Too Aggressive? Madrid with Day Trips

Way too aggressive if your times are meant to include transportation to and from. For quick visits I'd rate them in this order (omitting Valle de los Caidos since I haven't been there):

• Toledo: full day due to its size and the number of sights. Really, this is the minimum.
• Segovia: close to a full day if you include travel time. If you only care about the aqueduct it could be somewhat less.
• Salamanca: full day due to its size (I liked it, but consider it skippable if time is really short)
• Avila: an hour or so plus travel time. It's really just about the wall, to me. I'd skip it; for me it falls in the "not really worth it to make the trip there" category. If you're driving right past it, that's a different story. You'll note that most guide books have rather lukewarm recommendations for Avila.

You did not specify whether you'll have a rental car. If you're driving, use ViaMichelin.com for driving times and pad them a bit. If you're taking the train, use renfe.com to check schedules.

There's another day trip I'd rate higher than Salamanca and Avila: Cuenca. But to make the AVE ticket affordable, you need to buy very early. The slow trains take much too long. Cuenca is a hill town perched along a ravine and has a couple of good modern-art museums. It would definitely take a full day if you wanted to include the museums, and you'd probably be a bit rushed. The cathedral is also worth a visit, plus there's the wandering-around time.

Great info and really appreciated. I was afraid that I was pushing it a bit. Back to the drawing board!

Thank you again!

Yes, the Madrid area is really tough, because there are so many great side trips to be made. But you can burn an awful lot of time sitting on trains and buses (plus getting yourself to and from the stations), and the fact is that the countryside around Madrid is mostly not at all exciting. I like to say that if you see something in the distance on the top of a hill in Italy, it is probablly a picturesque hill town; if you're traveling in central Spain, it is much more likely to be something like a grain elevator!

I agree with acraven. Avila is a couple hour stop. Valle de los Caidos is also a couple hours stop. Unlike the other places you mentioned, the Valley of the Fallen isn’t as accessible unless you have a car. It is worth a stop if you’re in the area.

Segovia - Full day
Salamanca - Full Day
Toledo - Full Day
El Escorial & Avila - Full Day
Madrid - 2 Full Days

That makes for 6 days / 7 nights.

Y'all are so awesome. I discussed this with my husband last night and we are extending our time in Spain so that we aren't rushing. Six days in Madrid and four in Barcelona with two travel days will make a good trip I think.

Thanks again for the tips. Keep 'em coming!

The best solution of all: a longer trip! Good job.

We did 3/4 day in Segovia with an 8am departure from Charmartin. Seemed enough time but not sure if we saw everything. Spent a long day in Toledo. Do not miss the cathederal. Could have stayed longer but we were on our way to Sevilla the next day.

Good information...keep it coming!

:-)

Gcsz, if you have questions about linking specific cities, please tell us what they are and start a thread of your own. That way, you'll get an email when someone responds. As it stands, cwall is going to get pinged whenever someone tries to answer your question.

In any case: A great deal depends on whether you're traveling by car or by train/bus. Sometimes moving between two provincial towns on a bus or a train requires you to return to Madrid. It's the old hub-and-spoke system. I experienced something similar in France (saw Paris three times though didn't plan to visit the city). In the case of Toledo, the train runs on a spur line that simply connects the city to Madrid.

And there's a lot to be said, in my experience, for avoiding one-night (and preferably even two-night) hotel stays. I find changing hotels a major hassle. It's probably not so bad for folks who don't mind paying for taxis to and from the train or bus station.

Skip Avila. The wall is impressive but not worth a specific trip. I'm planning day trips to Segovia and Valle de los Caidos from Madrid and May. Are you also planning to see El Escorial? It is a must see when going to Valle de los Caidos. And I agree, not the easiest to get to so plan accordingly.

Give some thought to Salamanca if you can. I spent 2 summers studying at the Universidad and I find the city magical. The architecture is stunningly beautiful especially at night. Loads of historical buildings and the prices are very reasonable because of the student population.

Y'all are the best! Love it!

In Toledo as I tap this out.

Unless you only want to see the Cathedral, plan more than half a day. Toledo is a hilly walled city and just getting (walking) around will eat up time (10-15 minutes from Zocodover to the Catedral unless you hire a cab and that could be awkward). That can make tapas crawls difficult too.

Tapas here did not look terribly interesting here IMO - especially right after eating authentic Basque pintxos in Bilbao. I went for raciones featuring local game food (partridge and venison).

Thought I'd hop on here for an additional question about day trips from Madrid as we will be there in January. We are going to Toledo for sure for a long day visit. We are also considering Cordoba. The train ticket prices are ridiculous (will they get even higher than they are now??). But we are willing to pay for the experience of seeing the Mezquita and the Jewish Quarter. Please reply if you have an opinion as to whether a day trip to Cordoba is worth it for $300 for a group of 3!! Thank you!!

Hi we6weinbergs,

You may get more replies by starting your own thread. We visited Spain in September and I have to say Cordoba was my favorite town of the trip, and the Mezquita was my favorite sight. However, $300 is quite a chunk of change for just a day trip, and even the fast train is 1 hr 45 min, so quite a bit of time in transit to get there and back. Cordoba is more often suggested as a day trip from Seville, rather than Madrid. That's a tough one. Any chance you might get back to Spain in the near-ish future to spend more time in Cordoba?

Thank you, I'll start a new thread to get more recommendations!