Plan a day trip from Madrid to Segovia
A day trip from Madrid to Segovia is a perfect day
The magnificent old town of Segovia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Segovia is just a half hour by high speed train from Madrid.
Planning our trip:
We spent the first two weeks of October in Spain. This is a wonderful time to visit Spain. The weather was warm but not hot. We had brilliant sunshine every day.
We flew to Madrid and took a couple of days to adjust to the time change. We booked our Madrid hotel but nothing beyond. We decided to wait until we arrived in Madrid to plan the trip.
Usually, we rent a car when we travel. This gives us the option to travel where we want, when we want. This time, we tried something different. We decided to travel by train.
On our first day in Madrid, we went to a travel agency in Madrid to book our train tickets and hotels. There is a travel agency inside Spain’s only department store, El Corte Inglés. You may wonder how I know that there is a travel agency in a department store. My sister and I went to Madrid a few years ago and became very familiar with El Corte Inglés. We used the travel agency inside El Corte Inglés to book our transportation (train/bus combo) from Madrid to Granada.
El Corte Inglés (Spanish for “the English cut”), headquartered in Madrid, is the biggest department store group in Europe and ranks fourth worldwide. El Corte Inglés is Spain’s only remaining department store chain.
El Corte Inglés’ flagship store is located in Madrid at 79 Calle Raimundo Fernández Villaverde. The complex encompasses several buildings and carries the most comprehensive collection of designers of any large store in Spain.
Designer boutiques in this store include: Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Collezioni, Gucci, Loewe, Dockers, Ralph Lauren, Bulgari, Dior, Dior Homme, Georges Rech, Versace, Hugo Boss, Boss Woman, Ermenegildo Zegna, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce&Gabbana, Burberry (men/women), Façonnable, Pal Zileri, Paul & Shark, Lacoste, Pavillon Christofle, CH by Carolina Herrera, Escada Sport, James Purdey and Sons, Lloyd’s, Purificación Garcia, Calvin Klein, Caroll Paris, Amitie, Episode, store brands (Emidio Tucci, Dustin) and many others. Also included is a branch of the Madrid-based Aldeo jewelers, carrying such jewellery designers as Boucheron, Blancpain and Hamilton.
It is easy to spot any El Corte Inglés department store because of its distinctive green logo
El Corte Inglés flagship store is in the heart of the pedestrian-only shopping district in the centre of Madrid. We passed it many times while touring Madrid (and I spent lots of time inside).
The travel agency is located on the second floor, in a corner, near women’s scarfs and gloves. (And near a rack of half-price cashmere sweaters).
We spent at least an hour with a lovely travel agent who booked all our train tickets and hotels for the remainder of our trip. This is the plan we made:
Segovia: day trip from Madrid
Toledo: two days
Seville: three days
Cordoba: two days
Salamanca: one day
Madrid: departure
It all worked out perfectly. All the trains ran on time. We made all the connections. We liked the hotels that the agent booked.
Questions:
- When you travel, do you like to book everything before you go?
- Do you like booking transportation and hotels on the go?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method of travel?
Jump on board the train for our first destination: Segovia
Getting to Segovia
It took more than half an hour to get from Madrid to Segovia.
First, you need to get to the train station for the high speed train from Madrid to Segovia.
There are two main train stations in Madrid: Chamartin and Atocha. The train to Segovia leaves from Chamartin. We walked to the Sol station on the Madrid Metro line. Subways and trains stop at the Sol metro stop. Sol is a large metro station so we gave ourselves lots of time to find our way to the Renfe train to Charmatin.
The train from Sol station to Charmatin runs every 10 minutes. Once we arrived in Chamartin, we went up two sets of escalators to the main station where we caught the high speed train to Segovia.
After a half hour, we arrived in Segovia. Actually, the high speed train station in Segovia is in the absolute middle of nowhere. We tried to get a cab into town. There were no cabs. But there was a city bus waiting at the station. It took everyone from the train into town, about a 20 minute ride.
All in all, you need to plan about two hours to get from downtown Madrid to the centre of Segovia.
Our train reached a top speed of 250km/h
The train is fast, smooth and comfortable.
The Roman aqueduct is the symbol of Segovia
You know you have arrived in Segovia when you see the magnificent two-tiered aqueduct that dominates the old city.
The aqueduct is one of the best-preserved elevated Roman aqueducts. It was constructed in the first century.
The aqueduct is almost 100′ high. Tourists are dwarfed when standing next to the foundation.
The full splendour of aqueduct is evident when you stand at the base of one of its 44 double arches.
In total, there are 167 arches in the aqueduct.
The aqueduct was designed by the Romans to bring water from a mountain river into the city. The aqueduct runs for 15 kms from the mountains to the city.
Once the water reached the city, it followed a subterranean distribution route.
The aqueduct has been used almost uninterrupted from Roman times to present times. The aqueduct is in excellent shape but is no longer used to supply the city with water.
Look closely and you will see me standing at the base of the aqueduct
There are more than 20,400 blocks of granite in the aqueduct. The heaviest blocks weighs 2 tons.
Would you stand under a 100′ arch, supported by …. I don’t know.
It’s been standing since the first century so I think it is safe to stand under it
The aqueduct has the civil engineering stamp of approval
Segovia is a bucket-list trip for civil engineers
The 221 colossal pillars bear witness to the magnitude of the Aquae Atilianae.
The impressive monuments that survive in Mérida, Tarragona, and Segovia illustrate the political determination, which following the steps of the victorious armies, greatly increased the number of aqueducts which Frontinus described as ‘the most solemn testimony of the Empire.’
