An Avila day trip from Madrid works best by train, as long as you start at the right station. Media Distancia trains leave from Madrid-Principe Pio, not Atocha or Chamartin, and the fare is a flat €12.70 each way on every departure, according to Renfe. The ride takes 86 to 105 minutes. On weekdays the 9.06am gets into Avila at 10.37am; on Saturdays and Sundays the 8.26am arrives at 9.54am, a few minutes before the Walls of Avila open at 10am. From Avila station it is a 1.3 km walk to the Puerta del Alcázar gate, and the last train back leaves at 9.12pm every day, reaching Principe Pio at 10.46pm.
Avila station sits on the east side of town, 1.3 km on foot from the Puerta del Alcázar and about 200 metres from the coach station where buses from Madrid arrive.
How do you get from Madrid to Avila for a day trip? Take a Media Distancia train from Madrid-Principe Pio: €12.70 each way, 86 to 105 minutes, and the last train back leaves Avila at 9.12pm every day. Avila station is a 1.3 km walk from the Puerta del Alcázar. The catch is winter: from 25 October to 26 March the Walls of Avila close on Mondays.
Is Avila worth a day trip from Madrid?
Yes, if the idea of walking along the top of a complete medieval wall appeals. The circuit is 2,516 metres long with 87 towers, and the ticket costs €8, or €5 reduced, according to Avila Turismo. The old town is compact: the Cathedral stands 367 metres from the Puerta del Alcázar, so you never need a taxi or a city bus. Avila Cathedral is built into the eastern stretch of the wall itself.
What a day costs one adult: €25.40 for the return train, €8 for the wall walk and €10 for the Cathedral, which is what the Cathedral charges at its desk. That is €43.40 before lunch and the Metro to Principe Pio.
The trade-off is time. Avila is the slowest of the four classic rail day trips from Madrid, and in winter the walls close at 6pm. If you only have half a day, or you want museums, Toledo gives you more for the travel.
Avila, Segovia or Toledo, which is easiest by train?
Pick Avila for the walls and a walkable arrival, Segovia for speed, and Toledo for museums and churches. Door to monument, Avila takes 106 to 125 minutes for €12.70, Toledo about 54 minutes for €13.90 and Segovia 40 to 43 minutes for €16.15 with the city bus.
Segovia leaves from Chamartin and its high-speed station is 4.8 km from the Aqueduct, as covered in the Segovia day trip from Madrid; Toledo leaves from Atocha, in Madrid to Toledo by train or bus. If those two are your shortlist, Toledo or Segovia for a day trip compares what you see in each.
Can you do Avila and Segovia on the same day?
Not by public transport. There is no direct train between them, and each city leaves from a different Madrid station. The combined Avila and Segovia day is what coach tours sell; on your own, make them two separate days.
Which train to Avila should you catch?
| Day | Best train out of Principe Pio | Arrives in Avila | Last train back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 9.06am (or 7.40am) | 10.37am (or 9.07am) | 9.12pm |
| Saturday | 8.26am | 9.54am | 9.12pm |
| Sunday | 8.26am | 9.54am | 9.12pm |
Renfe timetable for October 2026. On weekdays there are 14 Media Distancia trains each way; on Saturdays 10 out and 13 back, and on Sundays 13 out and 10 back. Miss the 9.06am on a weekday and the next one from Principe Pio is the 11.10am, which costs you two hours in Avila.
Buy on the Renfe website or app, or at the station. The Media Distancia fare is the same at every hour, so booking weeks ahead saves nothing. The few Regional trains from Atocha or Chamartin take over two hours and only the weekday 9.25am from Atocha suits a day trip.
Getting to Principe Pio is easy: it is on Metro lines 6 and 10 and the Ramal shuttle from Ópera. A single Metro ticket costs €1.50 to €2.00 depending on distance, explained in Madrid Metro ticket prices. Coming straight from Barajas, take line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios and change to line 6; the airport stations add the supplement described in the Madrid airport Metro supplement.
Where should you start the walls and the Cathedral?
At the Puerta del Alcázar, the ticket desk nearest the stations. Walk the ramparts, come down and cross to the Cathedral.
- Sundays. The Cathedral opens for visits at 12.30pm, against 10am from Monday to Saturday, so do the wall first.
- Winter afternoons. Last entry to the wall is 5.15pm, and there are trains back at 6.10pm and 6.54pm if you would rather not wait for the last one.
- July and August. The Casa de las Carnicerías entrance stays open until 10pm and the Puerta del Puente until 9pm, except on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- The Cathedral tower is closed for restoration, so the ticket covers the church only.
Tips for visitors from abroad
Lunch in Spain is eaten later than in the UK or the US, so a morning on the wall from 10am fits comfortably before it. Tipping is not expected; rounding up the bill is enough.
The coach is the alternative if you are staying near Méndez Álvaro. Jiménez Dorado runs it from Estación Sur, selling tickets at windows 13 to 15, and it ends at the Avila coach station next to the train station. Its times and fares only appear when you book.
For the other rail escapes, Madrid day trips by train lines up station, minutes and last train for each city, and the same Principe Pio line continues to Salamanca. In the opposite direction, the Cuenca day trip from Madrid runs on high-speed trains.
Frequently asked questions about an Avila day trip
Which Madrid station do trains to Avila leave from?
Madrid-Principe Pio. Media Distancia trains to Avila start there, cost €12.70 each way and take 86 to 105 minutes. Atocha and Chamartin only see up to three slower Regional trains a day, and only the 9.25am from Atocha on weekdays works for a day trip.
Is Avila worth a day trip from Madrid?
Yes, if you want to walk a complete medieval wall and see a compact old town. The day costs about €43.40 per adult for the return train, the wall walk and the Cathedral. Skip it on winter Mondays, when the walls are closed.
Can you visit Avila and Segovia in one day by train?
Not realistically. There is no direct train between the two, and each leaves from a different Madrid station, Principe Pio for Avila and Chamartin for Segovia. Combining both in one day is what coach tours sell.
How far is Avila train station from the walls?
About 1.3 km on foot to the Puerta del Alcázar gate, roughly 20 minutes along the streets, with no city bus needed. The coach station is about 200 metres from the train station, so the walk is the same whichever you arrive by.
Are the Avila walls open on Mondays?
Not in winter. From 25 October to 26 March the walls open 10am to 6pm and close on Mondays apart from three set dates. From 27 March to 25 October they open 10am to 8pm every day, with last entry 45 minutes before closing.
Catch a morning train from Principe Pio, and give Avila any day but a winter Monday.