Brussels is the most widely served departure point in the whole Benelux for Marrakech. Four carriers operate the route from Brussels Airport, and a fifth service leaves from Charleroi. That is more than Amsterdam Schiphol, where a single carrier holds the route, and it explains why travellers from the south of the Netherlands often take Brussels seriously.
In short: what you need to know
- Four carriers from Brussels Airport: Ryanair, Royal Air Maroc, Transavia and TUI fly Belgium.
- One from Charleroi: Ryanair. Two separate airports, more than fifty kilometres apart.
- The widest choice in the Benelux for Marrakech, ahead of Amsterdam and Eindhoven.
- Flight time: roughly three and a half hours.
- One of the four carriers is not European, which changes your rights on the return out of Morocco.
- Time difference: Morocco keeps GMT all year, so one hour earlier in winter and two in summer.
- No visa for stays of up to ninety days on a Belgian or Dutch passport, but a passport is mandatory.
The four carriers from Brussels Airport
This density is rare on a Moroccan route out of the Benelux. It brings two concrete benefits: pricing pressure between operators, and a genuine fallback if your service is cancelled. On most other routes one carrier holds the line, so a cancellation ties you to that same carrier’s next departure.
| Carrier | Type | European? | Baggage model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transavia | Scheduled, Air France-KLM group | Yes | Cabin baggage included, checked added |
| Ryanair | Low cost | Yes | Everything beyond the seat charged |
| Royal Air Maroc | Moroccan national carrier | No | Wider standard conditions |
| TUI fly Belgium | Leisure carrier | Yes | Package conditions |
Brussels Airport or Charleroi?
This is the confusion that most often costs travellers money. Brussels Airport (BRU) is at Zaventem, north-east of the city, with a railway station beneath the terminal. Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) lies more than fifty kilometres further south and has no station of its own: you reach it by shuttle from Brussels, or by train to Charleroi and then a city bus.
Both are sometimes labelled simply Brussels in booking systems. Always check the airport code on your confirmation before you arrange your journey to it. For Charleroi, allow more time than the distance suggests, especially for an early morning departure.
| Brussels Airport (BRU) | Charleroi (CRL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Carriers to Marrakech | 4 | 1 |
| Railway station at the airport | Yes, beneath the terminal | No |
| Fallback if cancelled | Yes, three other carriers | No |
| Other Moroccan destinations | 9 | 8, including Essaouira |
One detail is worth remembering: Charleroi is the only departure point in the whole Benelux with a direct route to Essaouira. For that destination the choice does not arise. The full Belgian network, airport by airport, is in flights from Belgium to Morocco.
European or Moroccan carrier: what changes
On this route the distinction is particularly relevant, since three of the four operators are European and one is not. European passenger rights in cases of delay, cancellation and denied boarding always apply to a service departing the European Union, whichever carrier operates it. On the return out of Marrakech they apply only if the carrier is European.
In practice: book outbound and return with Transavia, Ryanair or TUI fly Belgium and you are covered both ways. Book the return with Royal Air Maroc and the carrier’s own conditions apply on that service in principle. That is not a reason to avoid it — its standard conditions are wider than those of the low-cost operators — but it is a choice to make knowingly. The remedies are in flight delay and cancellation rights in Morocco, and the baggage detail in our article on the EU cabin bag rules on flights to Morocco.
Direct or with a connection?
With four direct operators from Brussels Airport a connection is rarely necessary, and that is precisely this airport’s value. Two situations still bring one into play: fixed dates when all four carriers are full, or travelling on to a Moroccan destination with no Belgian service.
| Option | Advantage | Drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Direct from Brussels Airport | Four carriers, real fallback | None |
| Direct from Charleroi | Often the keenest fare | One operator, no station at the airport |
| Connecting in Casablanca | Opens the destinations with no Belgian route | Longer journey; a missed connection costs a day |
| Two separate tickets | Sometimes the cheapest combination on paper | No protection at all if you miss the connection |
That last line matters most. With two separate tickets bought one after the other, the second carrier is not liable when a delay on the first makes you miss the connection; on a single through ticket it is. On a route with four direct operators, assembling separate flights yourself almost never pays.
