Madrid to Toledo, best way to get there?
 

My friends are doing a daytrip to Toledo from Madrid. When I was there last the bus was the chaepest fastest way to get there. Is there something better now, or is the bus still best when you consider time & cost? Thanks in advance

fast train AVE ( 1/2 hour)

http://www.renfe.es/index.html

I don't think it matters how you go. When I went in 1970, even 'Europe on $5 a day' recommended against the 3rd class train. My sister and I took it and had no complaints!

zwho,
Please tell your friends that it's really important now to book the AVANT (the short distance AVE) to Toledo in advance.

This quick, easy and inexpensive 30 min. ride has brought Toledo within commuting distance of Madrid, so seats on these trains do sell out. If your friends go to Atocha station that morning to buy their tickets, they may indeed find no seats available until the afternoon, ruining their day trip to Toledo, or sending them to the bus station for a far longer ride.

On our last trip, when we arrived at Atocha at 8:30 am with our pdf file tix in hand, we saw the announcement that all the morning trains were full. Ditto to our return from Toledo station to Madrid in the afternoon.

They can purchase the Madrid-Toledo AVANT tickets on line or when they arrive at the Madrid airport. Renfe has an office in the international arrivals area, downstairs, in T1 and another in T4. But if they have decided already on what day they want to make this trip, they can book on line and just print out their tix.

Here are the instructions, recently revised:

http://tinyurl.com/ctgmr5

The AVANT train is great and I purchased tickets both from and back to Madrid before I left the USA. Just be sure to leave enough time to get back to the train station from the center of Toledo. We took the 1 euro bus from the train to the town center and it was very quick, but the return bus ride was longer. The walk would be very long, not scenic and very arduous - so plan on the bus or a cab from the train station.