Europe in January

Stay close to the Med if you want to avoid potential for snow. It can be chilly, like northern Florida under a cold spell. Obviously the further south you do will find better weather

Thanks Frank. We did Madrid and Toledo during Christmas of 2015 and loved the cool weather. Because of Christmas, it was crowded so we thought we'd try January after the sixth. We still haven't been to Rome or any of Italy and thought this might be the time to give it a shot.

You don't say whether you'll be renting a car or using public transportation exclusively. With just 7-9 days I would split the time between Rome and either Sorrento or Naples and do day trips from there to smaller towns. You don't really say what types of things you like to see and do in those big cities or small towns - are you interested in art, architecture, museums, history, etc?

EDIT you will still have a slight possibility of snow in Rome in January but the temps are not likely to be sub-freezing.

Your money will go twice as far in Portugal than anywhere in Italy and the risk of colder weather will be significantly reduced too.

You have a good length of trip to cover Lisbon plus a few day trips, Evora (a World Heritage Site), Porto and the wine region plus a look at gorgeous old towns such as Obidos, Tomar etc en route. Travel between the major cities is regular and cheap and although a car is better for the very rural parts, you are unlikely to be covering these in January.

You will no doubt get more recommendations on this forum for Italy, as that is where most people visit. Go for Portugal! I have been to various parts of the country in my 17 trips there and I have never been disappointed with the food, countryside, coast or the people.

For clarification, we don't plan on renting a car. We are more interested in culture and cuisine than sightseeing famous places. Rome and Lisbon are on our short list but are open to others. We figured with the time frame an extended city break would be the way to go. Thanks for the feedback.

7-9 days coming from where? From Oklahoma? Or will you already be somewhere in Europe?

I am asking because 7-9 days is not a whole lot, and if possible, I would want to keep any travel time as short as possible in such a short vacation.

Sorry Anna, yes we will be flying from Oklahoma. We are not afforded with our careers much more than a week to 10 days.

We did a week in Rome in late February and the weather was fantastic, cool but not cold, mid 50's. No real large crowds. I am trying to swing Lisbon for next February (vacation days limited). The airfare is reasonable and we can stay in one place, explore and do days trips. Will be curious where you decide to go .

Stick to Portugal with your limited time. Use the high speed train. Lisbon (4N) >> Coimbra (1N) >> Porto (3N)

Southern European cities with lots to offer, my suggestions are Barcelona, Rome and Istanbul.

If it's cuisine you're after go for Portugal, especially Lisbon and Porto. You'll find some amazing food and reasonably cheap. The variety is also more than you will find in Italy plus cheaper.

As Jennifer has already highlighted, you'll receive plenty of recommendations for Italy but you may want to pay more attention to those who have experienced both Italy and Portugal for a more balanced opinion.

This may be a minor aspect, but with such a short vacation it might tip the scales: You will have one hour less time shift going to Portugal. You'll be jetlagged either way, but a little bit less so in Portugal.