I visited this site while on holiday to Madrid. I had a lift up to the site and I expected to get back easily to San Lorenzo de escorrial (The local monastory is brilliant), the nearest village to get a bus back to Madrid (€2.75 pp each way) I could not find a bus nor a waiting taxi. I had a lot of fun trying to get a taxi. Try ordering a taxi when you can´t speak spanish, don´t know the local phone number for one, trying to find some one who could speak English enough to understand what I want and then try to order one in English. I had to explain to a passerby and ask them to do it for me. I do recommend that you visit the site as it is spectacular but make sure that you can get down again. If not you could be doomed to wander for all eternity the valley of the fallen. Mind you when the taxi came he named a price I did not understand, he changed it when I got out a €20 note. Which became the "correct price". I did not tip him. To be honest I would happily have paid it just to get home again.I should have remembered the advice on this board but you live and learn - sometimes.

There is only one bus a day in each direction between San Lorenzo de El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen.

It runs daily (except Mondays) departing at 15:15 and coming back at 17:30.

Apart from that, the other choices are private car, taxi or an organised sightseeing tour.