I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have about how to travel most efficiently and comfortably from Toledo to Cuenca, overnighting in Cuenca and then traveling to Madrid.

By Car? We will have a car as we approach Toledo from Avila but had planned to ditch it in Toledo, if possible, or if not, in Madrid. We could keep the car for the drive to Cuenca, which www.viamichelin says is about 2 1/2 hours, with the return trip to Madrid the next day also about 2 1/2 hours.

By Train? This is my preference, but with the connections I was able to find on the RENFE sight, it looks like it would take the better part of the day - 8:30 am train from Toledo to Madrid, with no train leaving Madrid for Cuenca until 12:44, arriving at about 15:00 hours, about 6 1/4 hours, which takes the better part of the day.

Does anyone know whether there are less time-consuming ways to get from Toledo to Cuenca?

I would think that driving would be your best bet. The roads are really good and easy to drive, and it would be so much quicker than the train.

Do you have to do it in that order?
Cuenca is not exactly on the way from Toledo to Madrid.

Marcy,

Thanks for your thoughtful response. I suspect we'll follow your suggestion and keep the car so we can drive.

Our itinerary is pretty well fixed - in fact, I booked all of our accommodations just today. This is the way it shakes out:

October 3: Barcelona, Hotel Regencia Colon for 3 days

October 6: EasyJet from Barcelona to Sevilla, 2 days at Las Casas de los Mercaderas

October 8: Pick up car leaving Sevilla, drive to Ronda, San Gabriel Hotel 1 night

October 9: Granada, Hotel Inglatera 2 nights

October 11: Cordoba, Hotel Los Omeyas, 1 night

October 12: Caceres, Parador Caceres, 2 nights

October 14: Salamanca, Hotel Rector, 2 nights

October 16: Segovia, Infanta Isaella Hotel, 1 night

October 17: Avila, Parador, 1 night

October 18: Toledo, Parador, 1 night

October 19: Cuenca, Parador, 1 night

October 20: Madrid, Palacio San Martin 2 nights

October 22: Fly home

Originally, we planned to drive from Cordoba to Almagro (sp?) for a night and then to Cuenca for a night before ending up in Madrid before our flight home. But we changed our minds and decided to make the loop through Caceres, to Salamanca, Segovia, Avila, and Toledo, on the way to Cuenca before wrapping things up in Madrid.

Looks like keeping the car a couple of extra days is the way to go.

It sounds like you're covering a lot of ground!

I think you'll like the paradors. We've stayed in the ones in Cáceres and Cuenca, and both were very nice, and a very good value, we thought.

Hi Marcy,

The post under "Pegontheroad" was actually mine. (I accidentally posted the thread under her name, because I'm staying with her [she's my sister] as she recovers from knee replacement surgery.

Peg and I do follow the "bat-out-of-hell" school of travel planning, mainly because I started traveling so late in life (I'm 62 now, and my first trip to Europe was just four years ago), and I have discovered that there are so many wonderful places I want to see before finances and various body parts give out (Peg's knees, my feet).

I never post itineraries for review on this site, because I anticipate the "TOO FAST! TOO FAST!" chorus. A fairly brisk itinerary has always worked out well for us. In fact the only time we've regretted the pace of our travels was when we budgeted only one night in Meersburg, Germany. Such a neat town, it pained us to leave so soon.

Mary Fran,
I say do whatever works for you!

We aren't here to please other people on this forum. You need to enjoy your own trip!

I know what you mean about running out of time-- I bought the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (depressing title!) , and realized that I need to take about a trip per week!

Oh well, we'll at least try to make a dent in it....