Spain, Europe
Madrid sits at the center of the Spanish high-speed rail map, which puts a walled medieval capital, a Roman aqueduct, and a giant royal monastery all inside an hour of Atocha.
| Where | Getting there | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Toledo | About 33 min by high-speed AVE from Atocha | The walled former capital on a hill above the Tagus, a UNESCO city layered with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Spain, and the home of El Greco. |
| Segovia | About 30 min by high-speed AVE | A near-intact Roman aqueduct runs straight through town, and the Alcázar is the castle said to have inspired Disney. |
| El Escorial | About 1 hr by Cercanías commuter train | The vast monastery, palace, and royal mausoleum built by Philip II, set against the Guadarrama mountains. |
| Ávila | About 1 hr 30 by train | The most complete medieval city walls in Spain, a full circuit you can walk, plus the legacy of Saint Teresa. |
| Aranjuez | About 45 min by Cercanías commuter train | The royal palace and its formal gardens on the Tagus, a UNESCO cultural landscape and the easiest green day out from the city. |