We are going to stay in Madrid for a week,are day trips to avila, salamanca, and toledo to much from Madrid! and should we take the train or bus!

Hey ramhouse,

Salamanca is better as an overnight, plan to stay the night there as the city is AMAZING by night.

Avila and Toledo can be easy day trips.

I just did one a SEARCH for "day trips from Madrid" and got a lot of info, especially the thread titled "Day trips from Madrid" from last May, CLICK HERE (I think it will help you out a lot )

Saludos,
jer...

The nicest daytrip rom Madrid is to Segovia. Segovia is a marvelous city, when you visit you feel like taking a walk in the past. First there's this awesome Roman acqueduct, that was in service until the 20th century! Then there's the best restaurant in the region, Candidos. Have cochinillo asado, they'll cut it with a plate, it's that tender!
After a hearty meal there, you walk down a tremendous avenue and reach the Plaza Mayor, smallish, but very nice, and you'll see the Renaissance Cathedral, truly a jewel. Contunue up an incline for a 20 minute walk and you step into the Fairy tale world of Walt Disney's original castle, the Alcazar!

From the Alcazar you look down into a valley that has a Knights Templar Church, a twelve sided Vera Cruz church!

What more do you want for a daytrip! Yoiu can take either the bus or the regional train. It takes about 2 hours by train; La Sepuldivana Buses are faster and more frequent! You can take the La Sepultivana across from Estacion del Norte in Madrid.

What I love about it is that it's an easy daytrip! And you see so much.

I agree with Jer, Salamanca deserves 2 days, as does Toledo! if you plan it right , you can see Avila on your way to Salamanca, or on your return trip!

But other equally wonderful daytrips are a visit to El Escorial Y la Granja, El Valle de los Caidos, where Franco is buried, and Alcala de Henares.

Buen Viaje!
Carmen

Rocking recs Booklady

ramhouse with regards to Segovia as a day trip, I would only add that if you go, try to get a late bus back, one that leaves after Sunset for at least the acqueduct should be seen at sunset as well as all lit up at night

Saludos,
jer...

Here are the Renfe website links for Avila, Toledo, Segovia, and Salamanca

The trains to Toledo leave from Atocha, the others leave from Chamartin. Toledo's train station is at the bottom of the old town, Avila's is close, but Segovia's is far from the old town; a bus should be taken from there. I cannot remember how far the Salamanca train station is from the old town, because it has been 15 years since I visited, but it is probably best done on an overnight trip.

Supporting the excursion to Segovia ... if you take an early bus to Segovia (La Sepulvedana, just off the train and metro station Principe Pio) you can stop in the village of La Granja and visit the summer palace (also named La Granja) and possibly the royal factory of fine cristal (created by Carlos III in the XVIIth century)
Then follow the trip with next bus to Segovia.

You can also try, along he same route, the palace of Rio Frio, another former hunting palace very close to La Granja.

By bus you will cross the (moutain cross) Puerto de Navacerrada, with a gorgeus landscape and one of the best conserved woods of Madrid - Valsain- which also deserves a long walk...

Hola Perita,
do they still have that table in La Granja with the mirror in the bottom, so if you are wearing a skirt, people can see your underwear?

Avila is a great day trip from Madrid. We rode the train. One tip: on the return trip we did not get on the train fast enough and are seats were taken. We ended up standing on the way back to Madrid. We were unsure if first come, first serve on the seating situation was how it's done on the train. So we didn't want to make waves and just ended up standing. Anyway, Avila was well worth the trip. We divided our time between the Cathedral and walking the medieval wall. The Cathedral still fills me with a feeling of reverence and history. It is not tourist slick and retains it's original ambiance. The marble piece in honor of El Tostado was a masterpiece in workmanship. I only wish we could have learned who was buried in the Cathedral. Especially the vaults(I don't know if that's the right word.) that had life size figures in armor on them.