Sukistar

Hello,

As Maribel suggested, my sister and I will meet up (from Korea and NYC)in Cuenca and spend a night or two, then we will be return to Madrid and pick up our parents at the airport at 10 am and then all of us will take the Ave down to Cordoba. Before heading South, I thought we could do a brief stop at El Escorial (which my family have not been to, and since we are going to all the places we've been in the past on this trip, I thought this stop might make it exciting for them, but is El Escorial exciting? I have been, over ten years ago, but curiously have no recollection...) Anyway, this means that we go straight from the airport to El Escorial and then return to Ave station. Since there isn't much time, I considered taking a taxi direct, which is too expensive, I think. Renting a car is not possible. What would be the quickest transport to get there and return to take Ave? There is a 11:30 am train express according to renfe, which we might make if we take a taxi to Atocha. Or the bus? Would we leave our luggages at lockers at Atocha? Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Robert2533

El Escorial is interesting, but given the situation, I rather have lunch before heading for Cordoba, or head for Cordoba an little earlier and be their in time for lunch.

victor_d

I agree is sound very stressful, and you have to consider the time to see El Escorial inside, because watching it just from outside doesn't worth the effort.
I have always consider El Escorial as a half day trip from Madrid.

Anyway the best way to get to El Escorial is from Atocha station, from the platforms of commuter trains "Cercanias".
http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/madrid..._horarios.html

Leave the luggage in the lockers of Atocha station.

Re consider this option, isn't it better to do a walk along Prado to Cibeles and then Alcala to Sol? it's more relaxed and when you want to get back just get the metro or a short taxi ride.

Viajero2

Sukky-- your plan is nutty and this is why: you are pressed by time yet you want to dragged your parents straight from the airport (most likely exhausted) the opposite way by taxi to a place you seem to have no idea what is it about....? In top of that, rushed back to ATOCHA to catch the AVE south....? N U T T Y!

If you want to impress your parents, take them into Madrid to the Medina Mayrit Turkish Bath on
Calle Atocha, 14. For about $22.00 you get 1/2 hour massage after relaxing in hot Arab Baths and a Turkish Steam Bath (Hamman; renmants of Spain's Moorish past). The most relaxing place to start a great vacation and right in the center of Madrid. http://www.medinamayrit.com/

marigross

I only made to El Escorial on my 3rd trip to Madrid. It was nice but I was not particularly impressed. Why? Most likely because I went on my arrival day and was a bit jet lagged. I did the Escorial / Valle de los Caídos combo and that took most of the day.

I remember (blurry) that you can only go through the Escorial with a guide. English tours were not available at all hours so that might be an even bigger contraint on your time.

marigross

I forgot to add... Cuenca is one of my favorite places in the world. I knew nothing about it and DH and I picked it almost randomly as a 'pit stop' because we did not want to arrive late into Madrid. WOW. Loved, loved the place. I guess the no expectation part played into it but Cuenca is certainly a destination upon itself.

Sukistar

It's too stressful, I gather. This trip is so phenomenally expensive, with the steep euro and coming from korea etc (I will be there on Sep 4th.) and, for personal reasons, I don't envision being able to take my parents to Spain for a long time, that I wanted to add one awesome sight that we have not seen before heading South, (which also consists of revisits). It would be easier if we could sleep the first night of our trip with my parents in Madrid, of course, but the schedule won't allow. Oh well...so it's blurry for Marigross, too. That's a relief, because I kept thinking if I can't even remember what Escorial even looked like, having once been there albeat long ago, it can't be that spectacular. Whereas Cuenca, although its stark beauty wasn't to my liking then, many years ago as a young backpacker, and I am now returning and excited to rediscover, is still quite vivid in my mind. Thanks for your thoughts.

CathyM

I was also underwhelmed by El Escorial also. We stopped as a daytrip on the way to Segovia from Toledo (where we had spent 2 nights).

Is there anywhere in your trip South you could visit as a daytrip that you haven't visited before? I visit Sevilla and Cadiz every Spring yet always find a new daytrip in these visits to throw in something new.

amsdon

I also vitited the Escorial many years ago and was not as impressed as I was this more recent trip (12 years later) I had new eyes so to speak. Also the first time was in the hottest months and hard to tolerate the glare of the sun on the cement. Someone here on Fodors suggested I try again and I am very glad as both DH & I enjoyed it very much.

That said I agree with the others. Do not cram too much into one first day. I enjoyed the palace at La Granja very much also if you ever think to head back up north at some other time.

I agree get them rested first.

NEDSIRELAND

re. Escorial, SukiStar writes: "I thought this stop might make it exciting for them, but is El Escorial exciting?" I don't think the Valle de los Caidos is exciting but the San Lorenzo Monastery is ...

