Last Updated on 9 January, 2021
Choosing a single room on a sleeper train for a 10.5-hour train journey from Marrakech to Tangier during my two-week solo trip in Morocco was as an easy decision. Itโs not the most budget-friendly option for those looking to save, but I looked at it like it was accommodation for the night which also transported me to another city. Win-win!
Having never been on a sleeper train before, I had no idea what to expect and tried not to imagine what it looked like in case it came to a big disappointment. When the train conductor showed me to my room I was nicely surprised.
It was small but at the same time a rather spacious room. It had a small single bed with a soft pillow, white clean sheets and a red velvet blanket. There were a window seat and a small table, a sink, space for my luggage and for my shoes underneath it, and some hooks for a coat and bag. The window was big and the smaller part at the top of it could be opened and when closed, the big blind could be pulled down for ultimate privacy.
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I was excited about the journey and about spending the night comfortably. I lay down and waited for 8.30pm when the train was scheduled to leave. I heard a knock on the door. It was the conductor who brought me some amenities which I didnโt expect at all. There was a newspaper and a magazine (both in French), a re-usable face towel, soap, tissues, toothbrush, toothpaste, and slippers.
I decided to get comfortable and ready for the night right away. First things firstโฆ my Fitbit was dying and it needed a charge. I plugged the charger into the only socket that was there, and my Fitbit did not light up. The socket was not working. Luckily, I was prepared with two fully charged power banks and used those instead.
I put my hair in the bun, jumped into leggings and a cosy jumper, pulled out my toiletries and rolled up my sleeves to freshen up. I turned on the tap but not a single drop of water came out.
Determined to go to bed clean, I put the slippers on and went to the bathroom just two doors down from my room. There was barely any water coming out too, so I used bottled water to wash traces of foam off my face and to brush my teeth. Luckily, I have been carrying three bottles of water – one of which I was given by a stranger on the bus who sat next to me and got it for me at a break stop. He refused to take money for it. The friendly conductor gave me one too.
It was nearly 10pm and I thought it was a good time to go to sleep and a perfect opportunity to get that much craved sleep in. I lay down and closed my eyes. The train was moving at a steady pace. “How fast is it going?”, I wondered. “Do drivers change over the night? It is a long ride. Why is my nose getting blocked, are we going through the tunnel? Or is it because I am lying down?”, I kept on thinking to myself. “Do sinks not work in other rooms too? Wait, is that the cigarettes I can smell? Where is it coming from? Is someone smoking in the next room? Can I switch the aircon off?? I canโt. I was clearly told that only two buttons work, and both are for lights. I open the window instead. Ahhhhโฆ fresh air. Thatโs better. Itโs much brighter though, and louder. Still, fresh air. Maybe that will make me fall asleep. Where is the conductor? Iโd like to tell him that somebody next door is smoking. Will he understand me? Whatโs the word for smoking in French? What if he thinks I had been smoking. The fresh air is getting rid of the bad smell, but brrrrโฆ itโs getting cold now! I better close that window and pull down the blind.”, the inner monologue seemed endless… “Try to sleep”, I tell myself. I decide to do a breathing exercise… slowly inhale, stomach rises, slowly exhale, but my nose is still partially blocked. Just a few more breaths.
Five minutes later… I need to pee! I grab my phone for some extra light and all sorts of tissue. Thanks, ONCF for no water in the tap. I make it back to my bed. “If there was an emergency what would I grab? My handbag, backpack, shoes and a coat. Easy. Now, go back to sleep”, I tell myself again. I finally doze off only to wake up soon… Do I need to pee AGAIN!? I did not even drink that much water. Coffee. Itโs the coffee. I go to the bathroom and return as quickly as possible, but now I donโt feel sleepy anymore. Great. Should I play some music? I start playing the only playlist that I had downloaded โ Spotify โYour Top Songs 2018โ. Iโm quite pleased with it, Spotify, they really were my top songs, I’m not getting bored of them. Is that the hunger Iโm starting to feel? What snacks have I got? Easy peelers, pears, an apple, and salted almonds. Is that what my snacks would look like all the time if I was vegan? Damn, I should have bought some chocolate chip biscuits! I peel two satsumas. Yum. Love โem fresh. I really fancy some stretching. Should I try a handstand on a moving train? That would be a first. Nah, the floor is probably too dirty.
The clock hits 2.30am and I go back to sleep. Only a couple of hours later to be woken up by a very loud noise… “Why have we stopped? And what is that loud noise??”, I start asking myself questions again. I’m half asleep, but my imagination goes wild for a moment and I’m picturing a mechanic holding a gigantic hammer and non-stop hitting the train’s wheel with it. That’s what it sounds like.
When the disturbing noise finally stops, I doze off again. This time the conductor knocks on the door and announces ‘BREAKFAST!’. It’s around 7am and I have almost arrived.
I get served a coffee, a croissant, some bun with butter and apricot jam. I eat it sitting by the window through which I can’t see anything as it’s still dark. The food tastes as ‘good’ as the ‘quality’ sleep I got this night…
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The train arrives at Tangier train station at 7.30am as scheduled and I feel more tired than I felt before the journey. That was not the plan. The plan was to save some time, get a good night’s sleep on the train and arrive at the new destination ready to explore it. But not everything goes according to plan. How could I have known that I will struggle to sleep on the moving train and my brain will go crazy and keep me awake pretty much all night!? I guess that’s the beauty of travelling alone… you start having these conversations with yourself as you have no one else to ask the stupid, mainly rhetorical questions. I try not to let my tired, heavy head get in the way and I still spend the whole day discovering the best parts of Tangier.
Getting a train to Tangier is a perfect way of travelling, and I would take a night train again if I had no choice. Remember, this was just my personal experience and maybe you wouldn’t have any issues sleeping on the moving train.
After checking the train timetable on ONCF website (before Covid-19, when the trains were running normally), it seemed like there were more and shorter journeys of 5hrs20min throughout the day which werenโt available when I was travelling. I bought my ticket for 670dh at the train station in Marrakech (Gare de Marrakech) a few days before travelling.
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