Madrid airport to Toledo

If you wish to take the train (which we liked very much), then the easiest way is to take the Aerobus from the airport to i's last stop, Atocha station. This is where the train to Toledo departs from. The bus ride from the airport takes about 45 minutes and costs 2 euro. The bus is very comfortable and has a large luggage rack inside. There might be a direct bus from the airport to Toledo without going in to madrid; hopefully someone else can advise you on that.

There is no direct train from the airport to anywhere.

I've used the bus service that Lola mentions to the Atocha station, you're not going to find an easier or cheaper way, highly recommended.

I have been looking on Renfe for Madrid --> Toledo, but it's only showing me Avant trains (no AVE). Is it necessary to purchase these tickets ahead of time (we are arriving on June 20, and will be at Atocha around 1:30 or 2:00), or will we be able to just show up and purchase our tix?
Thanks, Scott

that is true-they are not AVE trains and there are no Web fares for advance purchase. some people advise purchasing in advance to avoid the possibility of a "sold out" train, but I believe that is only necessary for the "commuter" runs-morning and late day. Mid-day should not be a problem. also, if you are arriving at Barajas airport after an overseas flight, it would be difficult to schedule the train departure time (allowing time for immigration, baggage, transport to Atocha, etc.) so it should be fine to just buy your tickets when you get to Atocha. In the interest of full disclosure, I will say I've never bought tickets at that station, always had them in hand in advance. There may be some tricks that others can help you with, in terms of lines, etc. The Toledo trains depart from the AVE side of the station, generally from the "Planta Baja", the lower departure area. There is a departures board that will advise you. You will pass through a minimal security screening on your luggage to enter the departure area.

We bought all of our train tickets the day of travel right at the train station. The Avant train runs from Madrid to Toledo just about every hour, so you should have no problem. If you are traveling quite a bit, consider taking the bus too (Alsa). It is generally cheaper and more frequent, while only a little bit slower. I think the high speed AVE only runs from Madrid-Barcelona and Madrid - Sevilla. It is fast but also very expensive!

Avants are a different brand of high speed (I think the difference is Avant trains can use either track, while the AVE can use only the high-speed track). The Renfe site is notorious for being hard to use. We ended up buying our tickets on Rail Europe. They charge a service fee but are easy and allow you to print etickets from your email that you can take straight to the boarding gate (reservation/seat included). You have a trade-off to consider. The tickets are pretty cheap if you buy 62 days in advance, and get gradually more expensive as the cheaper tickets sell-out. If you buy tickets in advance and miss the train, however, you will have to get new tickets at the station. You can't use the tickets for a later train. I'd probably do what Lola suggests just show up since you can't always predict when you will arrive - but price a trip this week vs one two months out and see if it's worth the risk. Frank is right that there isn't another train option other than from Atocha station. The first suggestion was about considering a bus directly to Toledo. Busses are common, comfortable and very cheap. It's worth checking whether you can get a bus directly from the airport to Toledo. I don't know of any, but it's not something I was looking for as we flew home from Madrid but into Barcelona.

There is a Renfe ticket office right across from the TI (in Terminal 2 as I remember) so you can buy your ticket there. Absolutely no line. I prefer the bus for Toledo. There is no direct bus service from the airport either. Cannot avoid going into a part of Madrid.

The airport bus will take you directly to Atocha station, where you catch the train to Toledo. It does not take you to the bus station. You would have to make another transfer to the bus station if you want the Toledo bus. But why would you? The train is faster and easier, and costs only a few euros more. Well worth it in terms of avoiding hassle, especially after a flight. The bus does leave you closer to the center of Toledo than the train, but you are still below the town and outside the walls. Since you probably do not want to walk up carrying luggage, you will have to take a taxi or city bus to get to the center either way.

We did this, spending our first night on Toledo. It was the smartest move of out whole trip. We took the airport bus to the subway and the subway to the bus station where there were many frequent departures to Toledo. The train works too.