Family will be landing in Madrid and departing from Barcelona next summer. Expect to stay 8-9 nights. Looking for suggestions for a third stop. Toledo seems close to Madrid. What are your thoughts?
Are there any towns (such as walled in towns) that are between Madrid and Barcelona that should be seen?

I am not looking for places with great museums or churches. Just interesting and fun places to see.

Zaragoza is a really nice town smack between Madrid and Barcelona but Madrid offers some superb day trips - Toledo awesome - and Segovai and Avila and El Escorial, etc all gems.

Zaragoza - a really colorful city:

https://www.google.com/search?q=zara...=1600&bih=1075

Valencia. Lovely town!

IMO, Zaragoza is only so-so. Good for a bathroom break and a snack.

Driving between Madrid and Barcelona is long and boring, IMHO. Take the fast train.

Toledo is a lovely walled city. I have stayed overnight and it is not that lively, even at night, so not sure what you are looking for for fun. The cathedral is the main draw as it is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world, but if churches are of no interest, then don't make it a place to stay. It also has major paintings by El Greco it that interests you. It is only 30 minutes by train from Madrid, so an easy day trip.

Segovia is also an easy day trip from Madrid and has a lovely square, which was quiet during the day. I read that it is just as quite at night. Again, of interest there are the Roman Aqueduct, the church and the castle.

With fast trains, you could visit Seville which seemed to me to have more night life or Cordoba for an overnight.

There is also a fast train to Valencia.

Zaragoza is an interesting town, but if you can do an overnight, Seville would be great.

Another vote for fabulous Valencia...great beaches, BTW

<<There is also a fast train to Valencia.>>

To be clear: there is a fast train from Madrid to Valencia. There is not a fast train from Barcelona to Valencia.

Oh, yes, sorry. I was just thinking day trips from Madrid. Thanks, BigRuss for making it right for the OP.

Walled city east of Madrid is Avila. Morella is in the interior but you need a car , from Valencia to Barcelona NOT in any direct line at all, but might be nice place to overnight and break up a two day car trip. You could also stop at Peñiscola if you have a car. A beach front amazing fortified town on a peninsula that juts out into the water..

Madrid-Toledo, Madrid-Segovia, Madrid-Valencia all on high speed trains. Rent a car for two or three days to get from Valencia to Barcelona. you won't be disappointed.

Lin - Avila is WEST of Madrid. The OP only has 8 or 9 days for his trip. I can't see him meandering from Valencia to Barcelona for a couple of days.

A bit off topic but I thought you might like this:

http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/...NjQxNjI4MDI5S0

sorry.. you are SO right.. , Bedar

The train from Barcelona to Valencia takes 3 hours ...not terribly long.

If you're in Barcelona and you would like to have a beach-day I would suggest to go to Sitges, it is a 30 minute train ride away for the most beautiful natural beach of northern Spain!

Valencia is a cool cool old town in its center - often overlooked.

how about Girona: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girona?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...042904104.html.

Great help, thank you