Toledo or El Escorial?
 

I'll be spending a few days in Madrid in October. I've been there before, but have not visited Toledo nor El Escorial. I would like to do one day trip from Madrid and I'm having difficulty choosing between the two, although I'm leaning toward Toledo. Any thoughts?

Toledo by a Spanish country mile!

El Escorial is neat but Toledo is totally awesome IMO.

If fairness, I have not been to El Escorial, but Toledo is amazing: the history, the setting, the views, the cathedral, the art, the synagogue. Personally, I can not imagine being in Madrid and not going to Toledo, and I have been twice, including overnight.

Toledo is wonderful.

I found El Escorial spectacularly boring.

San Lorenzo de El Escorial is the former home of the King of Spain, but it can be a little boring unless you mix a visit to it with a visit to the the Valley of the Fallen, that is if you are into a more recent history, like the Spanish Civil War.

The Valle de los Caídos is a touchey subject to those who's fathers and sons (political prisoners) were forced to build the monument where Franco is burried.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/...-a7652841.html

Toledo was our consensus favorite among the many terrific Spanish towns and cities we visited.

((H))

Thanks all for confirming my inclination that Toledo is the place to see.

El Escorial is impressive from outside and so so inside. I combined a visit to Avila afterwards to make this trip worth while. Toledo has so many more interesting buildings and medieval streets.

I saw them both, and IMO, Toledo -- hands down!!! I spent 2 full days in Toledo, and could have used more time. It is, IMO, one of the gems of Spain. While I am glad I saw El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen, they simply are not in the same league.

Toledo by far.

What is interesting at El Escorial is the mausoleum where it looks like many kings are entombed in what looks like drawers in a dresser.

Agree about El Escorial , IMD...lol

Thanks Danon.

I have not been to El Escorial but having spent an overnight in Toledo two years ago, I felt like I shortchanged this amazing city so much (and I saw a LOT in 24 hours) that I'm going back to it for the first two nights of my trip next spring. The views of the city alone from the Parador make it an easy pick.

I have been to both and did find Escorial extremely interesting, not boring. And I just went there by metro, and didn't combine it with anything else.

But theree is a lot more to see in Toledo, of course, it's a city. So if you have a full day free, I'd go to Toledo. You can go to El Escorial as just part of a day, I think I went for a half day in the morning.

Another Toledo fan! I didn't visit El Escorial, but will say that Toledo is incredibly rich in sights and whatever time you spend will be well worth it. We were there for 2 nights and easily could've stayed for several more.

Toledo, for sure, although the proliferation of knife and sword shops threw me off a bit. El Escorial depressed the hell out of me.

Toledo! then Segovia