I fly into CMN and have a choice to go directly to Fes or Marrakesh. Money aside, would it be better to get a connecting flight to Fes/Marrakesh or take the train?

Research shows that from Casa Voyageurs, Fes is about 4+ hours and Marrakehs is 3+ hours, plus the 30-45 mins from CMN to Casa Voyageurs . So total 5 or 4 hours respectively.

By air, it will be 1 hour, plus layover time (2 hrs?). I think both Fes/Marrakesh airports are pretty close to the center.

So how much time will I really save from flying? 3 hours for Fes and 2 hours for Marrakesh?

Trying to weight between time and convenience.

Taking the train is an experience. Flying is just another flight.

However, since you'll be visiting both cities, it seems to me not so much a question of saving time but variety. It would make sense to jump start your experience by flying to one city then taking the train to the other. For your purposes the train route is the same between Fes & Marrakech, Casa in the middle, so it would save you feeling like you were running back & forth (things seem to look different going the opposite direction, but not much).

http://www.seat61.com/Morocco.htm#Tr...20in%20Morocco

Two scenarios:

1. You land in CMN, grab your baggage, schlepp it to the train station, board the train, change trains with more schlepping, board another train, leave the train at your final destination and take a taxi or the riad's transfer service.

2. You land in CMN, your baggage is checked through to your final destination. You spend two hours in an aiport restaurant. You deplane, grab your baggage and take a taxi or the riad's transfer service.

For me, the answer would be clear.