Side Trip: Madrid to Salamanca, Spain

When my friends invite me to do something, I try to say “yes” as much as I can. You Only Spain Once. (Maybe.) Anyway, my friends Sarah and Ellie decided to plan a trip from Madrid to Salamanca. With the high-speed train, it was easy enough to do as a day trip — no need to book a place to stay for the night — so when they invited me, I said yes.

Here’s everything you need to know to plan your own trip to Salamanca, whether you go for the day or the weekend.

Salamanca, Spain

Distance from Madrid: 176 km/109 miles

If you’re familiar with Madrid, you may know that Salamanca is also the name of a popular, upscale, grid-shaped neighborhood north of Parque de Retiro. But the city of Salamanca is so much more than that. It’s located in the northwestern Spanish province of Castilla y León, just like Segovia and Ávila, both of which I’ve visited as well. This means that the train ride from Madrid was beautiful, passing through the countryside with mountain views.

A great first stop in Salamanca after arriving is Plaza Mayor. It’s widely regarded as one of the best plazas in all of Spain, and once you see it, it’s not hard to understand why. The wide-open square is bustling with people and outdoor cafes, surrounded by the ornate baroque façades. In the middle of the square, a small circular plaque commemorates the 20-year anniversary of Salamanca being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can sit with a café con leche and churros at any of the cafes as you make your attack plan for the day — Café Novelty is famous, but we tried another cafe and were happy with our breakfast.

From Plaza Mayor, it’s an easy 20- or 30-minute walk to most of Salamanca’s other famous sights. It didn’t take us long to come across La Casa de las Conchas — the House of Shells. This building, constructed between 1493 and 1517, has an exterior decorated with more than 300 stone, scallop shells. These days, La Casa de las Conchas houses a public library. Entry is free, and from its courtyard, you may see people standing inside the high towers of the church across the street…

Though it’s a cathedral, it’s not necessarily one of the ones that Salamanca is famous for. (More on that later.) Rather, this building — La Clerecía — is owned by the University of Salamanca. It’s a church and history lesson all in one. For €3.75, you can climb the stairs to the top of its towers for a panoramic view of the city and its bright orange roofs. Along the way, there are small exhibits where you can learn more about the history while also taking a break from the stairs. For a guided tour of the church, it will cost you an extra €2.25, for a total of €6.

Speaking of the University of Salamanca, it’s an extremely important aspect of the city. The university is the oldest in Spain and the third-oldest in the world — founded in the year 1134. It’s world-renowned for its humanities programs, particularly its Spanish courses for non-native speakers. For this reason, it’s a great college town with lots of shops, bars, and activities. At the main university building, La Puerta de Salamanca, visitors stand open-mouthed, staring upward at the façade. They’re looking for the famous frog hidden in the details; the legend says that if students can find the frog, they’ll pass their exams.

Back to the cathedrals. Salamanca is famous for the Catedral Vieja and the Catedral Nueva — the old, and the new. The Old Cathedral is one of the grandest, most beautiful Romanesque buildings in all of Europe, while the New Cathedral contrasts with its Gothic-style architecture. If you want to see them both, you’re in luck, because they’re joined together. The entry ticket only costs €4.75.

One more notable site which isn’t far from the cathedrals is the Puente Romano, or Roman bridge. It crosses the River Tormes, which actually looks less like a river and more like a creek or a stream as it passes through Salamanca. The bridge dates back to at least the 13th century, though it has been restored many times since then. You can walk down the river bank to admire the bridge from up close, or you can walk across the bridge for a nice view looking back at the city, cathedrals dominating the skyline.

This should be enough to keep you busy for a day, but of course you can’t forget to eat! And Salamanca is a great foodie city. They are famous for their tapas. Many bars and restaurants will advertise their tapas deals — a drink such as wine or beer for €2 or less, including a tapa of your choice, chosen from the display at the bar. Though we bar-hopped part of the day, my favorite place I went with my friends was Restaurante Jero, on Calle Meléndez. They had an amazing deal — one drink and three tapas of your choice for €4, with more than 50 different tapas to choose from! (Though this was in 2019, so prices may have changed… let me know if you check it out!)

Get from Madrid to Salamanca by…

Train: If you want to make this a day trip, you should take the RENFE train from Chamartín station, which is in the north of Madrid. If you’re arriving by metro, take the 1 (Light Blue) or 10 (Dark Blue) line to Chamartín, exit the metro station, and take several sets of escalators up to the main station, where you’ll find your platform. Do not get confused, enter the Cercanías platforms, and then have to sprint for 10 minutes and barely end up making it on the train. I speak from experience on this.

(Also — Chamartín is VERY under construction as of 2025, so make sure to allow yourself plenty of time.)

You can buy your ticket in the station from one of the kiosks or online. Tickets generally cost about €20-30 each way, which is a little pricey but not terrible. You’ll arrive in Salamanca in only 1 hour and 30 minutes. Careful when booking your tickets — there are other trains between Madrid and Salamanca for roughly the same price that take 1-2 hours longer. Once in Salamanca, your train will arrive at the main train station, Estación de Salamanca. It’s a very new, modern station with lots of shops and restaurants, and it’s only a 20-minute walk to Plaza Mayor.

Bus: If you have more time to spend and don’t mind a longer commute, you can also take the bus. Buses depart at Estación Sur, in the south of Madrid, and take between 2-4 hours to arrive in Salamanca. Reach Estación Sur by taking the metro to Méndez Álvaro, on the 6 (Circular) line, and exiting the metro to the bus station. If the bus takes 2-3 hours to reach Salamanca, the price is about the same as the quickest train. If it takes 3-4 hours, the price is closer to €14 each way. You’ll arrive in Salamanca at Avenida Filiberto Villalobos, which isn’t too far from the Old Town of the city.

Plan Your Spain Trip

Best Hotels in Salamanca Spain: Salamanca Hotels

Other Things To Do in Madrid: Madrid Old City Guided Walking Tour // Prado Museum Small Group Tour with Skip the Line Ticket // Paella Cooking Class in Madrid with Bottomless Wine Pairing // Toledo and Segovia Full-Day Tour from Madrid With Tickets

What are your favorite things about Salamanca? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on January 27, 2019.