Now that you all have convinced me not to go directly to airport from Toledo, I need to make a tough decision - spend two nights in Cordoba or Toledo? I will definitely go visit both cities, but can only spend the night in 1. I also don't want to do just a 1 night stay anywhere. I know it's a personal preference, but would love to hear your ideas of WHY you would pick one over the other - especially from those who spent the night at both.
Thank you
Hi Marie, could you tell us which other cities you’re visiting, so we can see if one of these makes a nicer itinerary group of experiences?
We stayed in both cities for 3 nights. There is definitely more to see and do in Toledo. The vibe of the city is more medieval. Beautiful cathedral, El Greco museum, great restaurants. One day in cordoba is sufficient to see the Mezquita which is magnificent. While we stayed in Toledo last, We were 4 people so we hired a car to take us to the airport in Madrid. It was very expensive.
A tricky question, as both cities are virtually neck and neck in terms of things to do and see, it comes down to personal preference. I'd probably give the edge to Córdoba for two reasons:
I think one generally eats better in Cordoba as the regional cuisine is more interesting and varied.
I appreciate more the whitewashed Andalucían architecture of Cordoba more than the half-timbered Castilian architecture of Toledo.
I have spent multiple nights in both cities, and I think you can't make a bad decision here. I'd give the sightseeing advantage to Toledo (though Cordoba has a lot more to see than just the Mezquita), but Cordoba may feel more lively at night.
I really don't have a reason to urge you to choose one or the other. I suppose one could consider that it will be easier to visit Toledo again in the future since it is such a cheap trip from Madrid, one of Spain's cheap airline gateways.
Before I visited Spain I read an excellent travel guide of the country and it said two cities not to miss in Spain are Toledo and Seville. I still agree with that.
Both are good choices, so it comes down to personal preference. Both cities are on my list of must visit cities if you’re only going to visit Spain once.
@jean (and everyone else)- I have 16 nights. We start and end in Madrid - this part cannot change.
Right now (and it changes about every day) I have:
Madrid - land 4 1/2 days and 5 nights. Two of those days will be in Segovia and Toledo (at the moment)
Granada - 3 nights (2 1/2 days)
Seville - 5 nights. This will hopefully include a day to Jerez
Cordoba - 2 nights
Madrid - last night and leave the next day
I have gone back and forth for months on how to split this up (me and everyone else with this exact itinerary.
I can switch things around (again) and add 1 more night in Seville in order to add a day trip to Cordoba, take 1 day from Madrid at the beginning, and then add Toledo for the two nights before I go back to Madrid to overnight for our plane the next day. I am so torn. I have switched reservations several times. I originally thought I would spend the night in both Toledo and Cordoba, but I just don't want to switch hotels so much.
Thank you all.
Could you put all your Madrid time at the end of the trip, just traveling on to Toledo (simplest) or Cordoba on the day you arrive? That eliminates one of the Madrid hotel stays.
Hi, Marie. Not to complicate things, but I took a look at the other threads you’ve posted for this trip. Maybe I’m missing something. There were lots of recommendations to avoid going from Toledo to the airport on your last day (and I totally agree), but I didn’t see anyone suggesting that you not go directly from the airport to Toledo on your arrival.
We have done exactly this for our last couple of trips to Spain and love it. I’ve used Suntransfers (Suntransfers.com) to schedule a private transfer, but I’ve always traveled with 5+ people, so a private transfer made sense, economically, in my case. For one or two people, public transport (train or taxi) might be better.
Toledo is a great place to settle in, unwind, and get over jet lag. It’s small, but not too small, and there is plenty to do for a night or two. It can get crowded on the “main drag” (Pl Zocodover to the Cathedral) during the day, but the rest of the city is pretty quiet, and the whole place empties out in the evenings once the day trippers leave (in a good way; it’s not deserted, with plenty of people still wandering and restaurants and bars open).
So, maybe a night or two in Toledo when you first arrive, then take a look at the train schedules for the rest of your trip and figure out the order of Sevilla, Granada, and a night or two in Cordoba, then end up in Madrid so you can easily catch your flight home.
Just another thought.
To your original question, if you didn’t want to overnight in both places and had to choose between the two, I’d pick staying in Toledo for this trip only because you have a lot of other nights in Andalucian cities, and you will get a similar “flavor” across all of them (although they are all different, with different vibes and subtleties). Toledo is different and would give you a different, more northern, Castilian, Spanish experience. Although I do agree with Carlos; I prefer the food in the south!
However, as another poster pointed out, if you are planning another trip to Spain, Toledo is very easy to get to from Madrid, so maybe Cordoba would make more sense logistically for this trip.
Regardless of what you choose, you will have a wonderful trip!
I think my biggest problem is that I always fly open-jaw, but it couldn't work out this time. Which means we have to start and end in Madrid. I also have some "Monday" issues I need to work around as well. For instance - we land on a Monday. And I am really trying to get both Toledo and Cordoba night trips without my trip being too choppy. Normally, I like to stay put in my first city for several days, and end on a "relaxing" note, but that just won't happen this trip. How does this look:
Land in Madrid (on Monday) and straight to Cordoba -2 nights
Granada - 3 nights (one day to go to Sierra Nevada)
Seville - 5 nights (includes side trips)
Toledo - 2 nights
Madrid - 4 nights and includes side trip to Segovia
I will take any and all advice. I really do not like that the first 5 days of this trip lands me in two different hotels, but I actually am not sure what else to do.
