We had travelled to Toledo, Madrid (Spain) in April 2019.
Toledo is one of the oldest and most unique cities in Spain. This city has made an important contribution to Spain’s history and heritage.
Toledo is a cute Medieval Spanish city. Before Madrid became the capital of Spain in 1561, the Spanish kings and queens ruled from Toledo. It is surrounded on three sides by water(Tagus River) and the fourth side by walls. Due to its position, it was very easy to defend and hence was the capital of Spain for a long time.
Coaches travelling from Madrid to Toledo (approx. 70 Kms) depart from the Plaza Elíptica transport hub (level -1).
We had bought the ticket from the point of sale in the Eliptica terminal Ground Floor. The travel duration was 1.5 hours (Check for Direct Bus availability). The price of the ticket was around 6 Euros/adult (1 way).
You can also book the return trip from the same ticket counter. You can book the coach in the ALSA website –> https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/coach/madrid-toledo
There are trains also running from Madrid (Puerto de Atocha station) to Toledo, which takes only 33 minutes in a high speed train. I think there are trains running every hour. The price is around 12 Euros/adult (one side)
More Details Here –> http://www.renfe.com/
The bus station in Toledo is on the bottom of the city. Once you reach the bus stand, you must come outside the station and walk in the right direction. At the extreme end, you will find an escalator. This is infact a series of elevators which will take you till the top of the hills. This is very convenient for the travellers.
Toledo is known as “the city of three cultures” (Christians, Arabs and Jews lived there together for many years) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was declared so in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage. It boasts 2,000 years of history, and is filled with small hidden squares, winding side streets and historic buildings and monuments at every turn.
Toledo is famous for traditional metal work and the production of blade weapon. That’s still a big industry today and they supply many film sets, including Lord of the Rings with stage weaponry and sell replicas as souvenirs. Toledo is famous for making the best swords in Europe.
You can easily cover the entire place in a single day. However, if you still want to stay and relax in Toledo, hotels are available.
In the interest of time, we decided to take an ‘Hop on Hop off’ bus. The price of the ticket was around 15 Euros/adult. The duration is around 50 minutes and the frequency is around 30 min.
Best time to visit:
Toledo is centrally positioned in a plateau on the Iberian Peninsula and it sits about 500 meters above sea level. It enjoys a continental climate which is mostly dry and sunny throughout the year. With the crazy network of old streets aside, the city is compact enough to be explored on foot.
Some places of interest:
1) Cathedral
One of Toledo’s standout historical landmarks is The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo (or simply, Toledo Cathedral)
2) Alcazar
3) Synagogue
4) Museums
5) Walls
6) Plaza Zocodover
7) Jewish Quarter
8) Cristo de la Luz Mosque
9) Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes
10) San Martin’s Bridge
The only challenge is that people are less likely to be able to speak English.
Note: Apart from Toledo, Segovia is another popular day trip from Madrid
