For our 5 night holiday in Spain, we spent 3 nights in Madrid and then decided to look at doing a few Day Trips from Madrid including Toledo and Cuenca however if you’re a bit short of time and can only choose one, which one is the best…let me give you a little helping hand. Toledo vs Cuenca…let’s get ready to rumble!
Distance and Transportation from Madrid – Toledo vs Cuenca
Toledo – the city of Toledo is approximately 67 kms in distance from Madrid and easily accessible via car, train or bus…or the many coach trips offered by various establishments in Madrid that you will see advertised (this was my first realisation that Toledo wasn’t going to be a hidden gem!).
The train journey will take approximately 30 minutes – check out GoEuro for ticket prices, times and also booking your train ticket to Toledo. You will need to walk up a hill to enter the old walled town or catch a taxi / bus.
The car journey will take approximately an hour from Madrid to Toledo – we hired a rental car as it worked out cheaper due to our travel plans and gave us flexibility with our flight timings. Remember to go through your TopCashBack account to receive money back on your car hire including car hire via Expedia.
Cuenca – the old town of Cuenca is approximately 139 kms from Madrid so if you are short of time then Toledo may be the better option of the two day trips from Madrid. I didn’t see any day trips on offer in Madrid to Cuenca but I did find a tour group option with Viator.
A train journey will take around an hour on the fast intercity trains running between the major cities…the cost of the train journey is almost three times the price of a train trip to Toledo – check out GoEuro for ticket prices and times.
The car journey takes just under 2 hours however you may want to stop at a roadside cafe for a toilet break or coffee so it’s safer to say 2 hours…we also were pulled over by the police and all our documents were checked…no fines were given…I think they were bored as the roads were empty.
A little bit of history – Toledo vs Cuenca
Toledo – the city was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1986 and has two nicknames, the “Imperial City” and the “City of Three Cultures” due to it’s varied history with the Christians, Jews and Muslims. Toledo was considered the holiest city in Spain in the Catholic faith and invaders were careful not to destroy hallowed ground hence you have this beautiful mixed old city that you can still wander to this day…it does feel like an open air museum (a bit like Rome in a way).
Cuenca – a well preserved medieval fortified city built by the Moors and the home of the famous hanging houses (casas colgadas) which are suspended from sheer cliffs overlooking the Huécar river make this old city a beautiful place to visit while travelling in Spain. The old town is also home to Spain’s first Gothic cathedral. Cuenca was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1996.
^^Check out the matching twins!
Tourist Attractions / Must Sees – Toledo vs Cuenca
Toledo – if you’re a culture vulture than Toledo will definitely float your boat as there is so much on offer from visiting the cathedral (if you can find the front entrance, unlike myself who could only find a side entrance!), the synagogue which is just stunning (my favourite part of Toledo was the Jewish Quarter)…
…my tan sandals from Nafplio are still going strong….
….to the many museums, beautiful architecture and pretty little alleyways to wander through. If you’re looking for an exhausting day out where you can tick off as many cultural spots as possible than Toledo is definitely the place to visit.
The entrance price for many tourist sites in Toledo were definitely more expensive than Cuenca.
Cuenca – if you enjoy a slower pace to travel than Cuenca is definitely the place for you; there aren’t as many culture vulture activities like Toledo however what is on offer are stunning one offs that you won’t find anywhere else…Cuenca is definitely a spot where locals haven’t being pushed out of the old town (yet!) so it’s great if you love a spot of people watching especially during the evening when it’s a bit cooler…I loved seeing all the old couples holding hands in the square chatting away.
And the hanging houses are just blooming amazing…and a bit scary at the same time!
Shopping – Toledo vs Cuenca
Toledo – if you want tacky souvenirs than Toledo will be your jam…there are so many souvenir shops vying for your cash it’s actually quite unbelievable and rather distracting sadly…I felt that that the city had lost it’s charm to mass commercialism…it was just over the top nothingness…there was even a Zara (kind of sums it up nicely…fast fashion / fast cash). On the other hand there were a few antique shops that were fun to browse around and the characters that owned them were lovely…I even had a marriage proposal!
Cuenca – there are a few tiny shops selling unique and some very tacky items but not a huge number so if you’re a big shopper than this town isn’t for you. We bought some local honey to enjoy in our tea which the area is famous for in Spain…and then we just enjoyed the beauty of the town.
Food Scene – Toledo vs Cuenca
Toledo – if you love sweet treats then you will be happy to find out that Toledo is famous for it’s marzipan…I didn’t partake on this occasion. We did think that the food on offer was very touristy in nature…over priced and not that great unfortunately. There is a McDonalds inside the walls.
Cuenca – we had a meal at a tiny restaurant in the square and they had a gluten free menu (weird but wonderful!)...the food wasn’t the best meal that we’ve ever eaten however it filled a gap and wasn’t overpriced.
Accommodation – Toledo vs Cuenca
Toledo – the best hotel in Toledo is Parador de Toledo, mainly due to the views overlooking the old town of Toledo…it’s a busy spot at sunset as the terrace overlooks the city offering fantastic views and tour buses flock to the hotel at this time. We were going to stay at this hotel however the prices went through the roof before I could book and I didn’t think a £400 room was good value when we were leaving at 6am to fly back to London.
We ended up staying in a Marriott branded property close by called AC Hotel Ciudad de Toledo; the polite term to describe the hotel would be rustic…it could do with a bit of investment but it was fine for what we needed it to do which was somewhere to stay, the staff were helpful and there was free parking for the rental car. You don’t want to be staying within the walls if you have a rental car! It does take about 10-15 minutes to walk to the old town from the hotel – you will have to walk up the hill to get to the hotel or grab a taxi.
Cuenca – thankfully with a bit of hard work, I managed to locate a good deal on the Parador property in Cuenca and she was a total beauty. Parador de Cuenca was once a convent but was later converted into a luxury hotel…the rooms are tastefully decorated; the furniture is sparse and simple which personally for me, kept in touch with the buildings rich history…the bathrooms really do need a bit of investment as they were extremely tired and dated. Due to the location, there is limited parking.
My Personal Favourite – Day Trips from Madrid: Toledo vs Cuenca
Toledo had sat on my travel wish list for years…I remember writing it down at the back of my diary waaaaaay back in 2008 as a spot that I wanted to visit…it only took me 9 years to visit but I finally made it. Yes I was a bit disappointed with the Old City…it felt like it had sold it’s soul to mass tourism however I’m glad that I still had a chance to see the city for myself.
The old historic city of Toledo is beautiful however just go with an open mind; it isn’t the secret gem that it was maybe a decade or two ago…it’s an extremely popular day trip, probably the most popular from Madrid.
I did finally get to say “Holy Toledo” when the old city came into view…tick off the ol’ bucket list folks!
Cuenca only landed on my radar when I was looking though the UNESCO website and I clicked on the link and learnt about the hanging houses and they sounded right up my photogenic street. Cuenca didn’t disappoint; it still had a soul to the town, people were interested to hear why you were visiting and how you heard about the town.
I loved that Cuenca didn’t feel pretentious…it was simple, friendly, beautiful, small and a colourful destination…my favourite things.
Let me know which Madrid Day Trip is your favourite?
xx
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