Fes-Saïss Airport: everything to know before you land

Fes airport at a glance

The airport serving Fes (also spelled Fez) sits in the Saïss plain, south of the city, close to the national road that climbs towards Imouzzer Kandar and Ifrane. It has a modern terminal housing both arrivals and departures, with a forecourt where the taxis wait and where the car park is located. Its traffic is essentially European: the vast majority of flights are direct routes to and from France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, operated mainly by low-cost airlines.

Airlines and direct flights to Fes

Fes-Saïss is one of the Moroccan airports with the best direct connections to France. The main airlines are Ryanair (notably from Paris-Beauvais and Marseille), Transavia (Paris-Orly) and Air Arabia Maroc (several French cities), plus routes to Brussels, Barcelona, Madrid, Bergamo, Bologna, Rome, Eindhoven and Rotterdam depending on the season. Royal Air Maroc also operates flights from Paris.

One thing to plan for: many low-cost flights from France land late in the evening or very early in the morning. That is precisely why car hand-over at the airport has to be possible at any hour, with no night surcharge.

On arrival: formalities, money, phone

Passport control

Nationals of most European countries, including France and Belgium, enter Morocco with a valid passport and no visa for a tourist stay. You may be asked to fill in an entry card; do it during the flight to save time. At busy periods, when several flights land at the same time, passport control can take about thirty minutes.

Money and currency exchange

The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD, often written DH). Cash machines are available in the hall; they accept international Visa and Mastercard cards. It is worth withdrawing a little cash on arrival for small expenses (parking, tips, a coffee on the way), as card payments are not accepted everywhere outside the big chains.

Phone and internet

Moroccan operators (Maroc Telecom, Orange, inwi) offer inexpensive prepaid SIM cards, often on sale at the airport or in their shops in town; an ID document is required. If you plan to use GPS during your stay, a local SIM with mobile data is the simplest solution. Our cars come with a free GPS, but a phone with internet access is still handy for guides and real-time navigation.

Getting to Fes: taxi, bus or rental car

Option	Time	Indicative cost	Best for
Taxi from the arrivals forecourt	20–30 min	About 150 MAD by day, more at night; agree the fare before getting in	Travellers without a car, direct trip to the hotel
City bus (line 16) to the ONCF train station	40 min or more	A few dirhams	Tight budgets, little luggage
Rental car handed over at the airport	Leave immediately	Free delivery, included in the rental price	Stays with trips planned, families, road trips

Taxis are available at any hour in front of the arrivals hall. In practice, the fare to the Ville Nouvelle or the medina is quoted by the driver; ask about the going rate inside the terminal and fix the price before setting off. The bus is very cheap but slow and not well suited to suitcases. If you plan to get around during your stay, a rental car handed over directly at the airport saves you an extra journey: you drive away from the forecourt yourself.

Parking and drop-off

There is a paid car park in front of the terminal. Rates are displayed at the entrance: the first few minutes are free for a quick drop-off, then the price is charged in hourly bands, with a 24-hour flat rate of a few dozen dirhams. Payment is made in cash, at the exit. This is the car park where our agents leave the cars handed over to customers, so you have nothing to pay to collect your rental vehicle.

Departing: timing and luggage

For a flight to Europe, arrive about two hours before take-off. Low-cost airlines apply their cabin-baggage rules strictly: weigh and measure your bags before leaving the hotel to avoid a surcharge at the desk. After check-in, allow time for the security check and then the exit passport control, which can create a queue at busy times.

On the road, allow 30 minutes from the Ville Nouvelle during the day, a little more on Friday afternoons and on the days before public holidays. From Ifrane or Meknes, allow about an hour in each case, without stops.

Renting a car at Fes airport: how it works

There is no need to queue at a counter to drive away. With COSTA CAR, a local Fes agency, here is how it goes:

1. Book before you travel on our car rental at Fes airport page or on WhatsApp, giving us your flight number.
2. We track your flight. Delayed or early, the agent adjusts the meeting time; night-time hand-over is included.
3. At the exit of the arrivals hall, an agent greets you and walks you to the car, parked in the airport car park.
4. Inspection and key hand-over: we check the vehicle together, you sign the contract and you hit the road.

The price is the same as in town, all inclusive: full insurance, unlimited mileage, free GPS and child seat, free delivery and return. Our 14 vehicles, 11 of them with automatic gearbox, are available at the airport from 230 MAD (≈ 23 €) per day. The documents to bring are detailed on the rental conditions page.