Day trips from Madrid: Toledo, Aranjuez and Segovia

Staying near Atocha has a huge advantage: three of the most beautiful cities in Spain are less than an hour away by train. If you have a free day on your trip, these are the getaways that are worth it.

Toledo: the city of three cultures

How to get there: AVE or AVANT from Atocha, about 33 minutes. Trains approximately every hour; buy in advance on Renfe, especially on the weekend.
What to see: the cathedral, the Jewish quarter, the Alcázar, the Valle viewpoint (go up to the other side of the Tagus for the classic photo) and the art of El Greco in Santo Tomé.
For whom: if you only take one getaway, make it this one. An entire city as a museum.

Aranjuez: the retreat of the kings

How to get there: Cercanías C-3 from Atocha, about 45 minutes, with the frequency and price of the suburban train — the cheapest getaway and the easiest to improvise.
What to see: the Royal Palace with its gardens (that of the Island and that of the Prince), the falúas in the Tagus and, in season, the strawberries and asparagus that make it famous.
For whom: quiet half day of the palace and gardens, without getting up early or planning.

Segovia: the aqueduct that does not need a filter

How to get there: AVE from Chamartín (north of Madrid, line 1), about 27 minutes to Segovia-Guiomar; There a local bus leaves you next to the aqueduct.
What to see: the Roman aqueduct (two thousand years without mortar), the fairy-tale Alcázar and the cathedral. And if it’s your plan, the suckling pig.
For whom: the most impressive Roman postcard in Spain and a full day of a walkable city.

Our planning advice

Make your getaway during the week: the trains and streets are much emptier. Return to Madrid for dinner — you’ll be at your Usera accommodation for vermouth time, with plenty of time for a Chinese dinner in the neighborhood.

Cover photo: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.