Day Trip to Toledo and Segovia from Madrid?

Question

Hi, I will be in Madrid on business and will have weekend off. Planning to go to Toledo on a day-trip on a Saturday, and to Segovia on a Sunday. Any suggestions on how to get there and what to do there on a day trip? Helpful ideas are most welcome, and thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Train, pure and simple.  Plan to spend a good day in each town.  

Segovia:  Start at the Aqueduct and work your way up the hill to the Alcázar.  Tour the Alcázar, then you should stop at a couple of churches on your way back down the hill.  If you can get down below the castle at about an hour or two before sunset, the views are OUTSTANDING!   shooting photos up at the steep side, with the setting sun reflecting off it.  Churches that you should try to see:  San Martín (a mixture of architectural styles, incl. Romanesque and Mudéjar), San Clemente,  San Milán (supposedly the best example of Segovian Romanesque style), San Miguel - where Ísabel la Católica was crowned queen of Castilla.  Also, la Casa de los Picos, only for the wall of points, but there is an art museum inside.  And the Casa de las Cadenas, again, only to  pass by for the exterior.    

Of course you should visit the Cathedral.  Sort of a given in any major city in Europe.

Toledo is a gorgeous city!  Beautiful Medieval walls surround a good part of it.  Just walking around them was worth the trip.  Toledo was the capital of Castilla for a long time, and was also one of the few places where the Christians, Moors and Jews all lived in harmony and shared their cultures.  There are two Synagogues there, they are very close together, and also close to El Greco's home and the church of Santo Tomé.  All worth the visit.  If you choose to see only one synagogue, go to El Tránsito, because that one has the museum of Judaica, which is fascinating.  

Again, the Cathedral, partly because there's a wonderful painting in the Sacristy by El Greco.  Works of his can be found in a bunch of places, including the Church of Santo Tomé, and his home.   The Alcázar should be open again, too.  I believe it is a museum of armor.  

Answer 2

You'll love both Toledo and Segovia. Both have a good deal of tourism there but you'll find Toledo has more because there's just more to see and do there.

When you get to Madrid be sure to go to the Madrid Tourist Office in the Plaza Mayor and tell them you want to take daytrips to Toledo and Segovia and they'll give you some information. But upon arriving in Segovia go to the plaza below the Aqueduct where you'll find a tourist office. There, they'll give you maps and anything you'd want. In Toledo, one of the main tourist office there is just outside the city walls, outside of the Puerta Bisagra.

It's fast and easy to go to Toledo on the fast train from Madrid Atocha train station. Once you get off the train you can take a local bus into the city center. http://www.RENFE.es for Spain train details, hours, and prices. Also, http://www.continental-auto.net/ for bus (1 hour) details.

The best way to go to Segovia is by bus - and it's so darn cheap too. The trip takes about 1 hour and takes you near Segovia's city center.

Toledo is chock-full of places to see including the El Greco Museum, the immense Cathedral (no photos), the Plaza Zocodover, the Alcázar, views of the city from the Parador de Toledo, and much much more.

Segovia has some things to do too. You can visit the Cathedral (no photos), the Alcázar Castle (and take a tour!), take a self-guided walking tour (see tourist office for map), visit a number of other churches, and of course see Spain's greatest Roman aqueduct. Oh, and don't forget to eat a lunch of roasted, suckling pig called "cochinillo" at Restaurante Duque or Cándido.

Have a great time in Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia!

Saludos, MadridMan @ you-know-where!

Answer 3

Yes, go by train or bus, it won't be difficult. Both cities are very touristic so you'll get help easily as tourists are frequent. And then go have lunch. In Segovia i would recommend you had "cordero" which is baby lamb. It is a bad city for vegetarians, actually, as most restaurants will offer baby lamb or suckling pig as the main attraction. Also Segovia's typical dessert is "Ponche" which is a puffy cake covered with Marzipan and with sweet made with egg yolk and sugar and it has a slight taste of brandy i think and it is great. The monuments are inclredible both in Toledo and in Segovia, so I hope you enjoy your trip and have fun.

Answer 4

Best thing to do would be to hire a car with GPS for the weekend, then you can suit yourself as to what you do.  They are both little places and easily visited in the day.  Segovia is especially nice.  There's not a great deal to do there, just walk around and have a look.

Spanish roads can be tricky for the novice, so if you would rather not hire a car, you can get the train to Toledo, which takes 30 mins and costs 9 euros each way.  Trains depart every hour on the half hour more or less both ways.  There is one type of train that goes here.

Trains to Segovia cost from 9 to 32.90 euros each way, depending on the type of train and class.  The journey takes 30-45 minutes each way.  Here is a link to the timetable https://w1.renfe.es/vol/indexHome.do

If you want, you can book train tickets in advance and then you know you will definitely get a seat  http://www.renfe.es/.  If you can't read spanish, then you can buy the tickets at the station.

When you are in Madrid, get a 10 ticket "Autobus" for 6.70 euros for the metro as it's cheaper and can also be used on the bus.