Travel information

Passport

First thing’s first—make sure you have a valid passport for traveling abroad!

  • If you already have a passport, double check your expiration date. To be safe, your passport should be valid until at least March 2026, as some countries require your expiration date to be at least 6 months out from the date(s) when you’re traveling.

    If you need to renew your passport, we recommend starting process as soon as possible, as processing times are running longer than usual post-pandemic.

  • If you don’t have a passport, it’s time to apply for one! We recommend starting the application process as soon as possible, as processing times are running longer than usual post-pandemic.

Getting to Toledo

We recommend flying into Madrid, Spain, which is an international hub. Most major North American airports will have several options to fly into Madrid (including direct flights).

  • From the Madrid Barajas Airport there are several ways to get into the city center or to Atocha Train Station. The easiest options are taxi ($30; 25-30min) or Airport Bus ($5; 35-40min).

    We tried the train/metro and it was not a very convenient trip, with multiple transfers, but an option nonetheless ($5; 43min).

    The Madrid airport has a very helpful website if you would like additional information on where each transportation option can be found. Click here for more information.

  • From Madrid, you can take the Renfe train from Atocha Train Station to Toledo. There are several trains throughout the day. This ride is 36 minutes and costs about 12 euros. Click here to buy tickets. The Toledo train station is an 8 minute drive to the venue.

    We found that tickets were sold out when booking a few days in advance, so please buy these ahead of time ‼️

  • While not the cheapest, the most convenient option will be to travel straight through to Toledo from Madrid airport.

    A taxi will cost $120-$150, or you can pre-arrange transport directly with the wedding venue. You can reach out to them at reservas@cigarraldelasmercedes.com to arrange it. 

    Below are the prices for group transport from Madrid Airport to the wedding venue:

    • 195€ for 4 people

    • 210€ for 5 people

    • 225€ for 6 people

    • 240€ for 7 people 

    • 255€ for 8 people

    Alternatively, you can also rent a car. There is plenty of free parking at the wedding venue. This is likely the most economical option if you don’t mind driving in Spain.

Arriving at the venue

From the Toledo train station, you have a few options.

  • The journey will take about 10 minutes and cost ~8-10 euros.

  • Pre-arrange a hotel shuttle pickup. It may be more cost effective if traveling with a larger group.

General tips

Here are some other things you’ll want to think about as you begin planning!

  • Google Flights is your best friend! You can easily filter by airport, dates, number of stops, airline and more to find your ideal flights. Once you’ve decided, just head to that airlines website to book!

    Try and book around trip itinerary if you can. Oftentimes, a one-way transatlantic ticket will be similar in cost to a round trip ticket. The airlines want seats filled on both legs, so they price one-way tickets at a premium. This isn’t always the case, but if you notice that a one-way ticket seems abnormally expensive, this could be why! One workaround is booking a “multi-city” itinerary through the same airline.

  • Once you’re in Europe, this site is an awesome way to explore all sorts of different train and bus itineraries throughout the continent! Europe’s public transportation systems are much more comprehensive and efficient than in the States, so it’s an incredible way to travel (often quite cheaply)!

  • Electrical outlets in Spain are different than North America! You can buy a simple adapter for just $12 on Amazon. If you plan to travel outside of the wedding, make sure you have the correct adaptor(s) for each country to you plan to visit!

  • Most major cell phone providers offer temporary international travel plans. We recommend reaching out to your provider if you plan on using cellular data.

    While there will be wifi at the hotel, make sure to get an international plan if you want to be able to text/call/use data throughout the weekend,

  • Before you leave, make sure that you let your bank and/or credit card companies that you’ll be traveling abroad and when it will be. This will ensure they don’t flag any transactions made while you’re traveling as fraud!

    Tip: These days, many credit card companies have a place on their online portal where you can enter travel plans so you don’t have to place a phone call.

  • Want to have some Euros on hand while you’re traveling? If you want, you can go to your bank before leaving to exchange dollars for Euros—or, you can wait until you arrive in Europe and use an ATM at the airport or train station. Remember to let your bank know ahead of time that you’ll be traveling!

    The big thing: avoid currency exchange stores. They charge an astronomical exchange rate!