What is the best time in the morning for arriving at El Escorial and Chinchon. I would like to maximize my time so that I can spend the afternoons exploring Madrid.

Thanks

hello my friend!!! missmadrid98 to the rescue. El Escorial is my specialty and i´ve got just the answer! the best time to arrive in the morning in El Escorial is 9:00a.m.!!!!!!! have a coffee at the Miranda Suizo Hotel on C/ FLoridablanca, then hop right on over to the monastery!
all the best and have fun!

*Ahem* as I live there (lucky me!) I can tip you to ask for a reservation for a private tour of the Bourbon Palace, which is necessary and off of the normal tour. It's interesting as it's completely ostentatious in contrast to the rest of the place.

Also catch the bus in the afternoon (it's at 3 or so) to Valle de los Caidos, which will put you back in San Lorenzo around 5 pm. Impressive and interesting.

I was thinking about taking a tour and doing both El Estorial and Toledo together. What you think about that? What is the Bourbon Palace? Is that near El Estorial? :p I would like to hear more. Stacey

I think you're way off sister! Toledo is in the opposite direction from Madrid and you won't have time. El Escorial is a full day deal anyway so take time and enjoy!

The Bourbon Palace is within the monastery itself, there is an Austrian Palace and a Bourbon one (the 2 dynasties of Spanish royalty)

-L

Well, there is a tour by Pullmaster that does both. I have limited time in Madrid and I thought the tour would be good. Have you heard anything about their tours? Stacey

I've never taken any tour like that, but if they say you'll get both than I guess they'll have to deliver.

stacey - regardless of what the bus tour 'claims' to do - if you try to see both places in one day -trust us, all you will see is the inside of a bus and the back of the head of the person in the seat in front of you!

If your time is really limited, get on goggle and do a search for both cities and figure out which one you feel is more important to see this trip.

Remember the old old line about "today is Tuesday; this must be Belgium" (or somewthing like that)? Spain is too wonderful to not combine experiencing with seeing ....
That really applies to travel anywhere - but this is a Spanish board .... (see MM, I can stay within the rules!)

We went on two tours with Pullmantur this spring. The first was to Avila and
Segovia and it was actually very good. It allowed us to see these two cities in
one day without any problem and the guide was great and informative. They
had another one day trip to Toledo and El Escorial (the one mentioned above)
and we thought it might be a similar tour to the Avila / Segovia one. It turns
out they go to El Escorial in the morning, return to Madrid, wait in their bus
station, get more people, and then go to Toledo in the afternoon. We went on
the afternoon Toledo portion and were happy that we hadn't gone on the
whole day trip. The Toledo trip was rushed and spent too much time in an
artisans shop.

asterault you live in el escorial? enjoying the fiestas this week????? why didn´t you ever contact me to hook up? i lived there all last year and still go often i was just there this morning. let´s hook up sometime!