If you are visiting Kenitra — whether for its bustling university campuses, the Atlantic Free Zone automotive hub, or world-class Atlantic surfing at Mehdia Beach — Rabat-Salé Airport (RBA) is your closest gateway. Located just 35 kilometres south in Salé, RBA sits immediately alongside the northern highway bypass. You can touch down, clear the compact terminal in minutes, and be on the northbound A1 motorway heading towards Kenitra without ever getting stuck in central Rabat traffic.
Compare your options
| Your options | Price from | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Direct private transfer Recommended 30 min | €30 · 320 MAD | Surfers, business travellers, and direct door-to-door ease |
| Airport grand taxi 35 min | €25 · 270 MAD | Travellers wanting immediate car transport without booking |
| Train via Salé-Tabriquet 55 min | €5 · 50 MAD | Budget travellers heading to central Kenitra |
How to get there
The easiest, most comfortable way to make the 35 km trip is a direct private transfer, starting from €30 (≈325 MAD). Your driver meets you inside the arrivals hall, loads your bags (including surfboards if pre-arranged), and delivers you directly to your hotel, university residence, or beachfront apartment in Mehdia in approximately 30 minutes. An airport grand taxi costs roughly 250–350 MAD (negotiated at the official rank).
If you prefer public rail, take a taxi or bus to Salé-Tabriquet train station (10 min from RBA) or Gare Rabat-Ville, and board a fast ONCF train to Kenitra station (15–25 minutes ride, tickets from 20–30 MAD).
Arrival tips
Kenitra is spread across several distinct sectors. If you are travelling for business, specify whether your meetings are in the central downtown commercial district or the Atlantic Free Zone (AFZ industrial park) on the northern outskirts. If you are here for a seaside holiday or surf camp, the destination is Mehdia Plage (10 km west of Kenitra centre), famous for its consistent Atlantic swell, beach clubs, and the 17th-century Kasbah of Mehdia overlooking the Sebou river mouth.
Plan your arrival
- Identify your Kenitra destination: city centre, Atlantic Free Zone, or Mehdia surf beach.
- Clear customs and retrieve baggage in the rapid RBA arrivals hall.
- For private transfers, meet your driver holding your name card in arrivals and head directly north on the A1 motorway.
- If taking the train, take a short 10-minute taxi to Salé-Tabriquet station and board the next northbound ONCF train to Kenitra.
- Arrive in Kenitra or Mehdia Beach in roughly 30 to 45 minutes door-to-door.
Travelling into downtown Rabat first to catch a train to Kenitra. Salé-Tabriquet station is located much closer to the airport (just across the runway area in Salé) and all northbound trains to Kenitra stop there, saving you 25 minutes of backtracking.
Heading to Mehdia for surfing? Bring or rent your gear locally, but book a private minivan transfer directly from RBA so your surfboards fit comfortably without awkward rooftop negotiations on local taxis.
Good to know: Rabat-Salé is the closest commercial airport to Kenitra; a direct transfer gets you there in half an hour.
