Side Trip: Madrid to Zaragoza, Spain

Since I didn’t go home to the U.S. for the holidays this year, I was lucky enough to spend Christmas in Sardinia and have visitors in Spain for New Years! One of my best friends from college, Carson, and his wife Natalie came to spend a few days with me in Madrid on their European holiday vacation. After starting their trip in Paris, they took a bus to Madrid, before continuing on to Barcelona by train. Along the way, they decided to go from Madrid to Zaragoza, which is about halfway to Barcelona.

Since I’d never been to Zaragoza before, I went along with them for a day trip. I’m so glad I did! Here’s everything you’ll need to know if you want to plan your own trip from Madrid to Zaragoza.

Zaragoza, Spain

Distance from Madrid: 313 km/195 miles

Zaragoza is the capital of Aragon, which is one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities. (These communities are similar to states in the U.S.) As of the last census, Zaragoza was the fifth-largest city in Spain by population, and more than 50% of Aragon’s population calls the city home.

Though I was only there one day, Carson said that he and Natalie decided it was their favorite city they visited on their trip because they were able to see everything in two days without feeling overwhelmed. Most of the city’s major sights are within a 20-minute walk of the Old Town area, which is basically the town center. Carson and Natalie stayed at Hotel Sauce in the Old Town, and they were extremely happy with the price, location, breakfast, and (allegedly) world-famous marmalade. (On my recent trip, I stayed at Hotel Vincci Zaragoza Zentro, which I also liked!!)

Of course, the most iconic sight in Zaragoza is the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, a stunning baroque cathedral situated next to the Ebro River. This basilica is dedicated to Mary; it is said that on January 2, 40 A.D., as St. James was praying by the river, a vision of Mary appeared to him and she gave him a jasper pillar and the instructions to build a church. And so the cathedral was constructed in her honor. Coincidentally, when Carson, Natalie, and I visited Zaragoza, it was January 2! When we entered the cathedral, I was surprised to see a mass taking place since it was a Wednesday. An older man asked me if I knew the story. (I didn’t, so he explained it to me. I caught like 70% of it and then tried to translate for the other two.)

The cathedral is free to enter, and you can even go up into church towers! It wasn’t open when I was there, but Carson and Natalie went the next day. It looked like an awesome view.

Also, from the Puente de Piedra and Puente de Santiago bridges, you can get some really great shots of the cathedral.

Besides the cathedral, there are other things to see, too! One such place is the UNESCO World Heritage Site Palacio de la Aljafería, which is a former Islamic palace built during the 11th century. While there are palaces such as these littered throughout Spain, many of them are in the southern region of Andalucía, so I thought it would be cool for my friends to check this one out.

After Zaragoza was recaptured by the Christians in the 12th century, it became the residence of the royal family of Aragon. But interestingly enough, this palace is very much still in use today – it’s more than just a tourist attraction. Since 1987, part of the palace has been used as the home of Aragon’s regional parliament.

To visit the palace, general admission for adults is €5 and for students (or anyone with a non-expired student ID) it’s €1.

One more perhaps lesser-known attraction in Zaragoza is the Origami Museum. Carson and Natalie went to check it out, more out of curiosity than anything, and they ended up being super impressed. It’s one of only three origami museums in the world. Apparently Zaragoza is internationally-known for origami. Who would have thought?! If you want to visit the museum, it’s €3.

Get to Zaragoza by…

Train: If you want to make this a day trip, the high-speed AVE train is really your best (only) option, so you’ll be departing from Atocha station. If you’re arriving by metro, get off at the Atocha Renfe stop along the 1 (Light Blue) line. Buy your ticket in the station from one of the kiosks, or online from a site like raileurope.com. Your ticket will probably cost between €29 and €55 each way, which is a *bit* pricey. I was traveling during the holidays, so I won’t even tell you how much mine cost. But if you have limited time in Spain, I think it’s worth it.

The good news? You’ll make it to Zaragoza-Delicias Station in only 1 hour and 20 minutes. The AVE train is super fast, so if you’ve never taken it before, be prepared for some serious speed. It goes about 300 km/hr, which is just under 200mph. The train is furnished with outlets under every seat, ample luggage racks, TV screens throughout the cars that play recent movies, and (my favorite part) a dining car.

Bus: If you have more time to spend in Zaragoza and don’t mind a long commute, you can also travel by bus. In Madrid, you’ll depart from Avenida de América metro/bus station. Avenida de América is a large interchange, so you can reach it via the 4 (Brown), 6 (Circular), 7 (Orange), and 9 (Purple) lines. You can buy your ticket upon arrival to the bus terminal, and it will cost you between €11 and €25 each way. However, it will take you between 3 hours/30 minutes to 4 hours/30 minutes to reach Zaragoza.

Whether you take the bus or the train, you’ll arrive at Zaragoza-Delicias station. From here, you can reach the city center via taxi for about €10, and it takes less than 15 minutes. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can easily walk the two miles (like I did on my way back to the station).

 

Hopefully this gives you a good idea of why and how to visit Zaragoza, especially going from Madrid to Zaragoza! What are your favorite things about Zaragoza, or what else do you want to know? Let me know in the comments!

(And if you’re looking for another ambitious day trip, try Madrid to Valladolid.)

-Cathy

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Originally Published on January 13, 2019.