7 best day trips from Madrid

Day trips compared

The day trips

70 km · About 35 minutes by high-speed train

1.Toledo

Set on a rocky hill in a loop of the Tagus, Toledo was a medieval capital where Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities lived side by side. Its Gothic cathedral, synagogues, El Greco's Burial of the Count of Orgaz in Santo Tomé and the Alcázar fill a maze of lanes; the viewpoint on the ring road across the river gives the classic panorama.

Getting there

High-speed Avant train from Atocha

Best for

First-timers, Culture, Couples

90 km · About 30 minutes by high-speed train, then a bus

2.Segovia

Segovia has a Roman aqueduct of granite blocks held together without mortar, a late Gothic cathedral and the turreted Alcázar castle on a rock above two rivers. Lunch on roast suckling pig (cochinillo) is a local tradition.

Getting there

High-speed train from Chamartín to Segovia-Guiomar, then a local bus

Best for

First-timers, Families, Food lovers

50 km · About 1 hour by train or bus

3.El Escorial

Philip II's vast 16th-century monastery-palace in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama holds the royal pantheon of Spanish kings, a frescoed library and Habsburg apartments. The surrounding town and hills are cooler than Madrid in summer.

Getting there

Cercanías train or bus from Moncloa

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

110 km · About 1.5 hours by train

4.Ávila

Ávila is enclosed by complete medieval walls with dozens of towers, parts of which you can walk along. It is the birthplace of St Teresa, and its cathedral is built into the walls.

Getting there

Regional train from Chamartín or Príncipe Pío

Best for

Culture, Families, Quiet stays

50 km · About 45 minutes by train

5.Aranjuez

The Bourbon kings' spring residence has a Royal Palace and vast riverside gardens along the Tagus, part of a UNESCO cultural landscape. The town is also known for its strawberries and asparagus.

Getting there

Cercanías train from Atocha

Best for

Families, Couples, Quiet stays

35 km · About 40 minutes by train

6.Alcalá de Henares

Cervantes' birthplace has one of Europe's earliest planned university cities, with the Plateresque façade of the Colegio de San Ildefonso and arcaded Calle Mayor. Bars here often serve generous free tapas with drinks.

Getting there

Cercanías train from Atocha

Best for

Culture, Budget, Food lovers

170 km · About 1 hour by high-speed train, then a bus

7.Cuenca

Cuenca's old town is built along a ridge between two gorges, with the famous Hanging Houses cantilevered over the cliff and the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art inside them. The San Pablo footbridge gives the best view.

Getting there

High-speed train to Cuenca Fernando Zóbel, then a local bus

Best for

Couples, Culture

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Some buses accept contactless bank cards; otherwise use the transport card.
• Cercanías commuter trains connect Atocha, Sol, Nuevos Ministerios and Chamartín, and reach Airport Terminal 4, El Escorial, Aranjuez and Alcalá de Henares; high-speed trains leave from Atocha and Chamartín.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask