Toledo, Spain — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Airlines offering flights to Toledo (in fact Madrid Airport) include British Airways, Iberia, Spanair, Ryanair and easyJet. Flights to Toledo, including many cheap flights, from the UK take just over two hours.
Madrid-Barajas Airport
Tel: 902 404 704.
Website: www.aena.es
The nearest airport is Madrid Barajas Airport, 80km (50 miles) north of Toledo. This is one of the busiest airports in the world, with hundreds of charter and scheduled flights calling daily.
Airport facilities
These include two banks, several bureau de change, ATMs and a post office plus a 24-hour bank in Terminal 1. There are more than 30 restaurants, cafés and bars and over 100 shops including duty-free plus pharmacies, nurseries and a medical service center. There is a left-luggage office in each terminal. Most major national and local car hire operators, and travel agencies and tour operators are represented.
Transport to the city
From the airport take Metro line 8 to Mar de Cristal, change to line 4 and go to Avenida de América. Change to line 6 and take the metro to Calle Méndez Alvaro, also the location for the Estacion Sur de Autobuses, from where the bus goes to Toledo. Buses leave every 30 minutes and the express service takes around 60-75 minutes. Toledo bus station is on Avenida de Castilla-La Mancha, just over 1km (0.6 miles) from the center. Take bus 5 or 6 to the Plaza Zocodever.
Alternatively take line 8 to Colombia, line 9 to Plaza de Castilla, then line 1 to Atocha Renfe from where there is a regular high speed (AVE) train service which takes 30-35 minutes to Toledo.
Approximate flight times to Toledo
Flight time to Toledo (Madrid Airport) from London is 2 hours 15 minutes; from New York is 7 hours; from Los Angeles is 11 hours; from Toronto is 7 hours and from Sydney is 27 hours 30 minutes.
Getting There By Road
In Toledo, traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 120kph (74mph) on motorways, 100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) on roads outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) within towns, unless otherwise stated. A valid driving license and third-party insurance are required to drive in Spain. National licenses from EU countries are accepted, although drivers are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. A Green Card is strongly recommended for all visitors and is compulsory for those from outside the EU. * The speed limit on motorways in Spain has temporarily been reduced to 110kph (68mph). The new limit will remain in effect until the end of June 2011 at the earliest. The slowdown is intended to save energy in response to the surge in oil prices sparked by the unrest in Libya and elsewhere in the Arab world.
Emergency breakdown services
Spanish Royal Automobile Club - RACE (tel: 902 404 545).
Routes to the city
The A-42 links Madrid and Toledo in around an hour. From Britain, the best route to Toledo is a ferry to Bilbao or Santander. The distance to Toledo from these two seaports is 470km (294 miles) and 477km (298 miles) respectively.
Coach services
Eurolines (tel: 902 405 040; www.eurolines.es) run a coach service to Madrid from London Victoria Coach Station via the Dover-Calais ferry or the Le Shuttle train. The total journey time is around 26 hours. Buses depart daily every 30-60 minutes for Toledo from Madrid bus station on Calle Mendez Alvaro. The trip takes approximately 75 minutes. The station in Toledo is just over 1 km (0.6 miles) from the center. Take bus 5 or 6 to the Plaza Zocodever.
Getting There By Rail
Rail Services
Toledo RENFE, Paseo de la Rosa, is the city's railway station, with a charming little neo-Moorish booking hall.
Rail Operators
The Spanish rail network is operated by RENFE (tel: 902 240 202; www.renfe.es).
Transport
Toledo RENFE, the city's railway station, is around 1.5km (0.9 miles) from the center. From here, take bus 6 to the Plaza Zocodever.
Connections
Eurostar (tel: 08432 186 186; www.eurostar.com) runs regular services from London to Madrid (Chamartin) in 19 hours 30 minutes via Paris. A favorite option is to take the overnight sleeper train (Trenhotel) from Paris to Madrid.
Getting Around in Toledo, Spain
Public Transport
Toledo can be covered relatively easily on foot. Most places of interest are close to one another, though steep streets and cobblestones can take their toll.
The local bus company is Unauto (tel: 925 220 300; www.unauto.es). There are 19 lines, most running from Plaza de Zocodover. Line 12, the Circular Casco Histórico, makes a round trip of the historic city.
To get the bigger picture, take a ride on the Zocotren (tel: 925 232 210; www.zocotren.com). This is a small land train, with pre-recorded tourist information in Spanish, English and French, which runs through part of Toledo then around the perimeter allowing you to enjoy its spectacular location and picture-postcard panoramas. The trip runs daily every 30-60 minutes from the Plaza de Zocodover and the full circuit takes 50 minutes.
Taxis
Radio Taxis (tel: 925 255 050) are a reliable taxi firm in Toledo.
Car Hire
Car hire is available from Avis (tel: 925 215 794; www.avis.es) and Hertz (tel: 925 253 890; www.hertz.com). Or you could try local operators Arexi (tel: 925 233 664) or OCSA Rent a Car (tel: 925 240 870). All major national and international car hire companies operate from Madrid airport. Always park in a secure place if possible, and beware of theft of belongings from vehicles.
