Getting from Madrid to Toledo

madrid-to-toledo-train Perched above Tagus River, Toledo is often overlooked by the tourists coming each year to visit Spain. An UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986, this picturesque town has a history dating back to the Roman times. Soak up the atmosphere while walking on the old, narrow, cobbled streets.
Toledo is located just 70 km from Madrid so it can be a great day-trip destination for those visiting Spain’s capital.
Summary:
Toledo doesn’t have an airport and the closest airport is Barajas International Airport in Madrid. From there, the fastest way to get to Toledo is by high speed train, while the cheapest is by bus.

By train

All trains to Toledo depart from Madrid’s main train station: Atocha. It takes only 30 minutes to get to Toledo on the AVE trains (high speed). The ticket costs €9.45 per person, one way (tourist class, the only one available).
The following trains depart from Madrid to Toledo:

at 6:50 a.m., Mon to Fri, from May 16 to June 10
at 7:50 a.m., Mon to Fri, from May 2 to June 10
at 9:20 a.m. , 10:20 a.m., 12:20 p.m., 1:50 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 5:50 p.m. & 7:50 p.m., daily, from Dec 14 to June 20
at 6:50 p.m., Mon to Fri, from May 16 to June 10
at 9:50 p.m., daily, from Jan 1 to June 20

>>the schedule and details can be found here
Note: if you need to get from the airport to Atocha, the metro ticket costs about €1 per person, one way and the taxi costs little over €30

var Company = “BNUS”;
var AgencyID = “”;
var Country = “US”;
var SubmitURL=”https://cart.railkey.com”;

ShowBookingWidget();

By bus

The buses to Toledo depart from Mendez Alvaro Bus Station and the company providing the service is Continental Auto. The journey between Madrid and Toledo takes about 1 hour if there isn’t much traffic and up to 1h 30 min if the roads are crowded.
Buses depart from Madrid daily. The first bus is at 6 a.m. and the last one at midnight. There are buses about every 15-30 min but some of them are not available over the weekend.
Unfortunately the Continental Auto website doesn’t work if you want to find out the schedules or to purchase tickets. The bus ticket costs around €5 per person, one way.
>>the schedule can be found here (the website is in Spanish so follow the steps: 1. click on Horarios Nacionales; 2. Choose “Toledo” from both drop down lists; 3. Choose the date or leave “ninguna” to get the general schedule)

By car

If you plan to rent a car in Madrid and drive to Toledo make sure to be prepared for heavy traffic (most of the time). Six roads lead directly to Madrid and they are connected by two rings. Take the A-42 highway (on old road maps: N-401) to Toledo which can be entered from both rings. The driving distance is 89 km and it takes little over an hour.
Here’s a map with the directions:

View Larger Map

By taxi

If your budget allows for splurges you can take a taxi directly from Madrid’s airport to Toledo. The fare is little over €120 and the journey takes about 1h 30 min.

Other related information: