Madrid Side trips- Seville vs Toledo

You do not say what all 'ALL these needs' are, nor any indication of what time you you want to devote to what appears to be a side trip within seven days - however, whether help or not, Seville is almost a different country and Toledo is a day trip.

Agreed, a little more detail will help. Sevilla technically can be a day trip but I would NEVER recommend it. Too far and too much to see. So if you are looking for a day trip only, the easy answer is Toledo. If you have a couple days, but more like 3, than Sevilla is my choice. Toledo has a lot of historic churches and art museums, but does have lots of hilly explorations, Moorish sites and cross-cultural sites. And the churches and museums are much smaller than the Prado so museum fatigue is minimized. Another good daytrip choice with teen boys would be Segovia. It has the Roman aquaduct that is stunning and massive - they might like seeing that. Plus the Alcazar has some armour and stunning Moorish-inspired interiors. If you are thinking a longer visit to Sevilla, then let us know. There is A LOT to see and much that would have some interest to teen boys.

Thanks! I actually had planned on Segovia as I think the boys will like the aquaducts. How far is Seville by fast train? I was thinking it was doable so I appreciate the heads up that its not. Trying to mix things up a little with 2 teenage boys- we will be doing a stadium tour of Real Madrid, major Madrid attractions- Royal Palace, Prado so I was looking for something with a little different twist.
As I mentioned, got a little burned out by all the churches/cathedrals in Italy- magnicient and all!

Hmmm, I saw your header and thought to myself, no way would I consider Sevilla a day trip from Madrid! So: Segovia is fascinating and from fairly recent experience, I think Segovia would engage your teenagers moreso than Toledo. The aqueduct and the castle are stunning! Toledo's cathedral is jaw-dropping awesome, but you've BTDT in Italy.

Contrarian suggestions here... 1. Don't do Toledo as a day trip. Everyone does Toledo as a day trip from Madrid, and guess what? The place is crammed full of hot, sweaty tourists from 10 am - 4 pm, and it's so crowded it's no fun (this was confirmed to me recently by a relative: I warned them no to go to Toledo as a day trip; they ignored me, and said they hated it. Why? "It was so crowded!"). But don't skip it either - spend the night. From 4 pm to 10 am, it's empty, quiet, magical. Take the high speed train from madrid, arriving in Toledo mid afternoon. Notice all the obnoxious crowds. Watch tour guides herding them all back onto their buses around 4 pm. Watch them drive away, leaving the town for you to enjoy. Wander the quiet streets, relax, enjoy the town, soak up that atmosphere, and spend the night in the old center. Get up and enjoy the peaceful old town the next morning, and watch bus upon bus arrive and disgorge their throngs mid-morning. As the town fills up, pile into the rented car that you pre-arranged, and flee. Drive to Segovia, but stop in Avila for a couple hours climbing the ramparts - one of the biggest walled cities in Europe, your guys will love it. Then jump back in the car and continue on to Segova, arriving late afternoon. Drop the car off, check into your hotel, enjoy the sights, chow down on some pig, spend the night. Next day, spend most of the day in Segovia (viaduct, etc.), then catch a train back to Madrid in the afternoon, arriving by dusk, completing a little loop. Or don't. I think this is the best way to see Toledo, Avila and Segovia - avoid the crowds, see the best of these places that most people only experience pressed shoulder-to-shoulder with 20,000 sweaty strangers. Hope that helps.

Madrid to Seville is 2 and a half hours. And, there's a number of things to see, which would take 2-3 days even in a fast pace. So, while you can technically do it as a day trip, you should really either commit to a few days, or skip it. Cordoba, on the other hand, is an hour and 45 minutes, and is much smaller than Seville, so it can be properly "done" in a day (of course, people spend longer, but I don't think it's a disservice to see it as a daytrip from Madrid).

Toledo was good for a day and night, but I love Seville! In Madrid your teenage boys would really like the Segway tour!

I agree that spending a night or two in Toledo is great. However, just because you daytrip to Toledo, doesn't mean you have to leave at 3:00 or by 4:00. Simply stay till after dinner and take a later bus or train back into Madrid.

Thanks for all the great information! As always :)!

Having just returned from three months in Spain, I agree that Segovia will be a good choice for the teenagers. The three main sites, Aqeuduct, Cathederal, and Alcazar are all excellent. The Alcazar would be # 1 choice, the Cathedral # 2 and the =Aueducgt # 3 for their interest. I agree Toledo, 28 min by AVE should not be just a day trip. It is a different expericen at night. The teens would likely enjoy the New Military Museum at and under the Alcazar there. Fascinating for sure. The Cathederal is excellent, but not likely their choice as is the Santa Cruz Museum and the new House of El Greco. Sevilla is 2.5 hours by AVE train, and again, not a day trip. Of the three, Toledo remains my favorite, but I am well past my teenage years.

Seville is not a daytrip! It would cost you an arm and a leg to get there and back, unless you score a deal like Mesa tickets (4 seats together at a table). Even then it is around 35 euros each way, so RT for four would be 280 euros! Toledo is much more than the cathedral but I agree with statements above that it is crowded during the daytime and much nicer at night. You can just wander the old narrow streets or go outside the walls and walk the path along the river. Check out a knife shop or two.