Flight time and time difference
Allow roughly three and a half hours in the air. Brussels sits slightly further south than Amsterdam, so the trip is marginally shorter than from Schiphol.
Morocco keeps GMT all year, while Belgium and the Netherlands are on UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer. It is therefore one hour earlier in Marrakech in winter and two hours in summer. A morning departure gives you a full first day; on the way back the flight looks longer than it is, which matters for a tight connection or an appointment on the day you land.
Arriving at Marrakech Menara
Menara handled over nine million passengers in 2024 and is, after Casablanca, the second largest airport in Morocco, with two terminals. You find a full set of facilities there: several baggage belts, car hire desks, cash machines and an organised taxi rank.
Passport control is the longest wait of the trip at peak hours. A growing number of Moroccan airports have automated gates, covered in our article on the biometric e-gates at Moroccan airports; anyone wanting to shorten the wait will find the options in our guide to fast track at Moroccan airports.
We describe the airport in full on our page covering Marrakech Menara airport, with current departures and arrivals and the food outlets in Marrakech airport restaurants.
From the airport into the city
Menara is close to Marrakech, which sets the city apart from many destinations: the run into the centre is short. You have three options.
- Taxi — quickest. Agree the fare before you get in or ask for the meter. That is the single most important rule for a first visit.
- City bus — cheapest, with a stop at the terminal. Less practical with heavy luggage.
- Pre-booked transfer — the most predictable option for a late arrival or with children.
The detail is in our guide to Marrakech airport to the city centre, with the provider comparison in our Morocco airport transfers comparison.
What else Brussels offers for Morocco
Marrakech is the best-known destination, but Brussels Airport serves nine Moroccan airports. That is more than Amsterdam Schiphol, and it is relevant if you are considering a different shape of trip: a flight to Tangier or Fez opens a very different Morocco from Marrakech.
| Destination from Brussels | Carriers | What for |
|---|---|---|
| Marrakech Menara | 4 | Medina, souks, Atlas and desert trips |
| Tangier Ibn Battouta | 4 | The north, Chefchaouen and the coast |
| Nador Al Aroui | 4 | The east and the Rif |
| Oujda-Angads | 4 | The far east |
| Rabat-Sale | 3 | The capital, quieter than Marrakech |
| Fez-Saiss | 2 | The oldest medina in the country |
| Al Hoceima | 2 | The central Rif and its coast |
| Agadir Al Massira | 1 | Beach, surf and the Souss valley |
| Casablanca Mohammed V | 1 | Business and domestic connections |
Four destinations have four carriers: Marrakech, Tangier, Nador and Oujda. That is a density you will not find at any Dutch airport, and the explanation lies partly with the Moroccan community in Belgium and partly with the home bases of TUI fly Belgium and Brussels Airlines.
First time in Marrakech
- Understanding the old city — the medina of Marrakech explains how the souks are laid out.
- Where to sleep — the trade-off between medina, Gueliz and Palmeraie in where to stay in Marrakech.
- Money on the ground — in money and payment in Marrakech.
- Getting around the country — in our Morocco transport guide.
- When to go — month by month in the best time to visit Morocco.
Entry rules: what you must carry
A passport is mandatory for Morocco. A Belgian or Dutch identity card is not accepted, since the country sits outside the European Union and outside the Schengen area. No visa is required for stays of up to ninety days.
Two points still regularly surprise travellers. The paper landing card filled in on board for years was abolished on 16 September 2019; officers may still ask verbally where you are staying, so keep your hotel or riad address to hand. And the dirham is a closed currency: you may carry no more than 2,000 MAD in banknotes in or out, so buying dirhams before departure serves no purpose. The detail is in our guide to Morocco visa and entry requirements and in what you can bring into Morocco.
Official sources
- The airports — the Moroccan airports authority publishes operational information per airport at onda.ma.
