Transavia flies from Paris-Orly to Fez.
Easy Jet flies from Paris-CDG to Fez
The airport is located about 15km from the city. The best option, if you don't have too much luggage, is to take a bus (line 16), but if you're up for a local challenge after your journey, choose a taxi.
The No 16 local bus is now an "airport shuttle" that costs "2Euro/20 DH" for a single trip. It is no longer clearly marked as bus 16 but it's a new Volvo bus with a printout on the right side (Fez - Airport). It runs approximately every 30 minutes. It will take you to the train station and the ride is about 25-30 minutes. The ticket can be purchased on the bus.
If you go from Fez to the airport, the bus stop is on the left of the entrance to the train station. You can buy ticket in advance at the cash-desk at the bus stop. But allow plenty of time as departures can be erratic.
There is a fixed price for a taxi DH 120 from the airport to the medina. If you come in the night it's a good idea to book it in advance.
[edit]By train
The train station Fès-Ville. edit is found at the northern end if the Ville-Nouvelle. There is regular train service along the Marrakech to Oujda and Tangier to Oujda train lines.
Eight arrivals daily from Marrakech. The train takes about eight hours and fifteen minutes (although delays are frequent) and costs exactly 295/195 dirhams. (First class / second class)
The trip from Casablanca takes about 3 hours 20 to 4 hours 20 and costs 165/110 dirhams. (1st class/2nd class). High speed double decker trains are being phased in on this route in 2011.
There are five trains per day from Tangier arriving after 4.5 hours at a cost of 155/105 dirhams (1st class/2nd class).
From Rabat takes about two and a half to three hours, and costs 75-105 dirhams.
In summer, train compartments can be hot, with passengers standing everywhere when all seats are taken. While occasionally unreliable, first class compartments are generally well air-conditioned, with assigned and numbered seats.
Be aware that there are hustlers operating on trains into Fez. See the Stay Safe and Cope sections, below.
A petit taxi between the train station and Bab Boujeloud costs about 10Dh with taxi meter. Insist on using the meter, if necessary, say "khdm l-koontoor" (Work the counter) to the taxi driver.
[edit]By car
Fez is about 4 hours' drive by car from Casablanca. The stretch of toll highway from Rabat to Fez is in superb condition.
[edit]By taxi
Traveling by grand taxi (inter-city taxi), though more expensive than trains, is viable for tourists. Seats in a taxi are sold individually, in order to travel in relative comfort, you may need to purchase more than one seat. A ride from Fez to Casablanca costs approximately 60-80 dirhams per seat. Note that grand taxi fares are regulated and it is worth checking the official rates with the tourist board, as some drivers or hotels will quote inflated prices.
There are a couple of grand taxi stations:
Grand Taxis, (next to the train station). edit
Grand Taxis Azrou/Ifrane, (next to the CTM station). Ifrane: 28dh / seat. edit
Within Fez, ride in the petits taxis (local taxis) rarely cost more that 15-20 dirhams. However, the medina of Fes el-Bali is only accessible from a few points by car. Bab Boujeloud and nearby Place Batha are popular dropoff points, as is Place R'cif; for parking there is spaces at Ain Zleten on the northeast edge of the medina. Another openair parking is situated near Hotel Batha (price 20 Dhs / day). If you stay longer than 1 day don't pay in advance.
[edit]By bus
The old bus terminal (Gare Routière. edit) is just outside the old city on the north side, near the Ain Zleten entrance to the medina and Bab Boujloud place. Grands taxis (inter-city taxis) can also be obtained here.
The CTM terminal (gare CTM. edit) is in place Allal el-Fassi in the Atlas neighborhood of the ville nouvelle, 7 km from the medina, but has taxi stands nearby.
While the gare routière covers more routes more cheaply, many travelers prefer CTM for its reliability and cleanliness. Most CTM buses leaving Fes, anyway, start from the gare routière and make a stop in the gare CTM after 30min in the town traffic. CTM bus coming into Fes, at the contrary, will leave you at the gare CTM.
[edit]Get around
Map displaying the medina walking routes.
Ignore the travel guides that tell you that you'll get lost in the medina and that you must hire a guide. One of the easiest ways to get around is to use the red taxis to take you to the nearest gate (bab) and then walk from there until you get your bearings. Gates are all around the city and taxis are cheap. A rough map of where the sights are will help too. If you are particularly worried, be sure to arrange a licensed guide through your hotel or the tourism office - they will be able to give you an accurate history and will make fewer shopping stops. The faux-guides in particular will simply take you from shop to shop where you will be pressured to buy goods, which will cost you extra because the seller will be obliged to pay the guide a hidden commission.