I prefer Segovia over Escorial!

You could catch a taxi to Chamartin Station: there's hourly service to Escorial from Chamartin.

When you buy your Tix to Cordoba on AVE ask the Renfe ticket agent at Atocha if the 'Club-4' Promotional fare is available. It's a private Club Class compartment for 4-people at the price of Preferente Tickets and it includes a meal with drinks and Periodicals and/or Magazines.

amsdon

I agree with Ned the food on the AVE was prett good and it was very relaxing.

Sukistar

Thank you very much for that Club class possibility on Ave; I didn't know about that. I think I might give up on the idea of El Escorial after all. Our trip is just a few days in Cordoba (a time around my parents' favorite Mezquita, much more than Alhambra actually, and I had hoped perhaps that El Escorial could enchant them similarly) and also Ronda feria. Then we take Ave back up and stay one night at La Granja parador before flying out of Baraja. I always mean to return to some of the places I vaguely recall from long ago -- like Salamanca, San Sabastian -- but then there never is enough time during a time in Spain. It would be interesting to ask what is the most awe-inspiring sight one has beheld in Spain, a broad question possibly, but perhaps that should be another thread. Thank you again for your generous insights.

Maribel

Sukistar,
Please don't think about taking your parents to El Escorial on the morning they arrive! There's just no time, period, and unless you're all die-hard history buffs, it really can be underwhelming, particularly given the time you'd need to devote to this detour. (I've been many times and have spent summers in San Lorenzo with students).

An update:
No longer is a guided tour a requirement. One can visit self-guided, but the trip from either Madrid's Chamartín rail station on the Cercanías train 8a or the Herranz bus (661 or 664) from the Intercambiador de Moncloa will take about an hour.

Sukistar,
I say this because I learned the hard way.
As a young impressionable teenager, I wanted to show my parents everything under the sun on their first day in Spain (I was so madly in love with the country-I naively wanted so much to impress them immediately) that I ended up simply overtaxing them, big time!, exhausting them, and I regretted it forever! I didn't give my poor mom and dad the time to overcome their jet lag, thus they couldn't possibly enjoy the overly ambitious itinerary I planned for them.

My advice, learned from experience, would be:

Upon meeting them at Barajas airport at 10 am (hoping their flight arrives on time), the four of you should taxi straight to Atocha station.

Take the 12:35 or the 1 pm AVE to Córdoba (there's one at noon but I would leave far more cushion, just in case).

Buy "preferente" tickets for all, as it will give you access to Atocha's VIP Lounge upstairs (free drinks, snacks, internet access, quiet) plus a lunch (very decent food) served at your seat.

(No Club 4 promotions available now, as far as I know, but Estrella fares are available for preferente tickets at €36,80 on the 12:35 train if you buy them ASAP (or 62 days out). If it's too late to take advantage of the Estrella fares, then simply book "turista" and have lunch upon arrival (lunch served in Córdoba until around 3:30 pm).

I have a tutorial on "How to Buy Renfe Tickets online" on my web page.)


Thus you've accomplished a couple of things:

You've gotten them out of the airport and immediately headed on to their next set destination, going towards their "rest" right away, their final stop that day without exhausting and confusing waiting, sidetracking, detouring.

You've given them time to relax:
in the lounge awaiting the train and on the one hour 50 min. train ride to Córdoba with lunch thrown in.

You arrive in Córdoba relaxed and can taxi to your hotel so that they can settle in,
THEN later on, when they're ready, you all can start your sightseeing, in small, doable doses until they recover from jet lag.

Just some thoughts...

Graziella5b

Hi Sukistar I believe it is a wise decision not to visit El Monasterio del Escorial if you do not have enought time. Besides your parents will be tired from the trip. THis is not to say that El Monasterio del Escorial is a fascinating place to visit. To really enjoy it I believe you need to be aware of Phillip II and also of his father Charles and Spanish history in general. It makes a lot of difference.
Enjoy Cuenca which is a very nice place to visit and have fun in Spain.
( In Cuenca we enjoyed having dinner @Meson Los Tintes a place where locals go, you have to make reservations ahead of time.( Not because it is a fancy place but because it is very good and it is always full. It is also a small place.)

Sukistar

Thank you very much for your uniform suggestion to skip El Escorial. Yes, I was too ambitious there, or just plain greedy. And Graziella points out, it might be more of a thing for history buff sort. Instead I am saving the cost of El Escorial trip and will splurge on the very fancy Palacio Baileo hotel in Cordoba for at least one night. A bit of a walk from Mezquita, but looks rather beautiful. Hopefully one day, I will return to El Escorial and know if I have made a right decision or if it would blow me away then. Thank you, everyone, for being so generous with your suggestions -- I think my parents will have a far better start this way.