Meknès and Volubilis from Fès in a day, with the suitcase left in Fès

Last day in Fès: the room goes back at noon and your train or bus leaves in the evening, or you simply have a free day before moving on. Meknès, Moulay Ismail's old capital, and the Roman ruins of Volubilis are within reach. The simplest plan: leave the suitcase in Fès, do the round trip light, and come back for it. There's one constraint to know: BoxSpot's Fès point opens at noon and closes at 10pm.

The idea: the suitcase stays in Fès

Fès is the natural base: it's where you sleep, and often where you leave from. The BoxSpot point is the Barber Shop Alami, a barber's in the ville nouvelle, the same part of town as Fès train station. A petit taxi links the two; for the exact address, follow the directions in your booking. At drop-off the barber scans your QR code and photographs your bags with the time; when you come back, they're only handed over against that same QR code.

To be honest about the limits:

• Early start: no drop-off before noon. If you want the 8am train, ask your riad to keep the suitcase until you're back instead.
• Late return: collection is at 10pm at the latest. Make sure a train gets you back to Fès with time to spare.
• Not coming back through Fès: if you carry on from Meknès to Rabat or Tangier, don't leave the suitcase in Fès. There's no BoxSpot point in Meknès at the moment, so keep it with you.

Fès to Meknès by train

The ONCF train takes about 35 to 40 minutes, with departures spread through the day. Buy tickets at the counter or on oncf-voyages.ma, which has the day's timetable: don't rely on times you read elsewhere. Meknès has two stations, so check which one is on your ticket. From either, a petit taxi gets you to Place El Hedim and Bab Mansour in a few minutes.

From Meknès to Volubilis: the grand taxi

Volubilis is around 30 km north of Meknès, near the holy town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. No train goes there. Two ways to get there:

• Shared grand taxi to Moulay Idriss: it leaves when it's full, from a grand taxi station in Meknès (ask a petit taxi to take you). From Moulay Idriss it's about 3 km to the site, on foot or for a negotiated fare.
• Private grand taxi, return trip with waiting time: easier when the day is tight. Agree the price, the waiting time at the site and any stop in Moulay Idriss before you set off.

Late in the afternoon, taxis can be scarce outside the site, which is a good reason to have a private one waiting. You can also negotiate a grand taxi for the day directly from Fès.

Volubilis: what to know before you go

The Roman site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spreads across a plateau facing the olive groves: the triumphal arch known as the Arch of Caracalla, the basilica, and houses whose mosaics are still in place. Allow an hour and a half to two hours.

• Little shade: water, a hat and closed shoes, even in autumn.
• Hours and tickets: it closes in the late afternoon, later in summer. Published hours and entry prices vary between sources, so check on site.
• Works: a redevelopment of the site's visitor facilities has been announced, so access may change.

A realistic day starting at noon

1. Noon: drop the suitcase at the Fès point in the ville nouvelle.
2. Early afternoon: train to Meknès (take the first one after your drop-off, from the day's timetable).
3. On arrival: grand taxi to Volubilis, half an hour to three quarters of an hour on the road depending on the route.
4. Mid-afternoon: visit Volubilis, then stop in Moulay Idriss if time allows.
5. Late afternoon: back to Meknès for Bab Mansour and Place El Hedim.
6. Evening: train back to Fès, then collect the suitcase before 10pm.

It's a full day, and Meknès only gets a glimpse. For the whole imperial city, our guide to Meknès without luggage covers the sights; choose between the two, or plan two days.

Three situations, three prices

Check-out at noon, night train from Fès

Drop off around 12:15pm, collect around 8:30pm: more than 7 hours, so the day price applies. 59 MAD for one bag. If you're leaving from Fès station, our article on luggage storage near Fès station helps you plan the end of the day.

Two people, two suitcases

Same day, two suitcases: 59 + 49 = 108 MAD, or 54 MAD each.

One night in Meknès, back through Fès

You sleep in Meknès with a small bag and leave the big suitcase in Fès. Drop off on day one at 12:30pm, collect the next day between noon and 10pm: 59 + 39 = 98 MAD for one bag.

Payment is online, by card, in dirhams. To see the point on the map, go to the Fès luggage storage page. Travelling on elsewhere? BoxSpot points in other cities are on the luggage storage map.