Madrid + Beyond: 6 Day Spain Itinerary
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Six days adds Ávila to the base, and Ávila is the one day trip on this itinerary that needs an honest warning: it doesn’t run on the fast AVANT/AVE lines Toledo and Segovia use, it’s a conventional Media Distancia service, typically 1h40-2h15 each way. Shorter trip, the 5-day plan stops after El Escorial; the 7-day plan adds one more light half-day on top of this.
Book these before you go
- Prado and Royal Palace timed-entry tickets.
- Toledo AVANT and Segovia AVE tickets, both a few days ahead in peak season.
- El Escorial tickets, online only through Patrimonio Nacional, no walk-up option.
- A flamenco show for one evening back in the city.
Day 1: the Golden Triangle and Retiro
Open with the Prado at 10:00 (EUR 15, two to three hours), then Retiro for the afternoon. The Palacio de Cristal is closed for restoration until roughly 2027, exterior only. Evening tapas in Chamberí on Calle Ponzano over the more tourist-visible Cava Baja.
Day 2: Royal Palace, Sol, and La Latina
The Royal Palace (EUR 14) opens the morning, then Almudena Cathedral. Walk Plaza Mayor toward Sol, skip lunch on the square itself, eat one block into La Latina at Casa Lucas or Txakolina. Sunset at Temple of Debod closes the day.
Day 3: Toledo, the full-day trip
The AVANT from Atocha runs direct in 33-34 minutes. Give Toledo the whole day: the Cathedral, the Alcázar, El Greco’s Burial of the Count of Orgaz in Santo Tomé, and the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca. Skip the souvenir sword shops on Calle Comercio.
Day 4: Segovia, the half-day that earns it
The AVE from Chamartín takes 26-28 minutes; Segovia-Guiomar station sits about 4km outside the old town, budget for bus 11 or a taxi. Aqueduct, Alcázar, cathedral, then cochinillo asado at Mesón de Cándido or Restaurante José María. Skip any combo tour trying to sell Toledo and Segovia together.
Day 5: El Escorial, without the Cuelgamuros bolt-on
Cercanías C-3 or C-8 to El Escorial station, 50-60 minutes, then a short uphill walk. Tickets online in advance only , closed Mondays, no walk-up sales as of 2026. Skip the tour operators bundling in Valle de Cuelgamuros, the funicular to the cross is closed indefinitely and the two sites sit roughly 9km apart with thin transit between them.
Day 6: Ávila, the slow one, done honestly
This is a Media Distancia train from Chamartín, not the fast AVANT/AVE class Toledo and Segovia run on. Scheduled times range roughly 1h40-2h15 each way depending on the specific departure, occasionally longer, so this is genuinely a full day out, not a half-day squeezed into an afternoon. The payoff: Europe’s most complete medieval defensive walls, 2.5km of ramparts, 88 towers, 9 gates. Walking the two accessible sections, about 1.7km total, costs roughly EUR 7. Check the return train time before you set out; the slower line runs fewer departures per day than Toledo or Segovia’s.
| Day | Focus | Rough cost, excl. hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prado, Retiro, Chamberí tapas | EUR 45-65 |
| 2 | Royal Palace, Sol, Plaza Mayor, La Latina, Debod | EUR 40-60 |
| 3 | Toledo: Cathedral, Alcázar, El Greco sites | EUR 50-70 |
| 4 | Segovia: aqueduct, Alcázar, cochinillo lunch | EUR 45-65 |
| 5 | El Escorial: monastery, Royal Pantheon | EUR 35-50 |
| 6 | Ávila: medieval walls, longer travel day | EUR 35-55 |
Compare Madrid hotel rates on Booking.com before choosing a base for four train mornings. Prefer someone else handling the logistics for one leg, book a Toledo day trip and keep the other three independent. One concrete tip: check Ávila’s actual train times for your travel dates before you commit the day to it, the top end of that 1h40-2h15 range isn’t guaranteed on every departure, and a slower service eats directly into your time on the walls.