How to Get from Tangier Airport to the City Center

Traveling from Tangier Airport to City Center? It takes about 20–25 minutes, and the airport (Tangier Ibn Battouta, TNG) sits around 14 km west of the center. For most travellers it comes down to a taxi — either arranged at the official taxi bureau just outside the terminal, or negotiated directly at the taxi rank in front of the airport doors. There’s no train station at the airport, so it’s really taxi or the airport bus.

Here’s the part other guides get wrong: at the bureau you don’t pay one flat “government price” — the fare depends on your destination, how many passengers, and how much luggage you have, which also decides whether you get a small (petit) taxi or a big (grand) taxi. As a rough guide from my own trips: solo with a couple of bags into the city is around 60 MAD. Below is exactly how it works. Last verified: Aug-2026.

Option 1: The Taxi Bureau (Petit & Grand Taxi)

Just outside the airport there’s an official taxi bureau (a desk/counter). You tell them your destination, how many people, and how much luggage, and they quote you a price and assign the right taxi. More people or more bags means they’ll put you in a big taxi instead of a small one.

Rough fares within Tangier, from experience:

• Small taxi (petit): around 60 MAD solo with light luggage.
• Big taxi (grand): at least 100 MAD,up to around 180 MAD.

Paying at the bureau: they accept dirham cash, or Visa card (card comes with a small extra fee). That’s it — no other currencies at the desk. So if you’ve got dirham or a card, the bureau is the simplest option.

If you’re not staying in Tangier — heading to Asilah, Tétouan, Chefchaouen, or elsewhere — there’s a sign listing the fixed fares to every city. Take a photo of it when you arrive; it’s always useful, and it means no confusion later about what the correct price should be.

Option 2: The Airport Bus (cheapest)

The budget way into town is the ALSA airport shuttle (often called the “Aerobus”). It runs from the stop right outside the arrivals terminal to Tangier’s city center and train station, costs 40 MAD, takes about 40 minutes, and runs roughly once an hour through the day, from around 6:30 AM to 12:30 AM (though schedules can vary or finish earlier on weekends/holidays). You pay in cash on board, so bring small change. It’s the cheapest option to go from Tangier Airport to city center, but with heavy luggage or late at night, a taxi is easier.

The bus line runs from Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport → Complex Hassani → Riad Ahlan → Ben Dibane → Riad Tetouan → Nejma → Tangier Train Station.

Option 3: Pre-Booked Private Transfer

If you’d rather skip the taxi rank entirely, you can book a private transfer in advance. A driver meets you in Arrivals holding a sign with your name, helps with bags, and takes you straight to your hotel — no queue, no cash, no price conversation. Fares are fixed when you book, typically from around €18–30 to anywhere in the city.

This is the easiest option if you’re arriving late at night, travelling with kids, don’t have dirhams yet, or your hotel is tricky to find. It costs a little more than a petit taxi but removes every bit of friction on arrival.

Which Option Should You Choose? Tangier Airport to the City Center

Solo or a couple, travelling light, watching the budget → petit taxi. Cheapest, quick, easy.

Family or group with luggage → big taxi. It has more space and can take up to 6 people. But here’s the honest advice: a big taxi is built to carry more passengers, not more luggage, so the boot space is actually small. If you’re 6 people and everyone has 2 big suitcases, it won’t all fit. It works well when you’re fewer than 6 people — then the spare seats can be used for the extra bags. So think of it as either 6 passengers with light bags, or fewer passengers with room for luggage — not both at once

Late-night arrival, no cash yet, kids, or a hard-to-find hotel → pre-booked transfer. Worth the small extra for a driver waiting with your name.

No dirham, no card? Negotiate directly with a driver

Here’s the situation the bureau can’t help with: you forgot to exchange money, you don’t have a card, and you’re already outside — you really don’t want to drag your luggage (and maybe kids) back inside to queue at the exchange counter. There’s a simple solution.

Go straight to the taxi drivers parked in front of the airport doors, tell them where you want to go, and negotiate the price directly. Because you already know the normal range, you’re in a strong position:

• Small taxi: 40–80 MAD into the city, depending on where you’re going.
• Big taxi: 100–180 MAD into the city, depending on where you’re going.

Once you both agree on a price, tell the driver which currency you actually have. If they accept it — and most of the time they do — you’re set. Keep the rough rule 1 euro ≈ 10 MAD in your head so you know what you’re agreeing to.

Frequently Asked Questions