Seville and Madrid: day trips

We travel independently - but make liberal use of guides - either private guides or minivan tours - for day trips and attractions that are of special interest to us. There is no wrong way to do it.

When I'm on vacation, my brain is a little bit on vacation too. I value the services of a good guide, especially one who drives me to the places I want to go. And drops me off at the hotel of my choice at the end of the day.

The historic centers of both Toledo and Córdoba are relatively small. With a little research you can get information on any of the places you want to visit, probably from the sight’s website. A guide can provide the same information and you don’t need to do any research, plus the guide will also probably know miscellaneous information you may not think about. A guide may also take you to places you have no interest in. My wife and I do the research so we are not on another’s schedule. Choices, choices.

For Toledo lesser known sights, try to visit the Mirador/overlook so you get the same “View of Toledo” as in El Greco’s painting. Then read the legends about El pozo amargo/the bitter well and el puente de San Martin/the bridge of San Martin. Both are still there and you may look at them with a different perspective. The bitter well is a couple blocks from the cathedral. It’s really a photo op and most people who pass it probably don’t know there’s a legend to it. To me, the bridge is impressive and provides a nice backdrop for photos depending on where you’re taking photos of it from. If you have an interest in the Spanish civil war, the Army museum at the alcazar is very nice. If you go into any of the stores, many have glass tiles in the floor that let you get a glimpse of the ruins underneath. There’s also the ruins of a Roman Circus many probably didn’t know was there. Much of it is a parking lot, but at the be end, there are still some ruins. It’s a couple blocks outside the Alfonso VI gate. Finally, if you can catch him at work, there is Mariano Zamorano sword shop. It makes high quality swords, not the tourist swords.

I traveled independently to Toledo (spending 3 nights there--I don't consider it small) and bought at the tourist office a combo entry to 6 or 7 secondary sights (not including the cathedral or the El Greco Museum). The entries could be spread over more than one day if you managed to keep the little bracelet on your wrist (which I did). Most if not all of those entries included a short bilingual tour. I had to make my own way between the sights, for which an electronic map (with "you are here" dot) was pretty essential because some of the tours were scheduled back-to-back. Toledo's street plan is not exactly a grid. Those sights were both interesting and attractive; some were Moorish-style. Rick mentioned this package deal in his book but seemed to think it was overkill. I'd do it again, but I am not sure one could take all the tours on the same day. It would depend on what other things one did in the city (I skipped the El Greco Museum) and how early a start you got. It might be necessary to select just a few of them, and I don't know whether individual entries entitle you to the tours.

I'm nearly certain the Cathedral has an audioguide you can rent. Your guidebook (it's essential to have one, and Rick's is excellent for a trip like yours) will explain how to see the famous view from outside the historic area. That's something I did not do.

Segovia is another good day-trip and I think its history is less complex than Toledo's. Guidebook info would be sufficient for most people in Segovia, I think.

If you wish, I can recommend excellent tour guides in both Madrid and Toledo.