Toledo vs Segovia Day Trip

Both are totally worthwhile, but to me Toledo has more to see--a huge historic district, the cathedral and many smaller historic sights, some in Mudejar style. I am writing from the perspective of an adult. If traveling with children, the appeal of the aqueduct might change things.

Toledo was Spain's first capital, this place is of significant importance to the whole nation. Also, its much closer to Madrid and easily reachable by train. Segovia is cool too, though. If you're limited in time, chose Toledo - you will not regret it.

Segovia is much smaller than Toledo. You can basically see Segovia in a day. There is a lot more in Toledo. You can’t really see Toledo in a day. So a relaxed day in Segovia or a rushed day in Toledo.

I went to Segovia because of the aqueduct. I went to Toledo because of the history. I thoroughly enjoyed them both.

It also matters 'when'. Segovia is up in the mountains and weather will impact. If summer, you might appreciate the cooler temperatures. It can be 'another world' sort of visit from a busy main Spain itinerary. However, depending where you are staying in Madrid, it can take a train change or two, and has 2 different train stations and then a bus into town. So, for leisurely logistics, Toledo would be the quickest and easiest.

Although there are trains one can take to Segovia that require about 2 hours' travel time (and for some reason that's what I see on the Deutsche Bahn website--don't know why), there are many, many ALVIA and AVANT trains making the run in 27 or 28 minutes. The fare does vary a bit, being cheaper if you can snag a promo fare, which usually means buying fairly early. Toledo can be a few euros cheaper, and the fare to Toledo never varies, so it can work better as a last-minute day-trip.

I absolutely agree that multiple days are worthwhile in Toledo.

Toledo is discussed on the current 'Travel with Rick Steves' radio show / podcast, starting at about 13:45 minutes.
It isn't yet available on this site, but you should be able to find it in a few days -
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio

Acraven pretty much summed it up. Other than aqueduct and Alcazar, Segovia doesn’t have much to offer. It is still worth visiting, but of the two options, Toledo wins.

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