Cordoba - Worth the expense?

It depends upon the broader context of your itinerary, but I would probably not pay $300 to go there--having visiting twice. You might be able to get a bus tour at a much lower price. That said, there is very much to do in Madrid and day trips from Madrid. Madrid might be the best city in all of Europe for day trips--El Escorial is a great one, too.

I wouldn't be willing to pay $300 for train fare to any city for just the day. Is that fare per person? It is so high as to be nearly unbelievable. What website did you use? What date or dates are you considering making the trip? I have a feeling we can find something for you that's quite a bit cheaper--though perhaps not if you're traveling during the peak holiday period.

Unfortunately, Cordoba is far enough from Madrid that it's really only a viable day-trip if you take one of the fast trains. A bus tour wouldn't be worth it, nor would a rental car.

Edited to add: If we come up empty on Cordoba, another good possibility is Cuenca. There are some decent fares available on the AVE for the days I spot-checked. I confess that I'm not sure how comfortable Cuenca would be in January. it sits up on a hill along a ravine and might be quite windy. There's a weather chart on the Wikipedia page I've linked.

Another possibility, on a local train line whose fares do not increase as the departure date approaches, is the pretty university town of Alcala de Henares.

You can check all the available Cordoba fares for your possible dates on the Renfe website.
I see from another thread that the $300 is for three tickets, not one. I still think you might be able to beat that. However, Cordoba is a 4-hour drive from Madrid, so you're dealing with a considerable distance, and a round-trip fare of $100 per person doesn't sound so crazy for that many miles.

It’s about a 370km journey to Cordoba from Madrid, so hardly an insignificant distance, and therefore a considerable fare.
You have many closer options to consider over Cordoba.

Where fare you looking for fares and schedules? I just checked Renee.com for mid -January roundtrip fares for a daytrip and it came in under or right at €100 per person.

Lola, the $300 was for 3 tickets; I found that information in another thread.

Lola, the $300 was for 3 tickets; I found that information in another thread.

That makes a lot more sense! $100 per person for that journey is not unreasonable, in fact, if it's a return fare I think it's quite a good price.

Cordoba is a great city, and the beautiful and unique Mesquita there is one of the great sites in Spain. However, I have never heard of anyone doing a day trip to Cordoba from Madrid. It is a great visit for a night or two, or as a day stop between Madrid and Sevilla, or as a day trip from Sevilla.

The Mesquita is worth it. Nothing else like it in the world, just like Mont St. Michel. Experiences are what count in life. Sometimes we just hold our breath, pay and don’t look back. You can skimp on two or three meals to make up the cost. And, cost is relative. How much did you pay to get to Spain, and for lodging?

It's a very long trip. But, I agree with Bets-the money is likely a very small part of your overall cost. And the Mezquita was a place I will remember forever. If you don't get there you have to do another trip, this time to Andalusia. Visit Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, the white towns. Not to be a buzz kill, but Madrid was our least favorite place in Spain. Not a bad place, and the Prado was a terrific museum,but there were so many memorable towns and sights in Spain it pales by comparison.

Thank you for all of the responses. I'll share them with my husband and we'll make a decision.

We are using Madrid as a base. We'll poke around on New Years Day, take a walking tour or two because so much will be closed, but then focus on day trips.

Might just go ahead with the purchase. Does anyone have any idea if train prices will remain stable?

What is your travel date? I'm concerned that you might be looking at RailEurope for fares, and that is not the right thing to do. I'd like to be sure that you've found the least-expensive tickets available.

Generally, fares go up as the less-expensive tickets are purchased by others. Once only full-fare tickets are left, I assume the price will not change, though the train could sell out. I have definitely seen train-full indications on the Renfe website.

I've looked for tickets on loco2.com, recommended by Man in Seat 61 and Renfe.com.

Although it's less common to travel from Madrid to Cordoba, people do it and it's definitely still in the running because of the Mesquite but also because of the Jewish history there. And while I can see myself visiting Mont St Michel someday to make up for backing out last year, I likely won't get back to Cordoba : )

@Alan, thank you for your honesty!

@ acraven, thank you for your suggestion of Alcala de Henares. It looks lovely!

I’d head to Salamanca or Burgos from Madrid before going all the way to Córdoba. Nothing wrong with Córdoba, but that’s a long way just to see the Mesquita. Acraven’s suggestion for Cuenca makes the most sense. It’s close to Madrid and very much worth a visit to see the hanging houses and gorge.

I loved Burgos, but it's about an 8-hour round-trip if you want to spend the whole day there (which you should do). In addition, it sits on a river and Rick mentions in his book that it is a very windy city. That was also my experience. I don't think January would be a good time to visit.

Salamanca could work, but it will be at least a 4-hour round-trip. The only decent morning departure is an Alvia, whose ticket prices do vary, so viability depends on your travel date. I don't know why, but I've checked several dates in Nov-Dec-Jan and am only seeing one return trip. It's a Media Distancia train (non-varying fares) that takes 2 hr. 47 minutes and doesn't leave Salamanca till 8:03 PM, arriving in Madrid at 10:50 PM. Late for me, but that's in time for dinner in Spain.

If you do make it to Cordoba here is a great Sephardic restaurant for lunch: http://casamazal.es/en/

Lots of wonderful day trips from Madrid ...
Avila
Segovia
Toledo
El Escorial
Aranjuez
Alcalá de Henares
Manzanares el Real
Chinchón
Guadalajara
Cuenca