CTM vs. Supratours: Morocco's Coach Companies Compared
Morocco's two big coach lines cover the places trains don't. How CTM and Supratours differ, where each goes, luggage fees, and how to book the right one.
Where Morocco's trains stop, its coaches take over, and two companies dominate the intercity network: CTM and Supratours. For a first-timer they are the reliable, comfortable way to reach Chefchaouen, Essaouira and the towns off the rail line, and the difference between them is small but worth knowing before you book. Here is how the two compare, where each one goes, and the luggage detail that catches people out.
The two companies at a glance
CTM is Morocco's long-established national coach line, running a comprehensive network of comfortable, air-conditioned buses across the country and to many smaller towns. Supratours, run by the national railway ONCF, was built to extend the train network by coach, so its routes deliberately connect to rail hubs and reach destinations like Essaouira that the trains do not. Both are modern, reliable and inexpensive, and either is a fine choice on the routes they share.
How they actually differ
In practice the differences are modest: CTM has the broader independent network and its own station buildings, while Supratours excels where a journey combines train and coach, since its timetables and ticketing dovetail with ONCF rail. On a route both serve, pick by schedule and price rather than agonising over the brand. Where only one runs your route — Supratours to Essaouira, for instance — the choice makes itself.
Where each one goes
Between them the two cover the country's coach needs comprehensively: the classic first-timer routes include the coach from Fez to Chefchaouen, Marrakech to Essaouira, and connections to the desert gateways and the smaller towns off the rail line. Supratours is the usual choice for Essaouira and for legs that continue a train journey; CTM is the workhorse for the wider network. For the places trains reach, the train still wins, but for everywhere else these coaches are the backbone.
The luggage fee catch
The detail that surprises travellers is that both companies charge a small separate fee for hold luggage, paid at the station when you check your bag, on top of the ticket. It is inexpensive but unexpected if you have not budgeted for it, and you get a tag for your bag in return. Keep a little cash for this, arrive with time to check the bag, and hold onto the tag for collection at the other end.
How to book
Both companies sell tickets online and at their station counters, and for popular routes in high season — especially Fez to Chefchaouen — booking a day or two ahead secures a seat on the departure you want rather than the next one hours later. Off-peak, buying at the station on the day is usually fine. Arrive with time to check luggage and find the right bay, and keep your ticket accessible for the journey.
What the ride is actually like
Both companies run modern, air-conditioned coaches with assigned or open seating depending on the route, and the longer journeys usually include a rest stop where you can buy snacks and use facilities. The buses are a comfortable, low-stress way to cover distance, and on scenic routes like Fez to Chefchaouen the window views are part of the pleasure. Bring water, a snack and something to read, and the hours pass easily.
Arriving at the right station
One practical wrinkle: CTM often uses its own dedicated terminals, which can sit apart from the main municipal bus station, so confirm which station your departure leaves from when you book. Turning up at the wrong terminal is the classic missed-coach mistake. Your ticket states the departure point, and a quick check the day before — or a word with your riad — saves a stressful taxi dash across town on the morning.
Coaches versus the alternatives
On routes with no train, the coach beats the shared grand taxi for comfort and predictability, though the taxi is faster and more flexible if you do not mind the format. A private driver costs more and buys door-to-door convenience. For most first-timers reaching Chefchaouen or Essaouira, a CTM or Supratours coach is the sweet spot of comfort, price and reliability — the sensible default where the rails run out.
Choosing coach, train, taxi or driver for each leg is one thread of the sequencing that decides how a whole trip flows and where you can base. How the modes fit a first-timer route is worked out in the complete Morocco trip guide.
CTM is the long-established national line with the broadest network; Supratours is run by the railway and excels where a trip combines train and coach.
Which reaches Essaouira and Chefchaouen?
Supratours is the usual choice for Essaouira; both run to Chefchaouen from Fez. Neither is on the rail line, so the coach is how you get there.
Is there a luggage fee?
Yes — both charge a small separate fee for hold luggage, paid at the station. Keep a little cash and hold onto the bag tag.
Should I book ahead?
For popular routes in high season, yes — a day or two ahead. Off-peak, buying at the station on the day is usually fine.
Coach or grand taxi?
The coach is more comfortable and predictable; the grand taxi is faster and more flexible. For most first-timers, the coach wins.
