I will be traveling to Spain in March 2002 with 3 others. Want to go to Toledo for one night before heading to Seville. What is the best option? Train? Bus? How about the drive to Seville. How long is it? Please help.

Hi jo, jer here.

Welcome to the message boards and congrats on your impending trip to Espa�a

I would recommend the bus to Toledo, it is fast (1hr,30min), cheap and pretty comfortable. Also, loads of busses leave daily for Toledo from Madrid. You can get more bus info at www.multimadrid.com/practical_info/mad_transports.htm under the "travelling from Madrid to other destinations within Spain or abroad" section and "Busses". You can also go directly to www.continental-auto.es which is the bus company with the best service to Toledo. Their web is only in Spanish but if you manage your way through it you can even reserve and purchase your tickets online.

Sevilla is a bit further and is a good 4-6 hour (527KM) drive from Madrid depending on traffic. There is a neat and useful route calculator at www.campsa.es (website in English and Spanish although the system seems to work better on the Spanish version, the English version gives errors in the route reports). You can enter your starting point and destination and it will give you the works on how to get there by car.

The direct link to the route calculator is www.guiacampsa.com/gcampsa_1/Itinerario.asp

F.Y.I. Sevilla is only about 2.5 hours on the high speed AVE. Check out the website if you want in English at www.renfe.es/ingles/empresa/ave/index.html

Have fun & don't hesitate to ask for any more help you may need.

Saludos,
jer...

p.d. Coming to Spain, you can finally rent a cellphone for your stay
here, check out my new service at www.onspanishtime.com/web/cellphones.htm

We just got back from Spain and used the bus to get from Madrid to Segovia and found it terrific. Cheap, clean and frequent non stop trips everyday. I also highly recommend the AVE to Seville--it is a bit pricy but quite an experience, smooth, clean and very fast! They even have a money back guarantee should they be more than 5 minutes late!

Hey ToniG, jer here.

Had no idea about that money back gaurantee thang, now I know why they do not stop for sheep that wander onto the tracks through holes in the protective fence .

Saludos,
jer...

Jo,

Take the Ave train to Toledo. It's a non-stop trip from Atoche Renfe, and it leaves more time for enjoying the richness of Toledo. Also, it's very comfortable, and doesn't jostle you around like the bus... If you're like most of us turistas, there's never enough time, and that will certainly add a little more to the enjoyable part of the trip.

Having done both train and bus, I rate the train a 9 of 10, and the bus a mere 5 of 10.

JP

Bus, bus, bus, bus, bus, bus !!!

Jejejeje ,

Saludos,
jer....

Thanks for all of the responses! I tend to be a train person (no offense Jer) due to time available. I didn't know there was an AVE to Toledo. Great news.

Does anyone suggest staying at the parador just outside of Toledo? Is it too tough to get to without a car?

Jo

Hi Jo,

Here's the link to their pages online, http://www.parador.es/ingles/85clicks/tole/tolepaning.htm

It's a fantastic place to stay... I've done it twice now, and have never felt uncomfortable.

There may be bus service to the Parador. You can check with them about it through their e-mail. There's also taxi service to the site since it's only 4km from the city center. A difficult walk though, uphill all the way.

If the weather is warm enough, just sitting out on the balcony is a treat, looking down on the city.... A breath-taking view, and at sunset, something that you'd expect in a Vasquez painting.

Here's a second link that gives info about the costs, amenities, etc....... http://interhotel.com/spain/en/hoteles/4358.html

I wish I could sneak into your luggage and enjoy the visit myself..... It's something you'll always treasure.

JP

Hi jo, jer here.

I think JP was referring to the Regional Express train to Toledo since last I knew there was no AVE for that trip. If an AVE did exist for that route it would take like 30 minutes but surely it is not beneficial for RENFE to invest in such an expensive venture just for Toledo.

