Getting Around Sidi Slimane
Sidi Slimane is a city in Sidi Slimane Province, part of Morocco's Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region. It sits on Morocco's national rail network, which makes it reasonably easy to reach and to use as a base for exploring the surrounding area. This guide covers the practical options for moving around the city and for getting there from the airport.
Arriving by Train
The most reliable way to reach Sidi Slimane is by train. The city is served by ONCF, Morocco's national railway, and trains run on the route frequently — roughly hourly on the main connections. If you are coming from Casablanca, the journey takes around two hours, with both second-class and first-class seating available; second class is the cheaper option and first class costs a little more. From Rabat, the trip is shorter, around an hour and a quarter.
Tickets can be arranged through ONCF. The railway's contact number is 2255, and bookings and schedule information are available at oncf-voyages.ma. Buying in advance is sensible on busy days, though the hourly frequency means you are rarely stranded for long.
Buses and Public Transport
Morocco's intercity bus network can also get you to Sidi Slimane, usually as part of a longer chain of connections. One common budget route from Casablanca involves taking an airport bus into the city, then a tram, then a train onward to Sidi Slimane. Another option pairs an airport bus with a bus to Rabat and then a train down to Sidi Slimane. These combinations work but involve several changes and take considerably longer than a straightforward train journey.
Within Sidi Slimane itself, the city is compact enough that local buses and shared transport are not usually necessary for a visitor's day-to-day movements. There is no metro or tram network in the city — the tram and rail connections mentioned above belong to Casablanca and the wider national network, not to Sidi Slimane itself.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are the practical way to cover short hops around town or to reach the station with luggage. Ride-hailing is also an option for longer journeys: a rideshare-style trip covering the road distance from Casablanca takes roughly two and a half hours. For local errands, agree on the fare or confirm the meter before setting off, as is standard practice in Moroccan cities.
Walkability
Sidi Slimane is a small city, and much of the centre can be covered on foot. Walking is a good way to get a feel for the place, and it saves you the trouble of arranging transport for short distances. For anything beyond the central area, or when carrying bags, a taxi is the simpler choice.
Getting There from the Airport
Sidi Slimane has no commercial airport of its own for visitor purposes — the nearby Sidi Slimane Air Base is a military facility, not a passenger gateway. Most visitors arrive through Casablanca's Mohammed V Airport (CMN), which is the main international entry point for the region.
There is no direct train from the airport to Sidi Slimane; a transfer is required. The standard approach is to take the train from the airport into Casablanca and change at either Casa-Voyageurs or Ain Sebaa, then continue on an ONCF train to Sidi Slimane. The airport-to-Casa-Voyageurs leg runs roughly hourly and is inexpensive; the onward Casablanca-to-Sidi-Slimane leg also runs about hourly. Allow around three and a half hours in total for the journey, and budget somewhere in the region of nine to nineteen dollars depending on class and connection.
A cheaper but slower alternative combines an airport bus, the Casablanca tram, and a train: take the bus from the airport terminus to Mosquée El Batha, ride tram line T2 to Gare d'Ain-Sebaa, then catch the train from Ain Sebaa to Sidi Slimane. This takes close to four hours and costs a similar amount once everything is added up.
Another route runs via Rabat: an airport bus to Casa Port, a bus onward to Rabat, and then a train from Rabat Ville to Sidi Slimane. This is the longest of the common options, taking well over four hours.
If you prefer to fly part of the way, Royal Air Maroc operates a short flight from Casablanca to Fès, from where you can take an hourly train down to Sidi Slimane. This is by far the most expensive option and only makes sense if you want to break the journey in Fès.
By road, the drive from Casablanca to Sidi Slimane covers roughly 220 kilometres and takes about two and a half hours, costing somewhere between thirty-five and fifty dollars. A rideshare-style booking covers the same route in about the same time.
Where to Stay
Sidi Slimane has a handful of hotels — more than a few options are listed for the city — so finding a room for the night is not difficult. Booking ahead is still worthwhile if you are arriving late, since the town is small and choice is limited compared with larger Moroccan cities.