Getting from Madrid to Toledo for a day trip?
 

We are going on a trip to Madrid and are planning on going to Toledo for a day.

I am trying to figure out how to get to Toledo. I have read that it is easy to do, but I am trying to figure out the particulars from the web before we go, and I am stuck.

While in Madrid, we are planning on getting a Travel Tourist Pass, their unlimited public transit card.

This page shows that the Travel Tourist Pass for Zone T covers the entire area including Toledo.
http://www.ctm-madrid.es/servlet/Cam...ioma?xh_TIPO=8

It also says:
What I do not understand is what mode of transit that I can take with this transit pass from Madrid to Toledo. When I click on Suburban Rail on this website, it lists C-1 through C-10 trains, but none of them seem to go to Toledo.

When I go to RENFE's website, the only option I can see is the "AV Media Distancia Madrid - Toledo" train, which I understand is new and only takes 30 minutes. But, can I use the Tourist Travel Pass on this train or must we pay their Euro 8.30 fare separately?

I am mostly just trying to understand this better, so I do not do something dumb like buying the more expensive Zone T pass and then finding out that I cannot use it on the AV Media Distancia train and then having to buy a ticket that I thought I already paid for.

Or is the Tourist Transit Pass designed to work locally within Madrid and Toledo, but not to get between the two?

Thanks,
BillJ

I have noticed this myself. Renfe runs the local trains "circanias" on which you can travel to an end station which then has bus conections to Toledo.

The AVE connection has only existed for a year now and the travel passes were new additions this year as well. There are still inexpensive bus connections as the trains do fill up durning peak hours and you need a seat reservation to travel unlike the Circanias which can become crowded with standing room only.

The spanish site states clearly that these are only valid on Circanias and not the regular services of Renfe.

You do get a 20% discount on the fare to Toledo when purchasing a round-trip same day return though.

While I like the hop on hop off feature you get with the travel passes the 10 trip tickets can be shared so break out to .61cents a trip so you break even in zona A if you do over 6 segments a day. Transfers in metro of course included while in madrid you pay each trip for busses with no transfer.

The local busses do come in handy in Toledo as it is a good walk (uphill) from train to city and back.

I walked up and bought a bus ticket
 

I was in Madrid and walked up the same day, and bought a bus ticket. I went to a bus station and had my guide book and told him I wanted to go to Toledo. It was very easy to do. Once you are in Toledo there are buses that leave quite often.

The busses of Continental Auto still leave the terminal Mendez-Alvero very frequently at a cost of euro 4.25 each way. The problem is that depending on time of day the scheduled 1 hour or 1.25 hour trip can easily take up to 2 hours if you are unlucky. (More problems on the inbound I think) They depart every 15 minutes at rush and then every 30 minutes rest of day.

With the time savings of the high-speed AVE train (35 min) and the added comfort it is well worth the euro 13.30 same day round-trip

With the same day round-trip ticket, do we have to pick our specific return time when we buy the ticket? Or, if we book a later train, can we go on an earlier train if there is room?

Thanks,
BillJ

You need to purchase a return ticket at time of purchase with seat reservation. These trains do fill up but usually ok with day prior advance purchase or an off-peak train. Changes can be made but whould involve reticketing at ticket counter as security requires boarding card for that specific train to enter platform.

The AVE trains have a separate ticket counter in an enclosed room with 4 or 5 counters. You can book them on the machines in station or on the internet (requires registration) if you can get your credit card to work. There is no longer a ticket office in city centre so you do need to head over to Atocha station to purchase. (Near Reina Sofia Museum..) I guess the Travel Agencies in any Corte Ingles can ticket but they will take a fee.