Christmas time around the Mediterranean area - is this a good itineary?

Thank you for your suggestions! I think you are right - will think about it...

Take into account how much of your time will be spent getting from place to place. You have to pack, check out, travel to the train station or airport (which is often quite a distance from the city) and if flying, probably have to check in 2-3 hours before the flight for security reasons. And if you have checked luggage, you will have to wait for off-loading at the destination. Then you still have to get to your hotel and check in and unpack. Have you found non-stop flights from Nice to Malta and from Malta to Athens? I took a quick look at Easy Jet and Ryan Air and didn't find them. Major airlines will charge a small fortune for one-way flights. And if you have to connect through another airport, even more of your day will be wasted. Also find out what it's like on Christmas. In many places, everything - shops, markets, grocery stores, restaurants and all tourist attractions close early on the 24th and don't reopen until tthe 26th.

While there is nothing wrong with visiting either Spain or Greece (they actually need the tourism dollars and are less expensive than some places to visit right now as a result), you are a little misguided if you are looking for warmth. The latitude of Barcelona is just south of that of Chicago (not known as a warm place in the winter by any stretch of the imagination), and Nice is even further north (latitude close to that of Syracuse, NY). Even Athens is further north than Winston Salem, and Malta is about the same latitude as Chattanooga, TN.

I think it is a very busy itinerary considering the distances. The days are short in Europe in the winter. I would pick 1 or 2 cities and enjoy it in depth, with day trips- less rushing and more relaxing.

I have to agree with Melissa. You have 4 countries in 9 nights. Every 2 nights you stay in a place equals one full day. With your proposed itinerary you have 2 days in Barcelona and one day each in your other locations, with much time and expense getting from one place to the next. What made you choose these specific places? I would try to choose 2-3 locations, ideally within a reasonable distance or with easy transportation options to get from one place to the next. I'm not sure how warm you will find it anywhere in Europe. You can look up weather averages in potential locations to see if it is what you are hoping to find.

Thank you so much everybody. I do realize now that it is not a very practical route so I will make some major changes, so that it becomes 2-3 cities. Probably will drop Malta and Athens and still be happier =)

I was just in Spain (in the south) and I wondered if I'd find everything a bit run down- but it wasn't at all. The atmosphere was great. I realise it's not Barcelona- but like Barcelona, it's a tourist destination.