Jerez as overnight or day trip from Seville?

There is no direct train from Jerez to Madrid. So if you stay overnight in Jerez, you'll still need to go back to Sevilla and then change for a train to Madrid.

If you stayed overnight in Jerez, you could fly back to Madrid rather than taking the train to Sevilla, etc. The Jerez airport isn’t very far outside of the town.

With only a possible overnight in Jerez, I wouldn’t try to fit in Cádiz too.

Jerez is best as a day trip from Seville. The horse show is fabulous! Better than the Lippanzers in Vienna in my opinion as it includes carriages too. Sandeman Sherry bodega is right next door and have tours coordinated with the conclusion of the horse show.
Book your train tickets early as it is a really busy route and books out days or weeks in advance. Instead of looking at just Seville Santa Justa train station, search trains from Seville San Bernardo station which has more departures. It’s also easier to reach as it at the end of the tram line from the center. Cheers.

We went for the horse show, with car as a daytrip from Seville. We weren't that impressed with the rest of Jerez, although we did not plan a Sherry Crawl. We (with car also) enjoyed Carmona and Italica from Seville with a car. Car was parked for money in an elaborate underground municipal garage. We only rented the car just before our drive to Granada via three nights in Ronda. Car not used inside Seville.)

I would never say my way of travel -- in the case of Jerez, spending three or four nights there (Dec. 2029) -- is for everyone, but then, neither would I say that a day trip is necessarily the best way (as asserted farther above) to see Jerez. Yes, for those who just want to see the city's principal tourist things -- a horse show, a bodega tour -- a day trip may suffice. But a mere day trip would never have worked for me -- on a mere day trip I would not have been able to wander into those humble tabancos (sherry bars) in the evenings and witness small but enthusiastic flamenco performances, nor would I have had the opportunity to get delightfully lost, or at least try to, in the city's old historic center.

Of course, seeing Jerez in a day trip will be better than not seeing it at all.

Hey Fffffaedus, the OP question ASKED for an opinion if Jerez should be a day trip or overnight based on their circumstances of an early return to Madrid the following day. They aren’t working with the luxury of slowly rambling the countryside staying three or four nights in Jerez as you.

You want to call me out for asserting my opinion? Well then, Okay, I said it. Jerez should be a day trip from Seville for only a one nighter especially if a return to Madrid is needed early the next day. Shoot me. Next time I’ll give the OP several different scenarios, possibilities, improbabilities, coincidental storylines in order to further confuse their indecisiveness to which they’ve reach out to the forum for help reaching a decision on.

Thank you everyone for your advice on how to best see Jerez for a day. All advice was very helpful. We have decided to make it a day trip, extending our hotel room in Sevilla for one more night. Being a horse person, I hate to miss the show if I am so close. Also, bodega tours do sound interesting. We hope to return sometime soon and spend time taking in Cadiz and more of Jerez.

Our last challenge is getting those roundtrip train tickets for the one day - I sure hope the schedules open up soon on Trainline. We'll also be checking other Sevilla stations as suggested.

Muchas gracias a todos !

@Ttttthenosbigs: I see someone didn't read my response very carefully before blowing up over it. I did not recommend rambling around the countryside; and I acknowledged the value of a day trip if that happened to be all that was feasible, while hinting at the merits of a longer stay where one is possible. (And no, you don't have to ramble the countryside to visit the tabancos I suggested; just stroll into the central part of the city!) Sorry you had to endure an alternative opinion, but that happens a lot on forums like this.