3 nights near Madrid

Take a look at Burgos. The cathedral and La Cartuja are worth the visit.

https://www.google.com/travel/flights/booking?tfs=CBwQAhpKEgoyMDI1LTA1LTIyIiAKA01BRBIKMjAyNS0wNS0yMhoDQlVEKgJGUjIENjcxM2oMCAMSCC9tLzA1Nl95cgwIAhIIL20vMDk1d19AAUgBcAGCAQsI____________AZgBAg&tfu=CmxDalJJUkdaZlIyWjBWMnd5YUVGQlRrOXFTRkZDUnkwdExTMHRMUzB0TFhkbVpuQXhPRUZCUVVGQlIyVlBUR04zVFU5aVkwbEJFZ1pHVWpZM01UTWFDd2lCMVFFUUFCb0RTRlZHT0J4d2x6VT0SAggAIgA

Cordoba might work

In addition to Burgos, León or Zamora are nice. Closer to Madrid is Alcalá de Henares. It’s about 30 minutes from the airport.

Salamanca is nice while Ávila only takes a few hours to see. Without transportation, one would probably get bored with Ávila. It’s good for an overnight at most.

I agree with dlindstrom that La Cartuja, a few walkable kilometers from the center of Burgos, is worth visiting.

Zaragoza is nice, they have the cathedral, a Moorish palace, several museums, including a Goya museum, some Roman sights, but mainly just a very relaxed city. While many pass through Zaragoza, few stay, so it does not feel like a "tourist town". The weather will be warm and dry in June, better than the South, not as hot. The fast trains make it seem a lot closer to Madrid than it is.

Off the main foreign tourist track is the beautiful tiny town of Pedraza and the slightly larger town of Sepulveda.

We spent 2 nights in Pedraza and loved it; it's famous for suckling lamb but restaurants serve other things as well.

From Sepulveda you can visit the national park and see the giant vultures.....there is a lovely inexpensive hotel near the main plaza.

https://www.spain.info/en/nature/hoces-rio-duraton-natural-park/

I can offer more ideas if you let us know if you will rent a car, and how much you want to spend on a hotel.

Burgos is a lovely small city.
Segovia is lovely.
And yes, Cordoba is easy to reach and would be wonderful for a few days, and very different from Madrid. I spent 5 days last year, but it will be very, very hot in June.

There are other places accessible by car.

Wow. I go to sleep and wake up to so many good suggestions!

dlindstrom, I DID have Burgos on my list of places to visit, but had somehow thought it was further (timewise) than it is upon a second look.

geovagriffith, I agree Cordoba is lovely (and the sort of place I would be looking for) but I have been twice and would like to try somewhere I haven’t been. Plus a little on the hot side in June.

Ok, jamielsabio, I have now noted León and Zamora. I knew you would have good suggestions. And I am going to assume you have probably stayed in Alcalá de Henares before a flight? But probably with a car? If there’s a good way to the airport, I would much rather stay somewhere like that the night before a flight home.

Paul, that reinforces my thoughts about Zaragoza. I had thought I would include it in next year’s trip - but then wondered about this few days. So it is definitely on the “to be visited” list.

ekscrunchy, now Pedraza and Sepulvida are new names for me! This time isn't a typical “visit Spain” trip and I won’t have a car. But I most likely will in 2026. That trip list is getting longer…… So once my brain gets focused on that trip, I may message you!

Mr. É, I can’t end EVERY trip in Budapest. Well, I could, but then I might have to buy an apartment.

We spent two nights in Alcalá de Henares in 2022 and yes, we did have a rental car. Somebody more knowledgeable will know more about public transportation. Maybe acraven will chime in since she uses public transportation and has been there.

Thanks, Jaime. I am going to take a look.

I think Zaragoza has the most to offer, lots of history on display between the Aljafería Palace, the various preserved Roman structures of Caesaraugusta, and the Basilica del Pilar, plus very convenient connection to Madrid via the AVE. I always try to stay at Hotel NH Ciudad de Zaragoza when I'm there, perfect location next to the Plaza del Pilar and recently renovated Mercado Central de Zaragoza.

3 nights is the perfect amount of time for Zaragoza, plus you can consider a day trip to Olite or Tarazona.

Thanks, Carlos! And good to hear from you!

There are very frequent trains to Alcala de Henares, which is on the C2 Cercanias line. I don't know whether it's easy to get to places other than Madrid, should uou want to do that.

I'd caution you that Zaragoza can be very hot in June, even if it's not quite as bad as points south.

Zaragoza weather -- June 2022

June 2023 and 2024 weren't quite as hot as 2022.

I've also spent multiple nights in Salamanca and Burgos and enjoyed both.

About my trip that included Pedraza:

https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/pedraza-de-la-sierra-with-notes-on-toledo-caceres-jarandilla-la-vera-and-segovia-618323/

acraven, heat is definitely a consideration. Thank you for the reminder - I hadn’t gotten around to checking that yet. I may need to save Zaragoza for October, 2026. (And no, Madrid isn’t on the agenda for this part of the trip.)

ekscrunchy, thanks for the link. I am off to read!