There are some basic landmarks that you can use to get around, and there is a path network marked by signs perched on walls, although these can be hard to locate at times. These signs have a 8-point star shape which will guide you between the main places in the medina. If you are lost you only have to find one of these signs and follow it in any direction until you arrive to a map or a known place. You may also find it useful to carry a compass, as the narrow, built-up streets can block the view of landmarks and be disorienting. Alternatively, just keep heading downhill and you will eventually get to a gate. The main street is the Talaa Kbira, which runs from Bab Boujeloud. edit to the Kairouine. edit mosque in the heart of the medina. The Talaa Sghira also begins at Bab Boujeloud and eventually merges back into the Talaa Kbira. Once you get into the narrow, windy heart of the medina, you can also find your way out again by constantly heading downhill, which will eventually lead to the Place R'cif. edit, a dropoff for buses and taxis, where you can get a petit taxi out of the medina.
For more detailed tours and directions, look for the book Fez from Bab to Bab (Hammad Berrada). It has a complete map of the medina and several well-described walking tours. It can be found in most bookshops, both on the Talaa Sghira or at the large bookstore on the Avenue Hassan II in the ville nouvelle. However, be discreet taking out your map or you will have many offers from false guides!
Bab Boujeloud, the upper and main entrance to the medina.
[edit][add listing]See
Leather-dyeing pits in Fes.
Just walking around, you will see a great deal!
Get a shave in the medina, nowhere is it cheaper than here, and they really pay attention, even trimming your hair.
In the midst of the maze-like medina are the colorful leather-dying pits. Any number of young boys will offer to guide you to them: just listen for "you want to see the tanneries?" The tour is free (though it is appropriate to offer 1-5 dirhams to your "guide"). There is no chance of getting to see the tanneries by yourself, instead, be prepared for physical abuse for even trying! However, just 10m left of the entrance is a leather shop that offers views to the tannery free of charge and you can see it all from the balcony. Expect to be pressured into buying goods from the shop in return.
It is possible to get into the tannery itself, hang around near the entrance until someone offers to take you in for 10 dirham. He will get you past the entrance and then you can wander in amongst the workers. A word of advice...wear closed shoes and maybe bring a mint leaf to sniff if you have a weak stomach.
Bou Inania madersa: a breathtaking 14th-century religious college. The best example of Islamic architecture a non-Muslim can see in Fez, with wooden walls elaborately carved with geometric patterns and Arabic calligraphy, and a beautiful minaret. In the courtyard there is a portico with a still-functioning mosque, separated by the rest of the courtyard by a small moat.
The view from the hills surrounding the old city is spectacular- there are two fortresses overlooking the old city, the Borj Nord which contains an armaments museum, and the Borj Sud, which is being developed for tourism.
The Merenid Tombs next to the Merenid Hotel, provide excellent panoramic views over the medina and the wider city, as well as the olive tree lined hills surrounding the city, and sanctuary from the bustle of the rest of the city. Beware of the odd opportunistic tout.
The Sofitel Palais Jamai terrace has an incredible view over the medina if you are willing to pay 30 dirhams for a glass of tea in order to access it. This is particularly worthwhile if you can time your visit to coincide with the call to prayer, as you can hear multiple minarets from the terrace.
Entrance to the Moulay Idriss II shrine, the tomb of Fez's founder, is limited to Muslims, but the view from just outside its doors is still well-worth hunting down. The mosque is just off the Talaa Kbira near the Souk Attarine.
Similarly, the Qaraouyine library and mosque and the al-Tijani mosque have beautifully decorated exteriors and worth a visit even by those who cannot enter them, which includes all foreigners considered to be non-Muslim.
[edit][add listing]Do
Map of Fez medina
One of the most fascinating activities to do in Fez is a trip in the medina (Old City). The medina is so complex to navigate that sometimes it's easier to simply lose yourself in the hustle and bustle of the various markets, and find your way out once you have had enough of all the sights, sounds, and smells that will overwhelm your senses. You will eventually find your way out via lots of dried fruit, leather goods, ceramics, textiles and food stalls!
Make sure you find an opportunity to escape from the bustle of the streets and see the medina from one of its rooftops - some shops and restaurants have rooftop terraces (see the food section below for some useful tips). The views are particularly spectacular during sunset and after dark.
The Berber pharmacy in the Medina has hundreds of jars of twisted root and twig neatly lined up along the walls. Don't eat the seed-pod like things the proprietor offers you. Although he's eating them also, they are very high in estrogen and can cause a man's nipples to be sore for several days afterwards.
Quartier des tanneurs. . The tanneries in the medina features leather-making techniques unchanged since the Middle Ages. Men walk the narrow paths between huge vats of lye and colorful dyes, water wheels creak as the leather is rinsed, and buildings facing the tannery are covered with pelts hanging to dry. Visit early in the morning before the sun hits the tannery and the stench sets in. edit
There are several well-marked trails through the city: follow the green (Andalusian palaces and gardens), orange (walls and fortifications), or blue signs and you won't get lost in all the narrow twisting streets.
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