The Aqueduct of Segovia is the best known of these civil engineering feats due to its monumentality, its excellent state of conservation, and in particular, its stunning location in relation to the urban site.
The aqueduct of Segovia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Roman Aqueduct of Segovia, probably built c. 50 BC, is remarkably well preserved. This impressive construction, with its two tiers of arches, forms part of the magnificent setting of the historic city of Segovia.
The Aqueduct is the symbol of the city and can in no way be separated from Segovia as a whole.
The whole town of Segovia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
There is a broad stone staircase from the base of the aqueduct to the top
You can enjoy the vista from the top of the aqueduct
There are lots of spots to stop and rest and get a close-up view of this magnificent aqueduct
There are lots of safe spots to get selfies near the top of the aqueduct
This barrier is designed to prevent extreme selfie-seekers from climbing on top of the aqueduct
The next time you’re standing at the edge of a scenic cliff, take care before snapping a quick selfie. It could be the last thing you do.
More than 250 people worldwide have died while taking selfies in the last six years,
After getting lots of safe selfies near the top of the aqueduct, we headed into town to visit the Cathedral of Segovia
This picturesque cathedral is in the main square
This massive column gives you an idea of the scale of this cathedral
This ornate organ is just one example of the decor inside the cathedral
Time for lunch
This is the view from our Michelin-star restaurant in the main square
If you don’t want to stop for lunch, there are lots of fabulous ham shops where you can grab a sandwich
A short stroll through the heart of the old town of Segovia brought us to our next destination, the Alcázar of Segovia
You can enjoy a lovely view of Segovia from the grounds surrounding the Alcázar
Segovia is lush because of the river at the base of the Alcázar
The countryside outside Segovia is brown
The Alcázar of Segovia is a Disney fairytale
The Alcázar of Segovia, together with Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, gave Disney his inspiration for Cinderella’s fairytale castle.
The Alcázar was originally built as a Muslim fortress. Over the centuries, it has been repurposed as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy. Today it is a museum.
The Alcázar of Segovia is one of Spain’s most famous castles
These tourists could be a prince and princess, giving a royal wave from the royal balcony in the Alcázar of Segovia
After taking lots of photos of the exterior of the Alcázar of Segovia, we were ready to cross the drawbridge and enter a fairytale castle
Don’t look down when you walk across the drawbridge to the castle
The interior of the Alcázar is a mix of Moorish and Christian design
Don’t forget to look up when you tour the Alcázar
The ceilings in the Alcázar are more ornate than the walls
Here is another ceiling in the Alcázar
Today, the Alcázar is a military museum
What do you think of the pointy shoes on that knight in shining armour?
The Alcázar of Segovia is a fairtyale castle that has everything, including a maze
The Alcázar of Segovia was once used as a prison
A short visit to the dungeon was enough for me! It was time to head back through town and catch a cab back to the train station.
This is our final view of our unforgettable day trip to Segovia
We caught a late afternoon train back to Madrid. We had time to relax before heading out for a fabulous dinner in Madrid.
Jump on board the train next week to see the UNESCO World Heritage city of Toledo
Rose Ann MacGillivray
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Rose Ann and I really enjoyed our lunch in Segovia at Juan Bravo Restaurante, which is located on the Plaza Mayor (Main Square): http://www.juan-bravo.com/
As it was a beautiful sunny day, we ate outside so that we would have a view of the Plaza and the main Cathedral. Great food, service, weather and surroundings made for a very memorable lunch.
Now I want to go To Madrid! I didn’t enjoy Barcelona, but your trip sounds great. Just rereading your blogs on Australia and New Zealand. We leave next week and I can’t wait to do the Coogee to Bondi Beach walk.
Thanks for the comment. Have a fabulous trip! Send me photos!
I congratulate you, Rose Ann, on the especially beautiful photography of Segovia. I know the place real well even since my long ago student days. Also over the years often passing by on the direct train from Madrid via Burgos up to the Basque area. The iconic aqueduct to the right as we sped by. The multiple shots you took representing the architecture and stonework of Segovia are of award-winning standard.
Just one suggestion: A more exciting way of getting from central Madrid to the Chamartin train Station is via the 32 tram bus ( I think that it the correct number ). It runs from , say, the next stop after the Museo del Prado all the way along the Castellano, passing the citadel of Real Madrid, Estadio de Bernabeo. Much more rewarding than the Metro. A veritable panoramic tour through 20th century Mardid.
Hi Michael. Thank you for the lovely comment and the info on getting to Chamartin Station. I will try the tram bus next time … and there is always a next time for Madrid!
Great photos, Rose Ann! Unfortunately, it has been decades since I have been to Spain, and I have never been to Segovia. It definitely looks like a town to go visit!
Hi Judy. It sounds like it is time for you to plan a trip to Spain!
Rose Ann, your pictures of Segovia, Spain are absolutely breattaking!
The Segovia Cathedral is beyond opulent.
After our El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in 2014, our reward was to go to Madrid and enjoy the city. We took the 5 hour fast train from Santiago to Madrid.
We loved visiting the Prado museum, the Royal Palace, Puerta del Sol and Gran Via areas.
Our husbands were delighted to hear that we did not have enough ‘energy’ to shop at El Cortes Ingles!
We had left all our vitality on the 800 km. walk!
Segovia is now on my bucket list!
Thank you for stimulating our travel juices and for exposing us to this beautiful world we live in!
Thanks for the lovely comment, Carol Anne. You have to be strong and focused to walk 800 km! We loved Madrid and will do a post soon on our experience.