Segovia or Toledo

Toledo since it has much more to see. All you can do in Segovia is eat pig and look at the aquaduct. (This has been an abbreviated report.)

May be an abbreviated one but to the point and funny. Thank you!

Not that there's anything wrong with eating pig and looking at the aquaduct. They say Toledo is the soul of Spain. I'm looking forward to finding out why (but I'll also stop for a bit in Segovia). We're planning northern Spain in the second half of September and southern Spain/Lisbon the first half of October.

Segovia , in our opinion, is a place not to be missed. The aqueduct is set amidst all the modernities and looks that much cooler bcuz of that. The opposite enfd of the city holds a castle that overlooks the surrounding country. It is unforgettable. The surrounding area, below the castle and the main city, is wooded (at least it was in 2005) and worth a walk.

My vote is Toledo. The mix of Catholic, Islamic and Jewish cultures is amazing. And its a very romantic town if you get off the main drag filled with tourists. Toledo is an easy bus ride up the hill or I think the escalator is fully operational now. Segovia is quite far and must use the bus but the schedule is timed well with the trains. BTW - Your rail pass will be of no value for either. The cost of the seat reservations is equal to the cost of just buying a ticket. But both options are not expensive. PSS - Ticket lines at Atocha and Charmatrin can be very long (up to 90 minutes) so buy your tickets ahead of time or plan accordingly.

I would recommend Toledo, since you have to choose, although Segovia is also a very worthy stop. Toledo is up on a hill, but they actually have an outdoors escalator if you can believe it. Not sure if it's walkable to the escalator from the train station, but you would think they would plan it that way. There is a bus from the train station into town, and I don't think it's that complicated because I figured it out in 2001. We also did Toledo as a day trip by bus from Madrid in 2005, because the train tracks were undergoing repair. The bus is actually a little faster anyway, and generally buses out of Madrid to day trip destinations work very well. I normally prefer the train but from Madrid, often buses are best. I understand you want to use the train pass, which is great - but the amount you save may not be that much because it's not a very expensive ticket either way.

I have been to Toledo on at least 4our trips. Have not seen Segovia, but friends who have seen both recommend Toledo for the many more sites that are there. From the Atocha Station, you will take the train, 25 minutes total. The train station is outside the city, and I am not sure about the escalators. I have seen them from the top, but never ridden them. The local bus is at the train station, at the street curb. (There are tourist buses at the front door.) Take the city bus for an euro or less to Plaza Zodocover, just as I did on my first visit. The Zodocover is the center city meeting place. Get a city tourist map and start walking! Nothing is level Toledo, so wear good walking shoes. The Cathederal is worth a visit. Get the handheld audio guide. From there to the St. Tome Church, and from ther any direction you choose. The Museum Santa Ana, near the Zodocover is also very good. Walk through the keystone arch at the Plaza. There is a tourist train from the Zodocover wiwht will take you around the city. Not that great to be honest, but you do get a good view from the outisde. When it is time to return to the train stationi, catch a taxi for a very exciting ride for sure. Many sidewalk restaurants to choose from. The city is a wonderful capsule of Spain.

i have been to both places toledo is slightly better than segovia, but both are wonderful places i'd go anyday. just because you have 1 day toledo is easy to get to and sites are within the city you can walk most of it, but take the little bus tour around town first to get an overall feel if you can. segovia is also wonderful not just the pigs. there is a little palace out of the way, and many things other folks posted. the walk around town is not as romantic as toledo - it's more similar to other spanish towns, but toledo is so special.

douglas.....this may be a stupid question but live and learn....why would I have to buy a ticket if I have rail pass and why do I need reservations for a trip that goes every hour?

The high speed train to Toledo may not be covered by your rail pass. We did not have tickets or reservations prior to our day trip. We bought our tickets, ate breakfast while enjoying the large indoor garden and within an hour we were on the train. The station in Toledo is not outside of the city, you just take a short bus or taxi ride uphill to the central plaza. Toledo is great place to day trip, lots to see in the ancient capital of Spain. PS, we loved Segovia too but do not feel it is as easy to reach as Toledo.

Great advice all; I've been struggling with the same "problem" as I'm finalizing my 3 weeks in Spain next month.

We have been both places (on the same trip). We enjoyed both. We day tripped on the train from Madrid to Toledo and it was very easy. As I recall, a bus took us into the town from the station. We drove into Segovia. Toledo would be our choice to revisit. Keep in mind that they restaurants don't open until about 8 pm for dinner. We wanted to eat about 7 pm before going back to Madrid but could find nothing open. Toledo is a hill town very similar to those in Italy with it's narrow, winding, get-lost but can't-get-lost streets. We loved it.

IF (and that is the main point) you have visited any medieval windy cobblestoned street towns before then you have a feel for Toledo. On the other hand, Segovia also has some of that same feel, BUT you may not have ever seen anything as awesome as the aqueduct there. And we also thought the bus ride out to Segovia provided some beautiful scenery of the countryside. So I would make your choice based on how many quaint towns you want to see verses seeing something entirely new and unique.

Dianna, Current RS tour of Spain + Morocco appears to have about the same amount of time in each. The previous RS tour or Spain + Portugal skipped Segovia. All depends on your taste. The castle is Segovia is a modern building that feels like Disney world. Segovia has a templar church, the aquaduct, church, etc. Toledo is a quinessential medival city that is well preserved and did not suffer the ravishes of a major modern war (WW1, WW2, etc.). Once again it has a church, small churches, El Greco musuem (if it has opened), etc. and more streets and alleys to get lost in. Edwin

Hi Dianne, I know you're trying to decide between Toledo and Segovia - Toledo, hands down. But, if you want to use the last day of your rail pass have you considered going to Cordoba? The highspeed Ave. train leaves from Atocha station and you could easily make a day trip of it. There's lots to see in Cordoba.

I went to both 2 years ago and if you have to choose one, I would say Toledo. It's simply magical there. You feel like you've been transported to an ancient city 500 years ago. For me, that was priceless. Segovia is charming and the Alcazar is interesting, but you don't feel like you're immersed in somewhere so entirely different.
And as another poster says, it's actually more accessible to go from Toledo's train station to the town center than that of Segovia's. In fact, we walked to an from Toledo from its train station. Takes about 30 minutes, no biggie. For Segovia, you must take the bus. The bus ride itself was 30 minutes.

Dianne - sorry for the late reply but to answer your question about why your railpass is of no value: Both Segovia and Toledo are on AVE lines. These trains require mandatory seat reservations. The cost of the reservation is the cost of the ticket in both cases, so the pass is of no value. Believe me, I checked when I was there. I can't really explain their rationale behind it, just reporting on the facts...