I still get a kick out of long distance international rail travel. But the time penalty and cost mean it's not something that i often get the chance to sample.

Luckily Kuala Lumpur to Singapore and Lisbon Madrid are two routes that are not only cheap but throw in the romance of an overnight journey.

OK, after the first trip the romance wears thin!

I've used the "hotel train" to get to a wedding and a funeral in Madrid. That's two separate trips . To be honest it was less restful than I'd expected, and I reckon the novelty value has worn off.


But back to the OPs question: day trips by rail from Madrid ???