How to Get to El Escorial from Madrid

Although it is not located in the city itself, the monastery of El Escorial is always on the list of things to see when traveling to Madrid. Located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 60 kilometers from the Spanish capital, its walls not only house art, but also part of the country's history.

In order to enjoy the attractions of this monumental complex you will need information on how to reach the town. The most convenient option is to hire an organized excursion, although if you prefer to go on your own you will not have any problems, since the public transport links are really great.

In order to see all that El Escorial has to offer, it is very interesting to have a guide to explain each of its corners and the history of the site.

If we add to this the convenience of having transportation from Madrid and not having to worry about getting tickets to the monument, you can understand why an organized tour is the best option.

The best tours of El Escorial from Madrid offer all these advantages and, as if that were not enough, the option to complete the visit with the visit to places like Toledo or the Valley of the Fallen.

Option 1: Excursion to El Escorial Monastery and Valley of the Fallen

Booking an excursion to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen is the easiest option from Madrid to visit El Escorial. In addition, you only need half a day.

Together with your expert guide, you will visit the Habsburg Palace, the mausoleum of the kings and princes, the basilica and the chapter house.

To complete the excursion, you will also visit the controversial Valley of the Fallen, built as a memorial to those who died in the Spanish Civil War.

Option 2: Excursion to El Escorial, the Valley of the Fallen and Toledo

The most complete option is to book an excursion to El Escorial, Toledo and the Valley of the Fallen. These are three visits that would be impossible to make if you wanted to do it by public transport, as you would not have time.

In addition, neither the private car would ensure you to do it, both because of the difficulties of finding good parking in Toledo, as well as the need to be aware of the schedules of each monument to not find any of them closed.

Option 3: Excursion to El Escorial, Valle de los Caídos and Segovia

If you already know Toledo, then the most complete option for you is to book the excursion to El Escorial, Segovia and Valle de los Caídos.

The city of Segovia is one of those places in Spain that you must visit, both for its Royal Alcazar and its impressive Aqueduct.

Those who prefer to visit El Escorial on their own have in the train the cheapest and easiest way to do it.

To get to El Escorial in this means of transport you only have to take the suburban line C3. This leaves from the stations of Atocha, Chamartín and Puerta del Sol, three places that are very easy to get to because of their central location and because they are connected by line 1 of the city's subway.

Normally you will find trains every hour. The journey to El Escorial station usually takes just over 1 hour and the price is just over 4 €. Once at El Escorial station you will have to walk about 15 minutes to get to the monastery or take the city bus.

If you prefer to give more importance to the speed in reaching your destination, the bus is probably the best way to get to El Escorial. From the Moncloa Interchange it only takes about 50 minutes to get to the town.

To get to Moncloa station you can take the metro lines 3 or 6. Once there you should look for the bus 661 or 664, with departures every 15 minutes approximately.

The price (less than 5 euros each way) is a little higher than the train, but the difference is not too relevant.

Taking into account all the options available to visit El Escorial I would not recommend using the car to get around, as it is very chaotic.

However, if you have traveled with your car you should know that the journey only takes about 50 minutes, to which must be added the possible delay due to traffic.

Of course, it is also possible to rent a car to do this tour. Here is a short list of car rental companies you can use: Sixt, Record Go, Europcar, Budget.

Cab to go from Madrid to El Escorial

I will not deny the convenience of taking a cab to take you to your destination. However, each way can cost you about 85 €, so it is not a very convenient option.

There is another way to visit El Escorial that can be really interesting, especially for those who have gone to Madrid with children.

From the station Principe Pio leaves every morning the so-called Train of Philip II It is a locomotive of the twentieth century that makes the journey in about 50 minutes. During the trip there are activities enlivened by actors dressed as the monarch who gives his name to the train.

The experience is completed with free entrance to the complex or with a guided tour of the site where you can see the most important areas. Depending on the package, prices range from 15 € to 23 €.

It is never easy to answer this question, since inevitably the interest in visiting a place has much to do with the tastes of each one.

In general, I would recommend it because the artistic and historical value of the place deserve it. Of course, as long as your stay in Madrid was 4 days or more, because if less days you will have to eliminate some points of interest of your tour of the capital.

I hope that with this article you have a clear idea of how to get from Madrid to El Escorial. To complete the information, here are some brief tips to make everything go as smoothly as possible:

• Visiting hours to the monastery are from 10:00 to 20:00 from April to September (closed on Mondays). The rest of the months it closes two hours earlier.
• Please note that you can only enter up to one hour before closing time.
• You should expect to need between 2 and 3 hours to do the whole tour.
• You can enter the monastery for free on Wednesdays and Sundays between 15:00 and 18:00.
• Unless you have previous knowledge of the place, I advise you to do the visit with an expert guide.
• Do not miss the rooms of the Battles, the Portraits of Philip II Palace, the frescoes of the Library and the Chapter Rooms.
• To see the Casita del Príncipe and the Casita del Infante you must go with a guide.
• There is a public parking under the Plaza de la Constitución for those arriving by car.
• It is interesting to go to the Silla de Felipe II (50 minutes walk from the complex) to have the best views of the monument.