My wife and I will be spending 6 nights in Madrid the second week of February. This is our first trip to Spain and we'll be coming off of 9 days in Italy. We are planing on taking a couple of day trips from Madrid via the train and are wondering if there are any other easy day trips we should consider taking besides Toledo and Segovia? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Giulia! I agree with you about just staying in Madrid. I just want to know what all my options are so I can do a little more research. Then I'll be able to make informed decisions if the time permits.
We are both interested in art, history and architecture. I'm more of a foodie than my wife, so for me great food is always important. I know we'll have plenty to see, do and eat in Madrid> We would like to get a little flavor of what else Spain has to offer. So Toledo is definitely in and we'll go there. I'm thinking one other day trip would be worth having on the back burner just in case we want to check out another area/city.
Cordoba, to see the Mezquita (Great Mosque of Cordoba). Blew me away as one of the most architecturally beautiful places I've ever seen. Incredible building, with a functioning Catholic church in the middle of it. Charming city, too. Frequent trains from Atocha station, 1 hour/45 minute trip. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G...sque_of_C%C3%B3rdoba
Might be a bit far as a day trip, but definitely think about Salamanca. An amazingly beautiful city - and with the university so prominent, it feels less touristy, somehow, than either Segovia or Toledo (both of which, by the way, I would also highly recommend as day trips from Madrid).
Thanks Sally and Kevin! Both of you have given me some really intriguing places to consider. My only concern would be the cost/length of the train rides to get to both of those places considering these would be day trips. Do the cost and the duration of the train rides make these good choices in your opinion? Toledo is definitely in and I want to have one or possibly two more day trips. So as people who have been to these places, is the cost/length worth it for Cordoba or Salamanca?
As Sally mentioned, the trip from Madrid (Atocha station) to Córdoba is just 1.45 hours with an AVE train, the only issue is the price: approx 65 euros per person one way. On the other side, if you can plan ahead you will find very good offers on the Renfe website for bookings made online 2 weeks or 1 week ahead. I do not think that I'd go to Córdoba as a daytrip from Madrid but given the abundance of trains and the prices (if you book 2 weeks ahead), it can be done if you really wish to visit it. (BTW, I agree with Sally: Córdoba is wonderful!) Salamanca is a little over 2.30 hours train ride and I would not go to Salamanca as a daytrip to Madrid (even if it's a gorgeous town!).
Thank for the advice Giulia! I think that if I can narrow down the day that we would like to go to Cordoba. If we can book early, it would be doable for my wife and I. You only live once and who knows when our next opportunity to get back to Spain will come!
