Toledo practicalities

 

Return tickets to Toledo on the superfast AVE train from Atocha station in Madrid were €18 at the time, when bought the day before (be prepared to queue). The journey takes 30 minutes. Travellers on the train are required to have a seat and this is a very popular daytrip, so advance booking is recommended.

You might prefer to take a bus instead; this page has suggestions on making the trip.

The train station is a 1-hour walk from the old town (uphill all the way). Ignore the tour coaches waiting outside the station. Follow the bus symbol to the right (don’t cross the road) and catch a scheduled commuter bus from the road going past the station. Timetables are at the bus stop, but most routes head into the old town. At the time, a single bus ticket from the station to the Alcazar cost 95 euro cents.

 

Toledo is more exposed than Madrid and on a lower elevation; it’s therefore much warmer and usually boiling hot in summer. The religious sites do not allow entry if you have bared shoulders or legs, so dress comfortably but modestly and don’t forget a hat.

At the time, admission to Toledo’s cathedral cost €7, or €10 with an audioguide. The El Greco in Santo Tome, Antigua Sinagoga Santa Maria la Blanca, San Juan de Los Reyes monastery and Jesuit church each charged the same €2.30.

 

Check yourself beforehand, but the main sights should all be open daily, usually from 10-6.

In addition to the places we visited, tourists might be tempted to visit:-

Alcazar – the immense fortress is a completely modern reconstruction housing an army museum;

House of El Greco – the painter never actually lived in the building and the paintings on display aren’t his best;

Hospital de Tavera – this 16thC hospital and church has a collection of paintings by Titian, Zurbaran, El Greco and Ribera. Regular tours in English take visitors to room that are usually locked away such as the pharmacy and library. It sounds lovely, but we couldn’t make it in time because it sits away from the town’s other sights.

 

If you want to visit these sights as well and have more time to wander the medieval streets, you can easily fill two full days exploring the city.

A full Toledo photo gallery with more images of mine can be found here.