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Day Trips

My 21 year old son and I are visiting Lisbon and Madrid for nine days in early Jan. We prefer touring interesting sites/buildings over museums, thus I am considering three different day trips. Any feedback on these would be greatly appreciated:

-Alcazar De Segovia: is it worth a day trip from Madrid? Can you take pubic transit there and back?

-Toledo: I have heard and read great things about Toledo. Can you visit in a day trip and does public transit take you there and back?

-SIntra: I have also heard and read great things about Sintra. Since we will make it a day trip, what are the best sites to list?

Lastly, if we do the above day trips, should we spend five nights in Madrid (and four in Lisbon) or vice versa?

Gracias!

Posted by
922 posts

Toledo is an easy day trip from Madrid. There are direct trains from Atocha station in Madrid to Toledo. The train ride is about 30 minutes and there's a short bus ride to Plaza Zodocover. From there, you can easily navigate the town. be sure to see the cathedral. Check the schedule at renfe.com for exact times and fares for your dates. Stay as late as you can to see the town at night.

Posted by
27120 posts

Toledo is one of my favorite places. You can see a lot in a day, but I spent three nights there so I could take my time. The tourist office sells a wristband that provides entry to 6 or 7 "secondary sights" that I really enjoyed. A short tour is included at most of those sights if you can time it right; be sure you have access to an electronic map to find your way quickly between sights if you want to catch the tours--it is challenging if you have only a paper map.

There are many lovely buildings to see in Toledo--many designed in mudejar style. I think you will really love the city, especially since you will not have time on this trip to go down to Andalucía. Get an early start and plan to stay the full day. It's hilly, and the historic area is quite large. Do buy your return train ticket on your way out of Madrid; Rick reports that the last train(s) back sometimes sell out. In a pinch, there is also bus service, but it takes longer and you will end up at a satellite bus station rather than Atocha.

Segovia can also be reached on a day-trip. I didn't go inside the Alcazar, but I'm sure it's a worthwhile visit. The aqueduct is unbelievably stunning. I spotted one or two old churches, but they had not been restored and one could not go inside them as of last year.

You can look up the train schedules on the Renfe website. Be sure to use the correct day of the week; that can matter.

One reason to spend a lot of time in Madrid is the three great art museums. If you have no interest in those and only want to make two day-trips out of the city, I think 4 days in Madrid and 5 in Lisbon would be fine--especially if you begin your trip in Lisbon. Day 1 is very often experienced in a jetlagged fog.

If you have extra time in Madrid, I thought the nearby university town of Alcala de Henares was very pretty. I don't know that it has any major monuments, though. There's also the Palacio Real in Madrid itself. A major sight for many travelers, but visiting it just confirmed that I do not like most palaces.

Posted by
38 posts

Toledo for sure. it has my favorite cathedral is Spain. Segovia is a must see as well, the aqueduct is magnificent. IMHO the Alcazar is wonderful, but only if you are a history buff. It is a restored version of the original but its very cool to imagine Isabel wandering around plotting her coronation!

Enjoy Madrid and its numerous sites! Don't miss the Prado...I could spend days there and still miss magnificent art.