Toledo, Spain: An Easy Day Trip To A UNESCO World Heritage Site From Madrid!
Planning to visit Madrid, Spain? Toledo, a UNESCO heritage site is about an hour away from Madrid and a perfect day trip if you have the time. When I was in Madrid (in 2011), I had a lung infection and was very sick. I was supposed to be recuperating but I could not stand being stuck inside so I wrapped myself up and got on an ALSA bus and went to Toledo for the day. It’s a very cheap bus ride to this historic city and worth the adventure!! Originally it was the capital of Spain until the 1500s when the royal court moved to Madrid.
Information updated and checked March 2019
TRIP PLANNING STARTS HERE
- Toledo Photos: More Photos From This UNESCO World Heritage Site
- All My Travel Guides For Spain
- Helpful tips for Madrid
- 12 Free Things To Do In Madrid
- 24 Hours In Madrid: An Itinerary
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HELPFUL GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS
- Flights: Find a cheap flight using Skyscanner or Momondo. I like these two booking sites because they both search all websites and airlines around the globe including budget airlines.
- Accommodations: I use Booking.com or Tripadvisor to find the best rates on hotels. Hotels.com offers a free night after booking 10 nights.
- Get up to $40 off your first Air Bnb stay by using this code!
- Travel Insurance: Having gotten sick on my travels in the past, I never travel without being insured. You never know when something may happen. For my round the world trip and extended long-term travel, I use World Nomads. For other trips, I have used Roam Right and they cover activities like extreme sports.
Read more here: Toledo in Photos
Here are some photos from my day trip:
The Alcazar or fortification of the city. I didn’t get a good whole shot of it
If You Prefer Some Guided Tours
- Toledo at Your Own Pace from Madrid
- Price: $34.10
- From Madrid: Toledo tour with a local winery visit
- Price: $56.58
- Toledo Segovia Full Day
- Price: $74.52
- Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Segovia or Toledo
- Price: $183.13
Another angle of the Alcazar
Holy Cathedral
Nuns in Plaza Zocodover
I love Toledo and its maze-like streets. While I was there I had a local sim card with data and I was able to use Google Maps to navigate and not get lost!
Tips for Toledo:
- The Alsa bus is very cheap and efficient (Less than 6 Euros each way). There is no need to drive unless you are driving all over Spain and already have a car. I took a bus from Plaza Elíptica in Madrid (please check for newly updated info) and the ride was about an hour long each way. The last bus leaves Toledo for Madrid at 10:30 pm. You definitely have enough time to do a day trip and come back!
- I have not tried taking the train but you can take a train to Toledo also. I checked the Renfe site and you could do a day trip for around 20 Euros or so.
- You can see a lot in a day so there is no need to stay in Toledo unless you really want to. Do make a plan so you can see what you want to beforehand. Click here to read reviews for hotels on Tripadvisor. Click here to book hotels on Booking.com
- When I first when to Toledo in 2011, the Cathedral was closed. I visited it this past fall (2016) and I think it's worth the admission price. I still have yet to see Santa Maria La Blanca, which was a synagogue but is now a museum.
- Also, consider walking to the Mirador which is a beautiful viewpoint. I rode in a car but I read online that you can take a bus (#71) there. For further info, there's a tourist information center in town.
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