- Entry rules — Belgian government travel advice is published at diplomatie.belgium.be.
- Your flight — the carrier remains the only reliable source for its current programme and baggage conditions.
Four mistakes to avoid
- Confusing Brussels and Charleroi. Two airports more than fifty kilometres apart, sometimes under the same city name in booking systems.
- Not checking the nationality of your return carrier. With a non-European operator, European rights do not apply on that service in principle.
- Forgetting the time difference. Morocco is behind, so the return looks longer than the outbound.
- Travelling on an identity card. A passport is mandatory for Morocco.
FAQ — From Brussels to Marrakech
Which carriers fly from Brussels to Marrakech?
Four from Brussels Airport: Ryanair, Royal Air Maroc, Transavia and TUI fly Belgium. From Charleroi, Ryanair. That is the widest choice in the Benelux for Marrakech.
Is Brussels better than Amsterdam for Marrakech?
In terms of choice, yes: four carriers against one at Schiphol. Whether it is cheaper or faster depends on where you live and on the date.
How long is the Brussels to Marrakech flight?
Roughly three and a half hours, marginally less than from Amsterdam since Brussels lies further south.
What is the difference between Brussels Airport and Charleroi?
Brussels Airport has four carriers to Marrakech and a railway station beneath the terminal. Charleroi has one and no station of its own, but it is the only Benelux route to Essaouira.
Do my European rights apply on the return from Marrakech?
With Transavia, Ryanair and TUI fly Belgium, yes. With Royal Air Maroc the carrier’s own conditions apply on that service in principle, since it is not a European carrier.
Can I fly from Brussels to Essaouira?
Not from Brussels Airport. Within the whole Benelux, Essaouira is reachable directly only from Charleroi with Ryanair. From Marrakech, allow around two and a half hours by road.
Should I book early for Marrakech?
Marrakech is a leisure destination, with peaks in the school holidays and around public holidays. Because Brussels has four operators, comparing carriers on the same date works better here than shifting your dates, unlike routes where one carrier holds the line.
Getting to the two Brussels airports
For travellers coming from the Netherlands this is where the sums are made, because the two airports are reached in completely different ways.
- Brussels Airport has a railway station beneath the terminal, linked to central Brussels and to Antwerp. Coming from the Netherlands you take an international train to Brussels and change there for the airport train.
- Brussels South Charleroi has no station at the airport. You reach it by shuttle from Brussels, or by train to Charleroi and then a city bus. Allow more time than the kilometres suggest, particularly for an early departure.
- If you drive, count the parking for the whole stay in your comparison. Over a week it can absorb the price gap between two airports entirely.
Which Brussels airport is easier to reach?
Brussels Airport, thanks to the station beneath the terminal. Charleroi has no station of its own, so the final leg is a shuttle or a bus, which adds time that the distance on a map does not show.
Are there domestic connections onward from Marrakech?
Yes. Marrakech is linked by Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca and to Laayoune, which opens the southern domestic network. Ryanair also operates Marrakech to Errachidia and to Beni Mellal. These routes have few frequencies, so allow wider margins than in Europe when connecting.
Which Moroccan airports have no Belgian service at all?
Five: Ouarzazate, Errachidia, Laayoune, Dakhla and Beni Mellal. For the first four the route runs through Casablanca on a Royal Air Maroc domestic leg; Beni Mellal is reached by road from Casablanca or Marrakech.
In summary
Brussels offers the widest choice in the Benelux for Marrakech, with four carriers at one airport and therefore genuine pricing pressure and a genuine fallback. Two cautions: do not confuse Brussels Airport with Charleroi, and choose knowingly which carrier operates your return. The Dutch alternative, with one operator from Schiphol, is described in flights from the Netherlands to Morocco.
Image credits
Images: featured image « CN-RGF – Boeing 737-86N – Royal Air Maroc » — Dylan Agbagni (CC0) ; « Marrakesh Menara Airport New Terminal » — Max221B (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
