day trips from Madrid

One day trip to Toledo and another day trip to Segovia. There’s a lot to see in each of them, maybe too much for a day trip. One option to consider is to stay overnight in a somewhat affordable hotel without moving out of your Madrid hotel so you can spend most of the day and the evening in them.

I would not attempt Segovia on a day trip. If I recall it took 2 hours each way. From main train station find a side station with trains to another station. Then train to Segovia but actually the station is in the middle of nowhere. You need to take a bus into town.

The aqueduct is impressive and free to see. Much of the city is up a hill though and it can take a while walking around.

Toledo is a 40 minute train trip from Atocha station. The train station in Toledo is
a bit away from the city, but there are buses that take you up the hill right to the
main square. Alternatively, you can walk towards the town, and when you get to
the roundabout after crossing the river, turn left and take the escalators up.

Segovia is doable either by train or bus but both come with caveats. As noted,
the Segovia train station is a bit away from town and you need to take a local
bus upon arrival. Buses leave Madrid from Moncloa station, not Atocha, but
the Segovia bus station is very centrally located. Bus (Avanza Bus) takes
about 1:15 vs 30 minutes for the train (but this does not account for the extra
bus in Segovia or getting to Moncloa in Madrid).

The strategy of a cheap one-night hotel can work here as the spartan but functional
Hotel Corregidor is right across the street from the bus station in Segovia.

Suggestion: on your second-to-last day in Madrid, go to Toledo or Segovia.

Then go from Segovia to Chamartin (or Toledo to Atocha) and xfer to a Cercanias train
to the airport for return flight the next day. Or on your first day, go directly to Toledo
or Segovia, then come back to Madrid. I guess it all depends on how early your
flight is...

I disagree about Segovia. Perfectly reasonable as a day trip. Train or highway bus options. I have done this quite comfortably as have many others. (Cross-post with above that has much more detail!)

Not a criticism of above post # 2- just a difference of opinion.

Another place to consider for a half-day trip - El Escorial. There are lots of guided day trips if you want someone else to take on the transport.

Not yet mentioned are Alcalá de Henares or Chinchón. Alcalá de Henares is easy to get to. Some people will also go to Ávila then onto Salamanca, but Salamanca really deserves a full day. Ávila is good for a couple hours.

I’ve always had a rental car so cannot speak to using public transportation to get to most of the places I mentioned.

There are frequent (and cheap) commuter trains to Alcala de Henares.

Chinchon is reached by bus. I don't remember how long that takes, but Chinchon isn't terribly large, so it's not as if you need to spend 8 hours there.

Cuenca (though worth an overnight stay, as most of the places already mentioned are) can be a day trip if you spring for a ticket on one of the fast trains, which take about an hour each way. Cuenca is on the way to Valencia. Tickets on the fast trains are likely to be quite pricey if not bought well in advance, so Cuenca may not be ideal as a last-minute side trip.

I agree with the writer that Segovia is a fine day trip during which time there is likely a tour that can be arranged that will enhance the time.

But could someone tell me what to plan to do in Toledo if it will only be a day trip -- should we try to book a tour there? Has anyone been to Chinchón? Possible day trip?

I've been to Chinchon. It's cute but not terribly large. It would be a lower priority for me than Toledo, Segovia, Cuenca, Alcala de Henares and (if not for the lengthy travel time) Salamanca. I haven't been to El Escorial and am not a fan of Avila except for people with cars who will be passing near it. To me, the decision regarding Chinchon comes down to what else you've already seen and whether you feel you've gotten the best out of Madrid.

Oh--another great day trip (though deathly hot in the summer): Zaragoza. Yet another place worth spending a night or two or probably even three, but you could accomplish a good bit on a day trip. Aside from being 75 minutes from Madrid (not ideal), it has the additional disadvantage of an inconveniently-located train station, but there are frequent buses into the center of town.

I took two day trips from Madrid and thoroughly enjoyed them both. My favorite of the two was Segovia but I don't think you could go wrong with either one.

Acraven, interesting comment about Zaragoza, which seems to be mostly a waypoint in most guide books. It's now on my list of places to learn more about-thanks!

Zaragoza is a fine destination. But believe me, it can be beastly hot in the summer. I hope to return at some point at a more pleasant time of year.

I did El Escorial on my own taking the bus from Moncloa bus station in Madrid. Fairly straightforward to navigate as someone with mediocre high school Spanish.

The best part was that El Escorial was not busy at all - it was a Thursday morning if I recall correctly and there were maybe 25 people there.

We spent a night in Chinchón to get over jet lag a couple years ago. It is small. The main plaza is the primary draw. We also walked up to the clock tower and church overlook. Although we couldn’t go into it, we also walked by the castle. I agree that the town is a lesser sight and not as high on the list as Toledo or Segovia.

To me, the only site in San Lorenzo de El Escorial is the Royal Monastery with the tombs of the kings and queens. I don’t recall anything else worth seeing there. The last time we were there we combined it with Cuelgamuros Valley, formerly the Valley of the Fallen.

Zaragoza is a nice city and I feel is worthy of more than just a day trip. Cuenca is also worth an overnight.