Casablanca or Rabat?

We will be in Casablanca for a long day - 9 am until 11pm. It looks like Casablanca is not as interesting as other Moroccan cities.

We were thinking of Rabat - seems not too far away and doable as a day trip by train or bus. Is it worth the trouble? I am interested in the souk (Medina) although I am not a great shopper.

It is possible also to take the NCL tour to Marrakech but that seems like a very long journey. And a bit pricey.

Hearing about your experience would be valuable.

We did Rabat on our own from the ship several years ago and had a great day. As I remember the train station was right outside the port terminal. We had the shuttle port bus drop us off there. As some of the other passengers saw us getting off they joined us. The trains were frequent and inexpensive but it was a bit of an issue getting the local currency to pay for the ticket. I think we finally just bought the ticket at the tobacco shop.

Once in Rabat we went to the palace, the mausoleum of the king and the kasbah. All quite walkable though there were cabs. Beautiful setting, really enjoyed it. Print up a map and do a little research including Rabat wikitravel. .Worth it

did Rabat a few days ago from cruise ship 4of us in a taxi to the capitla $50 each - an hours drive excellent roads had guided tour - va ried the trip back - along the coast for a bit .Biggest waves Ive ever seen . PEOPLE WERE SO NICE!! Friends who took the train - cost less but did not see half of what we did. Its a big city.

Thanks so much, both of you! Rabat does seem a better bet than Casablanca. Did you eat lunch somewhere in Rabat? Any suggestions?

And happy new year to all.

No meals - had a big breakfast but i am sure the cab driver would have had a relative with a resturant !!! Good thing about the cab drive was he always asker every few hours if we needed a potty stop.