Plan a Toledo day trip backwards, from the train home. The last Avant from Toledo to Madrid Atocha leaves at 9.37pm every day, but on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays nothing leaves between 1.25pm and 4.25pm, right over lunch. Toledo is the closest heritage city to Madrid by rail, a 34-minute Avant ride from Atocha, with ALSA coaches every half hour from Plaza Elíptica. The coach costs from €6.55 against €13.90 for the train, and once there the city bus up to Plaza de Zocodover takes cash only. The coach station is 900 metres from Zocodover, against 1.3 km uphill from the train station. The city bus costs €1.40, according to Toledo City Council. On foot, the Safont escalators run from 7am to midnight, and to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Is it better to take the train or the bus from Madrid to Toledo? The Avant train from Atocha takes 34 minutes for €13.90; the ALSA coach from Plaza Elíptica takes 50 to 90 minutes from €6.55. The coach station is 900 metres from Zocodover against 1.3 km from the train station, so door to door they are close. The catch is weekend returns: none from 1.25pm to 4.25pm.
Which station in Madrid do you leave from
Toledo trains leave from Atocha, not Chamartín, and the departure boards list the station as Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes. Coaches leave from the Plaza Elíptica interchange in the south of the city, on Metro lines 6 and 11, according to ALSA. A Metro single ticket gets you to either one, and fares are in Madrid Metro ticket prices.
Coming straight from Barajas, the daytime airport express bus ends at Atocha, which makes the train the simpler choice on arrival day.
Should you take the train or the coach to Toledo
- Pick the train if you have a dinner booking back in Madrid or little time: 34 minutes, and the fare does not rise closer to the day. The downside is the climb from a station down by the river.
- Pick the coach to save money: it runs every 30 minutes, per Toledo City Council, and ALSA includes one suitcase of up to 20 kg. Avoid the stopping services, which take an hour and a half.
- With young kids, either works if you add the city bus up the hill, since under-15s ride it free.
How to plan a Saturday in Toledo around the trains
The weekend timetable decides the day, and public holidays such as 12 October or 9 November run to the same timetable. A plan that works with it:
- Leave Atocha at 9.15am or 10.15am. Both arrive 34 minutes later, and the first weekend train back already leaves at 9.25am.
- Take the city bus to Zocodover. Lines 5, 511, 61 and 62 stop outside the station, €1.40 in cash.
- Choose early or late for the way back. Either catch the 1.25pm, or stay for lunch, which in Spain usually starts around 2pm, and take the 4.25pm or later.
- Keep the 9.37pm as the last resort. It is the final train every day.
On weekdays the first Avant leaves Atocha at 6.45am; at weekends the first is at 8.15am and the last one out at 8.45pm.
Do you need to book, and how do you pay
Every train on the line is an Avant at €13.90 a leg, and according to Renfe buying the return at the same time takes 20% off each leg, €22.24 for the round trip. Tickets are for a named train, so buying both legs ahead mainly locks in the return you want. ALSA quotes coach fares “from” €6.55, and the actual fare shows when you choose a time.
| What you pay for | How you pay | Cost per adult |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi from either station to Zocodover | Taxi rank | About €6 |
| City bus up to Zocodover | Cash on board, no notes above €5 | €1.40 a ride |
| ALSA coach, one way | Online or at the station | From €6.55 |
| Avant train, return bought together | Online or at the station | €22.24 |
| Avant train, one way | Online or at the station | €13.90 |
Once in Toledo, cash matters more than cards. The city buses run by Unauto take coins and small notes only, and a taxi to Zocodover is about €6. For your Metro rides in Madrid, the options are in which Madrid transport ticket to buy.
How to get from Toledo station up to the old town
Both stations sit outside the walls, below the old town: 1.3 km uphill from the train, 900 metres from the coach station, measured along the streets.
- City bus, lines 5, 511, 61 and 62, €1.40 to Zocodover. No cards or phones, and no notes above €5, according to Toledo City Council.
- On foot, about 20 minutes from the train and 12 from the coach, using the escalators up to Paseo del Miradero. The Safont escalators start at 7am and run until midnight Sunday to Thursday, 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Taxi, from the rank outside either station, about €6.
Left luggage sits opposite the train station, at Paseo de la Rosa 88. If you are still choosing a destination, entry prices and Sunday hours are compared in Toledo or Segovia day trip from Madrid, and times and last trains for every city are in Madrid day trips by train. Closer options without leaving the region are in day trips from Madrid.
Frequently asked questions about Madrid to Toledo
What time is the last train from Toledo to Madrid?
9.37pm, every day of the week, on Renfe’s autumn 2026 timetable. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays there is also a three-hour gap with no trains back between 1.25pm and 4.25pm, so plan lunch around it.
Is the train or the bus better from Madrid to Toledo?
The Avant train takes 34 minutes from Atocha for €13.90 but stops 1.3 km below the old town. The ALSA coach from Plaza Elíptica costs from €6.55 and takes 50 to 90 minutes, and its station is 900 metres from Zocodover. Door to door the gap is only about eight minutes.
Do I need to book the train to Toledo in advance?
Avant tickets are sold for a specific train, so buying ahead fixes your seat and departure time. The fare stays at €13.90 on every departure, and buying the return at the same time takes 20% off each leg, €22.24 for the round trip.
Which station does the train to Toledo leave from in Madrid?
Atocha, listed on departure boards as Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes, not Chamartín. Coaches to Toledo leave from the Plaza Elíptica interchange instead, on Metro lines 6 and 11.
How do I pay for the bus in Toledo?
In cash, on board. The €1.40 city bus to Zocodover does not accept cards or phone payment, and the driver will not take notes above €5, according to Toledo City Council. Under-15s ride free if they ask the driver for a €0 ticket and carry proof of age.
Book the train home before the train out: in Toledo the weekend timetable, not the fare, shapes the day.