Aranjuez

Aranjuez, a 50-minute train ride from Madrid, can be covered in a day: the Bourbon dynasty's summer Royal Palace and the gardens that inspired Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez are enough for a short getaway. April-June is ideal, when the gardens are in bloom and the heat hasn't set in yet. It's a budget-friendly day trip compared to Madrid, best thought of as an add-on to a capital city visit rather than a standalone destination. Its signature is strawberries with cream, sold at stalls along the Tagus River — a local tradition dating back to the 19th century.