Valley of the Fallen

Just so you know, this is a monument erected by the dictator Franco honouring the fallen in the fascist side of the Spanish Civil War and was constructed using forced labour (soldier prisoners) AFTER the war. I believe it's the only "modern democracy" to have such an aberration. Can anyone imagine a monument honouring the nazis still to survive in today's Berlin?... Every year in Nov 20th -the day the dictator finally died!- a few hundreds of followers of fascists and neo-nazi organisations meet there. Just saying, so you know what is that you're visiting.

Thank you for your reply. My wife is an educator here in the United States, and she teaches about the Spanish Civil War. We do not want to see the Valley of the Fallen to honor anyone's political beliefs, rather, my wife wants the chance to see the monument to better speak about the topic when she teachers her students.

My apologies if it came thru as I was judging or anything... I wasn't. I was just letting you know because many people that have included that visit into their itinerary, when they have learnt about its meaning and its history have regretted having done so.

Departing from El Escorial, p. 501 of Rick's Spain book suggests two options: either making a roundtrip deal with a taxi driver for about €45 or taking a bus that runs 1x/day, each way, Tues-Sun (same days that the site is open), and leaves you at the Valley of the Fallen for 2 hours.

Hi there!

The side trip to El Escorial and El Valle de Los Caidos (VOTF) is well worth your time. My husband and I went in June of 2013 and thoroughly enjoyed our time here. I would definitely purchase your bus ticket to El Valle de Los Caidos at the bus stop (very close to El Escorial) as soon as you arrive (for later that afternoon) so that you can time your stay at El Escorial in order for you have plenty of time to take everything in and still make it over to the bus stop without feeling rushed. I was just looking at my ticket (I scrapbook and keep absolutely everything!) and in 2013 the fare was just under 10 euros per person. The bus takes you directly to the site...no huffing and puffing required on your part. If you have the time, take the walk that leads you toward the back of the monument...a very different view and you will also see a lovely inn/hotel type venue that, I believe, is run by monks. I hope you have a glorious time on your vacation!

So sorry, I just noticed that you said that you are taking the bus from Madrid. We took the train which is why I mentioned buying your bus ticket as soon as you arrived. The train ride over was relaxing and wonderful. I don't know if that is an option for you or if you have already purchased your bus tickets in advance. If you have not, I would definitely recommend the train as a way to get there - very comfortable and about a half hour or 45 minutes away. Enjoy!