablanca. One way is to take the CTM Bus. Tickets can be bought through their website at www.ctm.ma. The duration of this journey is six and a half hours, provided there are no delays. Furthermore, a bus for Chefchaouen leaves only once a day, so missing the 1:30 PM departure will result in having to wait another twenty-four hours before the next bus. However, there is a twenty-minute pit stop at a café for people to use the bathroom, stretch their legs, and catch a quick bite to eat. An alternative to the CTM bus would be to catch the Supratours bus from Casa Voyageurs in Casablanca.
After 7 hours on the road, you’ll soon find yourself in the breathtakingly beautiful town of Chefchaouen, and the occasionally bumpy ride will have been worth it.
There are some important points to note about the bus companies on this route. The road to Chefchaouen is windy and mountainous. The buses in Morocco are not to the same standard as in western countries, and you might find that the driver goes too quickly for your liking. It’s not uncommon to see overtaking on corners and other dangerous manoeuvers. Often, the air-conditioning is not turned on and instead the door is left open to aid circulation. Furthermore, seat belts may not always be available. However, despite this, the bus is the cheapest option and the best one for travellers on a budget. The bus is not recommended if you are travelling with children.
The most convenient method of transportation is to take a taxi, either with a Morocco taxi company with licences for tourist transport, or a public grand taxi. By car the trip will take approximately five hours. The price will be different depending on which private company you choose, or which grand taxi driver you get. If you’re taking a grand taxi then the price will depend on how good your haggling skills are (check our grand taxi fare calculator to get an idea), but with a private company the prices are fixed. With TangierTaxi the fares start from 225 euros depending on the number of passengers.
Considering the price of the bus, if you are travelling in a group, it might be more convenient to take a taxi if the difference is not so big.
There are a few other ways to go to Chefchaouen from Casablanca, but these are the most convenient possible options. It’s important to note – once again – that these two places are far apart geographically, which makes traveling from one to the other extremely difficult even for locals.
There is no train between Casablanca and Chefchaouen.
