Talavera De La Reina

I hoped to get tomTalavera de la Reina, but it didn't work out. I think you'll find that the only rational bus route runs from Madrid rather than Toledo or Salamanca.

Be sure to allow enough time for Toledo itself. There's lots to see there, and a large historic area to wander around in. And it's hilly.

I haven't done any stopovers, but I think you'll need separate tickets for Madrid-Avila and Avila-Salamanca. If you travel by train, I think you can get both tickets in Madrid. If you take the bus, you may have to wait till you get to Avila to buy the ticket to Salamanca. I've had to do that even when I was making a day-trip--no way to buy a round-trip ticket for the route I wanted.

At smaller stations (which might include Avila), the ticket window may open only 15-20 minutes before the bus is scheduled to depart.

Thank you for the info.
I haven't been able to find many reviews on Talavera de la Reina especially without a car.
The info about the stop to Avila is helpful.
It seems all roads seem to go back and forth through Madrid.

Indeed. It's a bit like the old joke about the Atlanta airport.

The trains seem to be very hub-and spoke, which doesn't work terribly well for a tourist wanting to visit a bunch of smaller cities. And it runs up your transportation cost, as well.

Every now and then the availability of a bus route surprises you: Almagro to Badajoz, Caceres to Salamanca. But sometimes the schedules are vile (from the tourist perspective) beyond belief. On weekdays the first Salamanca-to-Avila bus departs at 6:15 AM. "Just wait for the next one" you say. Well, the second bus leaves seven hours later, at 1:15 PM, not a great time to start a day-trip. In this case Renfe saves the day: There's a train departing at 7:37 AM and another at 9:45 AM.

Incidentally, the buses are sometimes pretty full (not just to and from Toledo), so if you absolutely have to make a particular departure, try to buy your ticket ahead of time. Although I haven't been on a totally full bus so far, I've twice been sold seat number forty-something, and I think there were only about 52 seats on those buses.

The majority of Spanish train tickets are sold for reserved dates and times, so you should buy them separately for each destination where you'll spend any time. There are some Regional trains that aren't reserved, but your route is mostly served by reserved Interregional trains.

I went to Talavera five years ago and stayed two nights. I personally think you should add more time on to Toledo (or Salamanca) instead. No offense to TdlR, but there is way more to see and do in Toledo, and it is a lot more picturesque. I arrived to TdlR via train from Sevilla and then took the bus to Toledo. Toledo is awesome- I love it- esp. at night when all the day trippers have gone back to Madrid. If you have extra time you could also consider Segovia. I only made a brief stop in Avila to see the walls, so I can't give much advice there.

I think we will skip Talavera De La Reina and maybe add a night to Toledo or Salamanca.
Right now have 2 nights in Toledo and 2 in Salamanca.
Not sure which to add the 3rd night to and also any thoughts on which city is better on the weekend?
Like architecture, walking, arts, food. One church will probably be enough.

I have been to Segovia in the past so was thinking maybe a stop in Avila.
For those who stopped in Avila how did you do it?

I liked both Toledo and Salamanca but found I needed more time in Toledo. There are more sights in Toledo. I think both cities are more crowded on weekends (and hotel rates seem to be jacked up), but I'd say the atmosphere in Toledo takes a bigger hit, so I'd relegate Salamanca to the weekend if I had to choose. Be aware that, although it is normally open every day--though with shorter hours on Sunday--the University of Salamanca sometimes closes for special events. It was closed last Sunday, for example, and the tourist office either didn't know about that plan or forgot to mention it to me the day before.

I love walled cities and always doubted the guidebook advice that Avila doesn't need a full day. Having just been there yesterday, I now agree. I didn't even need a half-day. Nothing wrong with the city, but to me it pales in comparison to Toledo, Segovia and Salamanca. And Cuenca, which is accessible via AVE now and can be done as a day-trip from Madrid if necessary. It's too bad that Cuenca is in the opposite direction from the other cities under discussion.

Avila can be reached from Salamanca if you want to combine those two cities. The train takes about 70 minutes. I jotted down the times of the first weekday RR departures, which were 7:37, 9:45 and 12:28. I don't know whether the weekend schefule is the same. I think the transit time by bus is similar, but the weekday morning bus schedule is not good for tourists. The first two weekday departures are at 6:15 AM and 1:15 PM. I remember that the Saturday and Sunday bus schedules are quite different, but I no longer have a copy of that information. The train and bus stations in Salamanca are not close together, and neither is particularly close to the main tourist sights. On the Avila end there's a good walk from the train station to the wall; not sure about the location of the bus station.

Edited to add this additional info about train service to Avila:

Avila is a stop on some (not all) of the Madrid-Salamanca trains.

Madrid-Avila-Salamanca
0733 - 0908 - 1036 Mon-Fri except Aug 15 and a few fall dates
0830 - 0958 - 1120 Sat & Sun and on Aug 15 and a few fall dates
1108 - 1239 - 1353 Daily
1335 - 1506 - 1614 Mon - Fri except Aug 15 and a few fall dates
1530 - 1714 - 1825 Daily
1757 - 1930 - 2043 Daily
1930 - 2108 - 2217 Daily
2112 - 2240 - 2346 Daily except Sat
2150 - 2311 - 0057 Daily but labeled " T.Hotel" rather than Middle Distance. I have no clue.

Salamanca-Avila-Madrid
0548 - 0653 - 0832 Mon-Sat except Aug 15 and a few fall dates
0737 - 0843 - 1016 Daily
0945 - 1053 - 1224 Daily
1228 - 1337 - 1509 Daily
1644 - 1810 - 1952 Daily
1738 - 1849 Mon-Fri except Aug 15 and a few fall dates; does not go to Madrid
1958 - 2104 - 2238 Daily

Thank you for the information.
Cuenca does look interesting.
Would you say its a stop or an overnight?
Any suggestions on where to stay in Salamamca?
I would like to stay near the square.

I spent two nights in Cuenca so I'd have a full day in addition to a few hours on my day of arrival. I knew I wanted to see at least a couple of the small modern-art museums there, and I tend to be a slow museum visitor. (I thought the two best were the Museum of Abstract Art and the Fundacion Perez. Espacio Torner is smaller and, in my view, skippable.) Also, when I visit a spot with a small historic district, I try to find time to walk every street. Many people would be OK with a longish day-trip, I think. On the other hand, I'm sure it would be nice to spend the night in the old quarter; I was in an inexpensive place not too far from the train station and the tourist information kiosk.

The old quarter is most definitely uphill from the train station, and it's not flat. Some exertion will be involved if you don't want to wait for the bus (running only every 45 minutes on weekends, I think) or find a taxi. Do at least try to get an early start if you decide on a day-trip.

The cathedral is worth a visit, but it's one of the coldest buildings I've ever encountered. Take some sort of wrap, no matter how hot the weather is.

Can't help with Salamanca hotels because I opted for an apartment-style place across the street from the bus station, choosing convenience for day trips over charm. Being near the square would be good, but Salamanca is a lively (read "probably noisy till all hours") city , especially on weekends.