time between Madrid train stations
 

I am trying to travel from Segovia to Toledo in an afternoon, and it seems that the AVE is the best way to do this, with a change of trains in Madrid. I will arrive at Chamartin station and will need to depart from Atocha station. How long should I allow for transferring by taxi from one station to the other? Thanks.

Get a Cercanias train from Chamartin to Atocha. Quicker (less than 15 minutes) and cheaper (1,20 euros)

Cova

http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/madrid..._horarios.html

There are constant commuter trains taking an underground route between the two stations - cheap and the fastest way - buy a Segovia-Atocha ticket in Segovia so you need not buy one in Chamartin upon arrival from Segovia

You may find buses that go direct Segovia to Toledo.

Do what cova told you. You'll want to purchase the Avant (high speed) ticket Segovia-Madrid (Chamartín).

You can either taxi to the Segovia-Guiomar high speed train station or take the city bus 11 which leaves from the square in front of the Aqueduct, the Plaza de la Artillería. Bus fare is only 0.86.

The bus schedule is timed to the train departures, but you can read it here-

http://www.urbanosdesegovia.com/index2.htm

("laborales" at the top means weekdays)

The Segovia-Atocha ticket that Palenque mentioned is not valid for the high-speed line between Segovia and Madrid. It was for the regional trains, that took ages to do the trip instead of only 30 minutes.

So, unless you have lots of luggage, the quickest way will be : Avant from Segovia to Madrid, Cercanias from Chamartin to Atocha, Avant again from Madrid to Toledo. Look for a big red C when looking for the Cercanias trains. There are automatic ticket sellers in the main floor or Chamartin station.

Bye, Cova

Cova - yes the new high-speed Madrid to Segovia line often skips my mind - but maybe they could buy the Chamartin-Atocha ticket in Segovia - i've seen very long lines at Chamartin ticket windows - perhaps there are machines that are a snap?

thanks for the correction

Hi Palenque,
Since Segovia-Guiomar is a high speed station rather than a commuter (cercanías) station there wouldn't be a cercanías machine, like there are at Chamartín (that I know of...).
At Chamartín I bypass the ticket windows and buy my cercanías tix to Atocha at a machine (the red one with the inverted C).

thank you maribel!

the thing i remember about taking the C train to Segovia and Avila was that it went by miles of a deer park - i suppose the new higher-speed line does not?

Hi Palenque,
The new high speed route doesn't afford much in the line of scenery at all! It's mostly tunnels-3 long ones, if I recall correctly.

again Maribel thank you!

high-speed rail often it seems uses tunnels and wind blocks so even though the area is scenic you see little at times. Like in Switzerland with the long long tunnels they are building on the Simplon and Gotthard pass mainline routes - soon rail travelers between Germany and Italy will only see glimpses of gorgeous Switzerland!