Madrid Spain in 2 Days: Budget + Trips
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Two days is one city day plus one day trip, not a rushed version of both crammed into each. This plan spends day one on Madrid’s free and cheap highlights, then sends you to Segovia and back on the fastest, cheapest train option. Longer trip? The 3-day , 6-day and 7-day plans stack in Toledo, El Escorial and Ávila on top of this same base.
Book these before you go
- A Prado timed ticket, even for the free evening window, same-day reservation is still required.
- A Segovia AVE train ticket from Chamartín, a few days ahead in peak season.
- An Abono Turístico Zone A card (from EUR 10.30/day) if you’ll take 4+ Metro trips.
Day 1: free windows and free sights in the city
Time the Prado around its free window, Mon-Sat 18:00-20:00 or Sun/holidays 17:00-19:00, and you cover Velázquez and Goya without paying the EUR 15 entry, though you still need to reserve a same-day slot online. Fill the daylight hours with what’s genuinely free: Retiro Park, the Temple of Debod (best 30-45 minutes before sunset), and a walk down Gran Vía. Lunch on a menú del día, EUR 10-16 at a neighbourhood spot, Mon-Fri only, roughly 13:00-15:30, not the EUR 20-30 set menus right on Plaza Mayor. If your dates and passport qualify, the Royal Palace has its own free walk-up window for EU and Ibero-American citizens, 16:00-18:00 Oct-Mar or 18:00-20:00 Apr-Sep, Mon-Thu, ID required, no pre-booking.
Day 2: Segovia, the cheapest fast day trip
The AVE from Chamartín takes 26-28 minutes and costs roughly EUR 7-35 one-way, averaging EUR 10-15, cheaper than most tour products that bundle Segovia with a bus and a guide. One cost worth budgeting for that a tour would otherwise cover: Segovia-Guiomar station sits about 4km outside the old town, not walkable, so add a few euros for local bus 11 or a taxi. The Roman aqueduct is free to view from ground level, the fairy-tale Alcázar and cathedral both charge a modest entry, and cochinillo asado at Mesón de Cándido or Restaurante José María is the one splurge worth the price on a tight budget. Skip any operator selling a combined Toledo-and-Segovia bus day: after transfer time you’d get roughly 90 minutes in each, when Segovia alone is worth a full relaxed half-day on your own schedule. Compare Segovia day trip tours on Viator if you’d still rather not manage the train timetable yourself.
| Day | Focus | Rough daily spend |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prado free window, Retiro, Debod, menú del día lunch | EUR 45-65 |
| 2 | Segovia round trip: aqueduct, Alcázar, cochinillo lunch | EUR 50-70 |
Check Madrid hotel rates on Booking.com before you book; a room near Chamartín shaves time off your Segovia morning. One concrete tip: buy the Segovia AVE ticket as soon as your dates are fixed, the cheapest advance fares sell out first and a later train eats into your time at the aqueduct.