We're planning to be in Spain in late September. I'd like to do a day-trip to Segovia from Madrid. In general, I prefer train travel over going by bus, but in Rick's book he says doing a day trip from Madrid to Segovia by bus is "better in every way" (although he doesn't really articulate those ways, other than the fact that the bus deposits you closer to the old center).
I read elsewhere that there's now a high-speed train between Madrid and Segovia. True? If so, does that mean the bus is no longer "better in every way"?
Ideally, we would like to leave Madrid mid-morning, spend the day and early evening in Segovia, then catch a train (or maybe the bus?) back to Madrid in the mid-evening, after dinner (we probably won't quite be on the Spanish late-dinner schedule at that point). I know we could go back to Madrid earlier (before dinner), but according to the book, Segovia has a very nice evening paseo scene, and we would like to linger to check it out.
Can anyone recommend the train over the bus for this? How late into the evening do the trains run? Any other advice about doing this as a day trip?
Thanks!