I feel your pain Marie! We have a similar problem/trip planned and struggled to eliminate any 1 and 2 night stays. I hate them. 2 nights is OK- but when we have a 2 nighter we like to GET to that location as early in the day as possible. We always like to keep arrival day simple, efficient and quick to our lodgings.
We do best when we can get out walking in the fresh air and sunshine as soon as possible after overnight flight. (We usually DO take a nap later afternoon)
You may have settled on above itinerary already but here are my thoughts-
I would go to Toledo first. It’s closer, quicker, easier. Seems like a great place to get over jet lag as well. We just decided to add 2 nights to our trip so we can spend 2 nights in Toledo rather than trying to squeeze a day trip or skip entirely. We have a longer trip than you- was 20 nights-now 22 nights.
For us after a long drive to our departure airport, time sitting waiting at airport, sitting on plane etc another 2.5 hour train ride would just destroy our backs and bums.
We don’t mind splurging on a private transfer on arrival, but even without that it is a much easier transfer from MAD to Toledo. Trains are frequent and don’t need to be purchased in advance.
You could be in Toledo well before noon. You probably won’t be in Cordoba til mid afternoon?
From Seville you can be in Cordoba in less than an hour. From Seville to Toledo will take much longer.
Putting Toledo first gives you more time in both Toledo and Cordoba.
Arrive MAD
Toledo 2 nights
Granada 3 nights- do you already have Alhambra tickets?
Seville 5 nights
Cordoba 2 nights
Madrid 4 nights
(our trip is Toledo 2, Seville 4, Ronda 2, Marbella 4, Granada 4, Cordoba 3, Madrid 3)
Hi Marie, that was helpful to see your whole itinerary ideas and the total amount of nights. We flew to Madrid from Seattle and went straight to Toledo. We really liked beginning in Toledo - more laid back and nice place to get over jet lag. I will add the link to that trip report in case it’s helpful. Thinking back, I would keep the same amount of days for each location that we did on that trip.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/1st-time-to-spain-trip-report
If you plan on heading out of Madrid right after arrival, try a bus that goes from Terminals 3 & 4 direct to Atocha Station (5 euros each last fall). And of course, does the reverse. Frequent trips.
Land in Madrid (on Monday) and straight to Cordoba -2 nights
Granada - 3 nights (one day to go to Sierra Nevada)
Seville - 5 nights (includes side trips)
Toledo - 2 nights
Madrid - 4 nights and includes a side trip to Segovia
This draft seems comparatively overweight on Cordoba and Toledo. Sure, 2 nights at each would be nice there, but the stays in the bigger cities are tight. Granada is worth 2 days itself. 3-4 in Sevilla, 3-4 in Madrid (I'd say 4-5), and those are full days, not half/travel days—all before any day trips.
I absolutely understand the desire to avoid one-night stays, but I don't think a destination list this rich and long, in that about of time, works without some tough editing.
Pick Cordoba for an overnight.
I spent 2 nights in Cordoba and took only a day trip to Toledo. If you want to see the army museum in Toledo, make sure you arrive at least 3 hours before closing to have time to see it properly; I made the mistake of entering only an hour before closing. From Cordoba I took a part-day trip to the castle of Almodovar del Rio. Both Toledo and Cordoba have more than enough small museums and sites of potential interest than can be fitted in properly in a single day. In Toledo, I took a taxi from the train station to one of the synagogues and then worked my way back until I saw the cathedral last and then walked back to the train station. Toledo has two old buildings that have been identified as former synagogues; Cordoba has one identified old former synagogue. Before my trip I thought Cordoba was more "significant" because of the Mezquita and Alcazar; Cordoba had the old Roman Bridge and Moorish mill. The Alcazar is still worth it even if you have to wait in in a very long line for 45 minutes like I did, contrary to some opinions that say it isn't that significant. Some travelers spend a night in Toledo or try squeezing Cordoba in as a day trip. Cordoba deserves more than a day trip. In Toledo I could have been as happy if I had skipped the Santa Cruze museum; I suppose it wasn't spiritually meaningful to me because I wasn't raised catholic but before my trip I had the false impression that it was not something to miss. In Toledo I would have been as happy if I had gone to the two synagogues and then the army museum and then fitted in whatever else there was time for. I went to the cathedral after the army museum; one closed at 5, the other closed at 6.
I just spent 4 nights in Cordoba and loved every minute.
On the Alcazar in Cordoba, I saw the long line so I quickly purchased tickets online using my phone. Took 3 minutes and I was in the Alcazar.
Wow. Thank you for all of your thoughtful replies. I realize the Toledo/Cordoba overnight gets discussed to death on this forum, yet still I had the same question.
I "think" we decided to do Cordoba overnight for two nights. At the end of the day, we just didn't want this particular trip to be too choppy with many two-night stays. I have been told I "over-plan" and move us around too much, so I needed to be aware of that. I picked based on recommendations on my post. Better food in Cordoba (huge foodies who like to linger for 2-3 hours at lunch and dinner) and Toledo is easier to get to again from Madrid when we visit again. We have also visited many walled cities all over Europe, and while I know Toledo will be different, Cordoba seems a little more unique even though there is less "to do."
Whew. On to the next problem! Thanks again.
