Aranjuez Day-Trip is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
Allow Half to full day.
A graceful, leafy escape: the Royal Palace and its lavish formal gardens along the Tagus are lovely in spring, reachable in summer on the vintage 'Strawberry Train'. The catch is it's lower-wattage than Toledo or Segovia, fairly sleepy, and mainly rewards garden-and-palace lovers.