Though Madrid is in the heart of Spain it’s a long way from other important cities like Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Granada or Santiago de Compostela, but it has a number of exciting small cities in its vicinity which are worth a day trip. You can also combine some of the cities around Madrid in ‘compact’ tours, and the car rental companies are in abundance here.
One daily trip is for example to visit El Escorial, if you want to see the historical dwelling place of Spanish kings and queens, you should visit there. Next to El Escorial is the monastery San Lorenzo de el Escorial, and if you travel some 14 kilometres more, you will arrive at Valle de los Caídos, where those who fell during the Spanish Civil War, are commemorated. Since the bus connection is quite rare, car renting seems a better option when exploring this area.

Another excellent city to visit; it isSegovia, located only 92 kilometres from the capital, which means you can reach the famous Alcazár and the Aqueduct in about an hour. It is also worth to take a little break during the journey and have a look at the Castillo de los Mendoza in Manzarenas en Real. If you have time, after Segovia you can carry on with the trip to Avila, which isn’t far either, and then as a crowning of the day, make a turnout to Embalse en Burguillo, which has a nice castle on the lakeside.

There are much more places to explore, and by renting a car, the possibilities are almost endless: Toledo, Guadalajara and also Recópolis, the Visigoth town are all easily accessible, just make a search on Liligo.com, and select the suitable car for you to rent. It also offers comparison of prices for cheap hotels and low cost flights.

Some things to take care of when planning your trip

To have a holiday without setbacks, it helps a lot to take into consideration what simple measurements can be done that would save you many bad shots.
First of all, always check your documents that will be requested at the entrance of your destination country, consult the competent government agency, and even if you do not leave the country, keep in mind that it is obligatory to carry along your identification papers. Moreover, many accommodations request documents at registration. You may also want to rent a car, so you'll have to take your driver's license with you (get informed about the international driving license, too). Do not forget your travel insurance, your health insurance card (we strongly recommend you to take your health card). There are some countries where a visa is required to be allowed to enter the country at all. But do not worry, in most countries you can enter and stay without visas or special permits for some months (usually 90 days).
A good tactic is to photocopy important documents you might need, so in case they get lost or stolen, it will be really useful. Furthermore, it is also a good idea to carry along two extra passport photos.

Thanks to the Schengen agreement, one can freely cross the borders of ‘Schengen countries’, so EU travellers travelling within this area won’t be asked to identify themselves. Even so, you should always carry along identity documents, because police might ask for identity checks, any time. The following countries form part of the Schengen Agreement:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland (non-EU), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway (non-EU), Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland (non-EU).
EU countries that do not belong to this agreement are: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, UK and Romania. Citizens outside the EU will need to apply for visas and documents to enter the Schengen area. The maximum length of stay for travellers is 3 months.
Bear in mind that some documents and visas are not that easy to get, one has to wait for them. Therefore it is recommended that you plan the travel and learn about these documents well in advance.

In addition to paperwork, when travelling within or outside the borders of the EU or the Schengen area, don’t forget to be informed of the required or recommended vaccinations in certain countries. If you know exactly the health care situation of the country which you plan to travel to, you can avoid many unpleasant surprises.
Again, please note that some vaccines require more than one dose, sometimes with large temporary spaces between them, so it is advisable to act well in advance. Be cautious with consuming food, especially fruits, and for your security, drink bottled water only.
Also, the maximum weight of your luggage is usually around 20 kilos –depending on the airline-, so it might be a good idea to make a list of most necessary things before packing your suitcase. Your passport (and anything fragile) is best to be guarded in your hand luggage that you bring along into the cabin.
Note that you can’t have scissors (or any kind of cutting or stabbing tools) with you, nor liquids of any kind (water, tee, juices and all types of cosmetics), or at least only a small amount.

Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that your luggage gets lost. In this case it might be helpful to have some clothes with you in your hand bag, until your luggage is found.

Further information:

Foreign and Commonwealth office

European Health Insurance card

Healthcare abroad

• Autos Madrid
• Coches Madrid
• Voitures Madrid
• Auto Madrid