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Attractions & day tripsBy Clever Tourists · Published
Toledo and Segovia are the two best day trips from Madrid, each about half an hour away by high-speed train, and Ávila is the third: a complete ring of medieval walls about 1.5 hours away. Toledo is a hilltop city of churches, synagogues and a mosque inside a loop of the Tagus; Segovia has a Roman aqueduct, a cathedral and the Alcázar. We spent just over 4 days in Madrid at the start of our Spain trip, from 27 June to 1 July 2022, then stopped at Ávila's walls on the way west to Salamanca. Below are seven trips ranked by payoff against time on the train, with the ones that deserve a night flagged.
• Toledo: about 35 minutes by Avant from Atocha. The best all-round day trip.
• Segovia: about 30 minutes by high-speed train from Chamartín, plus a 15-minute bus. Aqueduct, cathedral, Alcázar.
• Ávila: about 1.5 hours by regional train. The walls are the reason to go.
• El Escorial: about an hour by Cercanías. Philip II's monastery-palace; closed Mondays.
• Alcalá de Henares: under an hour by Cercanías. Cervantes's hometown and its old university.
• Córdoba: about 1h45 on the fastest AVE. A long day for the Mezquita, better as an overnight.
• Salamanca: about 1h35 on the fastest Alvia. Better as an overnight, which is how we did it.
Book the fast trains ahead on Renfe, especially for weekends; Cercanías tickets are bought at the station. Madrid's high-speed lines split by direction: Atocha for the south (Toledo, Córdoba), Chamartín for the north and west (Segovia, Salamanca).
What it is: the old Castilian capital on a granite hill wrapped by the Tagus, with a Gothic cathedral, two former synagogues (Santa María la Blanca and El Tránsito), the small mosque of Cristo de la Luz and the Alcázar on the top.
Getting there: Renfe Avant trains from Madrid-Atocha take about 33 to 35 minutes to Toledo station, about 10 to 12 a day each way on weekdays. Toledo station is below the old town; take a city bus or taxi up rather than walking the climb in summer.
How long: a full day. Morning at the cathedral, afternoon in the Jewish quarter, and the view back across the river from the Mirador del Valle before the train.
Who it suits: everyone. If you take only one day trip from Madrid, make it this one.
Tip: the Avant sells out on weekends and holiday Mondays. Book your return train for the evening, not the afternoon, so you see the city after the tour groups leave.
What it is: a Castilian city on a ridge with three sights in a line: the Roman aqueduct, two tiers of granite arches running through the lower town; the late-Gothic cathedral above Plaza Mayor; and the Alcázar at the far end of the ridge.
Getting there: high-speed trains from Madrid-Chamartín reach Segovia-Guiomar in about 30 minutes. Guiomar is outside town; city bus 11 takes about 15 minutes to the foot of the aqueduct. Buses from Moncloa take about an hour and stop closer to the centre.
How long: a full day, walking aqueduct to cathedral to Alcázar, about 20 minutes end to end without stops.
Who it suits: first-time visitors who want the Roman and the medieval in one compact walk.
Tip: Segovia is known for cochinillo, roast suckling pig. Lunch is the main meal in Castile, and the well-known places fill at weekends, so reserve if it matters to you.
What it is: the most complete medieval town walls in Spain, about 2.5 km with 87 towers, around the birthplace of Saint Teresa. You can walk sections of the wall top.
Getting there: regional trains from Príncipe Pío or Chamartín take about 1.5 to 2 hours. The station is about a 15 to 20 minute walk east of the old town.
How long: half a day for the wall walk, the cathedral built into the eastern wall, and the Cuatro Postes viewpoint across the river for the classic view of the whole circuit.
Who it suits: walls and views people, and anyone heading west, because Ávila sits on the line towards Salamanca.
Route fact: we stopped at Ávila for a couple of hours on 1 July 2022, between Madrid and Salamanca. In our 60-day Spain route we list it as one of the stops that deserved more time. As a day trip from Madrid it gets the full day it needs.
El Escorial is Philip II's 16th-century monastery, palace, basilica and royal pantheon in one granite block at the foot of the Guadarrama mountains. The C3 Cercanías line takes about an hour from central Madrid to El Escorial station, then it is an uphill walk or a short local bus to the monastery. Half a day. It is closed on Mondays, like most Patrimonio Nacional sites, and parts can close for works or events, so check the official ticket site before you go.
Alcalá de Henares is the birthplace of Cervantes and home of the old Complutense university, with its Plateresque facade on Plaza de San Diego. The C2 Cercanías reaches it in about 40 minutes from Atocha, and trains run every few minutes at peak times. Half a day; it pairs well with an afternoon back in Madrid. Good for literature fans and anyone who wants a smaller city without paying for a high-speed ticket.
Córdoba is a long but realistic day trip: the fastest AVE takes about 1h45 from Atocha, and the Mezquita, the great mosque with a cathedral built inside it, is about a 20-minute walk from the station. Go early to beat the midday tour groups, and book tickets online; our Mezquita tickets guide explains the free early-morning entry and why it is hard to reach from Madrid. We spent 2 nights in Córdoba later in the trip, between Granada and Seville, and recommend staying over: the old town is at its best in the evening. See our Andalusia by train itinerary.
Salamanca has the golden-sandstone Plaza Mayor, the university facade and two cathedrals side by side. The fastest Alvia trains take about 1h35, with only around seven direct trains a day, so a day trip is possible but tight. We spent 2.5 days there after Ávila, and that is the better plan: the Plaza Mayor lit up at night is the main event. Salamanca is covered in our Spain guide.
Madrid and the Castilian plateau are hot in July and August; average highs in Madrid are around 32°C in the warmest month. For Toledo, Córdoba and Ávila, which are mostly outdoor walking, be on an early train, do the sights before 1pm, take the long lunch, and come back out after 6pm. Córdoba is hotter than Madrid in summer and is best saved for spring or autumn.
Segovia and El Escorial sit higher and nearer the mountains, and are the cooler choices on a hot day. Plan dinner back in Madrid no earlier than 9pm; our Madrid guide explains the city's late rhythm, and what to eat in Madrid covers the tapas side.
With 4 days in Madrid, use 1 for Toledo or Segovia and keep 3 for the city: the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen, the Royal Palace and the Retiro. With 5 or 6, add the other. Our how many days in Madrid guide sets that out day by day.
If you are moving on rather than coming back, turn the trip into a transfer: Ávila on the way to Salamanca as we did, or Córdoba on the way south. Staying near Atocha or Chamartín saves time on day-trip mornings; see where to stay in Madrid. For the rest of the country, see our 2-week Spain itinerary, and for tipping in the bars and restaurants along the way, tipping in Spain.
Toledo. Avant trains from Atocha take about 33 to 35 minutes, and a full day covers the cathedral, the former synagogues and the view from the Mirador del Valle.
Toledo has more to see; Segovia is more compact, with the aqueduct, cathedral and Alcázar in a 20-minute line. Both are about half an hour by fast train, so do both if you have the days.
High-speed trains from Chamartín reach Segovia-Guiomar in about 30 minutes, then city bus 11 takes about 15 minutes to the aqueduct. Buses from Moncloa take about an hour.
Yes, for the most complete medieval walls in Spain. Regional trains take about 1.5 to 2 hours. We stopped for a few hours on the way to Salamanca and it deserved more.
Yes. The fastest AVE takes about 1h45 and the Mezquita is about 20 minutes' walk from the station. It is a long day, and we would recommend staying a night.
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