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Two full days in Madrid - to cover Segovia and Toledo

Hi - need advice ...
We have two full days next week (Dec 27/28) and my plan its to have half day in Segovia, half day in Madrid for only the essentials and one day (or three quarter day) for Toledo
(1) plan to take the bus to Segovia and our purpose is to view the aqueductfor only (half a day) but probably have no time for Alcazar
(2) join Madrid waking tour in the afternoon
(3) take the earliest fast train for Toledo and return the Madrid in the PM

Questions:
(1) advice on the above? I know it is too rush. We probably have to skip museums
(2) shall i book the fast train to/from Toledo in advance or purchase the tickets on the day itself?

Thank you

Posted by
7162 posts

Spell check got you. Alcazar vice Alcatraz. It would be a shame to go to Segovia and not see it. I’d pick either Toledo or Segovia, but not both. I can’t speak to the trains or bus since I always drive.

Posted by
3444 posts

We visited Madrid and Segovia in October 2017. Honestly, I think the Alcazar in Segovia is eminently skippable, especially if you are also visiting Toledo. The aqueduct alone is worth the trip IMHO. Segovia is a great place to just walk around, with multiple opportunities to observe the confluence of Moorish, Jewish and Christian cultures.

Have a great trip!

Posted by
9371 posts

You can't do anything in Madrid in just an afternoon! I just got back from my fifth trip and still haven't done everything there is to do in Madrid. I would choose either Segovia or Toledo, not both (ok, I would choose Segovia). It would be very difficult to take the train to either, do anything, and train back in just a half-day.

Posted by
4605 posts

If you left early, you could go to Segovia, see the Aqueduct and walk around a little bit, then go back to Madrid around 1 and still have most of the afternoon left for Madrid. It would be really rushed, but the aqueduct really is the most important thing about Segovia and if you don't walk up its steps you wouldn't need long to see it.

Posted by
7175 posts

I would agree that choosing either Toledo or Segovia makes life easier for you, and allows you time for the Prado / Royal Palace in Madrid.

This Madrid City Walk takes at least half a day.

Temple of Debod
Plaza de Espana
Plaza de Oriente
Plaza Mayor (stop for coffee)
Puerta del Sol
Metropolis Bldg
Plaza de Cibeles
Puerta del Alcala
Retiro Park

With a full day, either precede it with a visit to the Royal Palace, or follow it with time at the Prado Museum.

Posted by
4535 posts

If you really want to see the aqueduct, then the time spent on a bus there and back will be worth it to you. I would walk around the town some; it is delightful. Don't worry about the Alcazar - it is a late 19th century reconstruction. Beautiful? Yes. Authentic? No.

Toledo needs at least a full day. If you plan to take specific trains, I'd get the tickets at least a day in advance. Late trains back to Madrid sometimes sell out and lines for tickets can be long at Atocha Station.

I hope you're not only spending one afternoon in Madrid? It's not my favorite tourist destination, but that really does sell it short.