Updated 18 October 2026
Chinchón Day Trip From Madrid: The Square, the Wine and the Lamb
A circular arcaded square that becomes a bullring, a hilltop castle ruin, anís and honest lamb, and why the bus beats a train that does not exist.
Day trips
All our Day trips guides for Madrid, in one place.
8 guides: Day trips
Updated 18 October 2026
Best Day Trips from Madrid: Toledo, Segovia and El Escorial
The best day trips from Madrid by train or car: Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial, Ávila and Aranjuez, with time needed, how to get there and what to see.
Updated 17 October 2026
Toledo or Segovia, Which Day Trip to Choose
Toledo or Segovia for your day trip from Madrid? A honest, first-hand comparison of trains, hills, summer heat, food and what to see in each city.
Updated 16 October 2026
El Escorial: The Palace That Is Really a Monastery
An hour from Madrid, a grey granite complex the size of a small town, built by a king who wanted a monastery, library, mausoleum and palace in one.
Updated 15 October 2026
Segovia Day Trip From Madrid: How to Do It Properly
Half an hour by fast train: the Roman aqueduct, the Alcazar on its rock, the walk to the viewpoints, and the long lunch Segovia is known for.
Updated 15 October 2026
Alcala de Henares: A Day Trip to Cervantes Country
The UNESCO university town half an hour from Madrid: the plateresque facade, arcaded Calle Mayor, Cervantes birthplace and the oldest theatre in Spain.
Updated 18 August 2026
Aranjuez Day Trip From Madrid: Palace, Gardens and Strawberries
A short train ride from Madrid to a UNESCO listed royal town: the palace porcelain rooms, the gardens along the Tagus, and the town's strawberries.
Updated 8 April 2026
Cuenca: The Day Trip Almost Nobody Takes
Under an hour from Madrid by high speed train there is a medieval town built along the top of a ridge between two gorges, with houses hanging off the edge.