Toledo

Where to stay

Almost all budget hostels sit inside the casco histórico, the walled old city perched above the Tagus River. The streets within a five-minute walk of Plaza de Zocodover put you closest to the cathedral, the Alcázar, and the old Jewish quarter, with no transport needed once you're in.

Getting around

• Free mechanical escalators (escaleras mecánicas) carry you up from the lower town to the old city walls near Puerta de Alfonso VI. Use them on the way up and walk down through Puente de Alcántara at least once for the river views.
• Arrive before 10am or book a night stay. Day-trippers from Madrid Atocha arrive by mid-morning on the 33-minute Renfe Avant train and clear out by early evening. The narrow lanes around the Sinagoga del Tránsito are a different experience once they go.
• Museo de Santa Cruz, just off Plaza de Zocodover, is free to enter and holds a serious collection of El Greco paintings. You can skip the pricier dedicated El Greco museum entirely if budget is tight.

When to go

Hostels are cheapest from November through February; beds fill fast and prices jump during Semana Santa, Corpus Christi (Toledo's biggest festival, falling in late May or June), and throughout July and August.