The Regional Express schedule to Toledo is available at www.renfe.es/ingles/hir/index.html , just choose "Madrid" as the "origin" and "Toledo" in the "destination" box, choose the day, month and year you want to go and press the "Submit" button. Don't get scared if you see an "X" between the "M" and the "J" in the "Running,Period". The silly Spaniards use the "X" on the calendar to represent "mi�rcoles" ("Wednesday") since the "M" is already used for "martes" ("Tuesday").

Never stayed at the Parador of Toledo but I have stayed at others and I would agree with JP, it is a great experience. Thanks for the great web links JP, a wise man you are !

Saludos to all,
jer...

p.d. Hey, if the walk from the Parador to the city of Toledo is all uphill, that means it is all downhill on the way back (I am a genious indeed :eek and may be a nice walk back.

Jo, Jer,

Yes, it is the Regional Express. About 70 to 75 minutes travel time, and about $4 to make the trip.

If a person has it in mind, they can even make a stop at Aranjuez enroute, to check out the sites there as well... then get on a later train to Toledo. Not too costly an added stop by most standards.

JP (Whose wife keeps sprigs of lavender from the Queen's garden nestled amongst her Lladro... our Spanish is so bad we didn't know those signs everywhere said, "Don't pick the flowers!" )

Well Jer & JP Savage,
You know what they say, uphill is hell, but going downhill all the saints help! "Para abajo todos los Santos te ayudan!"

This is wonderful news about Toledo. We had Toledo on our agenda as a day trip, now JP's poetic description of the view from the parador makes it a must to visit!

La Booklady,

At your service, my lady! You won't be disappointed.

JP

It's taken a few years but RENFE has now heeded jer's advice and installed an AVE fast train service from ATOCHA to TOLEDO according to this news report I just read in Diario de Jerez ! Takes 35 minutes and costs Euros 12,8 for the return trip.
(Did my Spanish a lot of good too )

Madrid y Toledo quedarán desde hoy unidas por el tren de Alta Velocidad (AVE), que recorrerá en 35 minutos los más de 70 kilómetros de distancia entre las dos ciudades.
El presidente del Gobierno, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, acompañado por la ministra de Fomento, Magdalena Alvarez, y por el ministro de Defensa, José Bono, viajarán hoy desde la estación de Atocha en el primer trayecto inaugural que llegará a Toledo sobre las 10.00 horas.

El presidente de Castilla-La Mancha, José María Barreda; la presidenta de la Comunidad de Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, el alcalde de Toledo, José Manuel Molina, y la consejera castellano-manchega de Obras Públicas, María Encina Alvarez, además de un grupo de periodistas, serán también pasajeros de este viaje.

En la estación de Toledo recibirán a las autoridades los vicepresidentes del Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, Fernando Lamata y Emiliano García-Page, además de parlamentarios nacionales y regionales.

Los ciudadanos podrán utilizar este medio de transporte a partir de mañana, miércoles, y podrán elegir entre diez frecuencias diarias.

Los precios son de 8 euros para el billete sencillo; 12,8 euros para el de ida y vuelta en el mismo día y 14,4 si es en distinta jornada.

El abono de diez viajes costará 68,1 euros y las tarjetas plus, con opciones de veinte, treinta, cuarenta y cincuenta viajes tendrán un precio de 114, 136, 158 y 180 euros, respectivamente.

En cuanto a los horarios de los trenes, para el trayecto Madrid-Toledo saldrán a las 6:50 horas y las 7:50, estos dos sólo de lunes a viernes, y de lunes a domingo las salidas serán a las 9:20 horas, 10:20, 12:20, 13:50, 15:50, 17:50, 19:50 y 21:50 horas.

De Toledo a Madrid y de lunes a viernes los primeros trenes saldrán a las 6:50 y las 8:00 horas, mientras que de lunes a domingo circularán a las 9:20, 10:20, 12:20, 13:20, 15:20, 17:20, 19:20 y 21:20 horas.