Spain or Italy>

At that time of year I would vote for Rome/Florence. About the only time I would vote against Rome/Florence would be July/August because of the heat. But southern Spain -- Seville, etc. -- would better at that time than Madrid or Barcelona. I don't think safety is an issue at any of these locations.

Just my opinion - I would select Rome/Florence at that time of the year. You will avoid the heat and crowds of their summertime. I certainly hope that your safety due to race would not be an issue in either of these countries.

Agree with others above - Italy gets the edge on this one, it might be a little warmer (or less cold). It's still going to be January. Hopefully the food and the sights will warm you. I would be quite surprised if safety was an issue for you in either (although that's easy for me to say, being European-American). That qualifier aside, I wouldn't let that concern stand in your way of going to either country. You should be able to have a wonderful time in both. Best wishes!

Italia, hands down.

Veronica: There is something ironic about a person from Dallas being concerned about safety in Europe. The murder rate in Dallas is 100 times higher than in Rome (Dallas, 1.3 per 1000 people; Rome 1.32 per 100,000 people). As for racial prejudice, it probably exists everywhere in one form or another, but you are more likely to experience anti-Americanism than racism pure and simple in Europe. Most people in most places are just trying to get through their everyday lives; the handful of scuz who harass others are no more prevalent in Europe than here. Relax, go, and have a great time.

The weather variations among your possible destinations in January are insignificant and shouldn't influence your choice IMO...check out the averages on Weather Underground. It's hard to recommend one over the other without knowing your interests, but I'll go against the grain and suggest Barcelona and Madrid (good mix of hip Mediterranean city and stately capital with world-class art, architecture, and royal pomp). You won't experience anti-Americanism in any of the cities you mentioned, and you most highly likely won't need to worry about racism either. However, it's interesting to note that there were State Dept. reports about a year or so ago regarding racism against African Americans in Italy. A couple of US federal government employees were harassed/beaten up by police, jailed, and then later released with no charges (victims had reason to believe it was all racially motivated). Complaints were filed by the US...not sure what happened from there. Also, there have been problems with racism against blacks in Spanish soccer. Still, these are perhaps just interesting facts...not something you'll ever experience or need to worry about personally as a tourist in the tourist areas in any of these cities. If you were planning a trip to off the beaten path Eastern Europe, more caution might be needed. My take is that neither weather nor racism should influence your choice. Whatever you choose, enjoy your trip and congratulations! You can't go wrong with Spain or Italy. Roe: You're right, nearly all large US cities have much higher crime than their European counterparts, but I don't believe crime in general is what prompted Veronica's question. I believe it was more related to a concern about the potential for crime against African Americans specifically because of racism.

Veronica, Rome and Florence are going to be wet, but if you stick to the Southern coast of Spain, you can have some wonderful sunny days. The Seville and Granada areas, and all of the southern coast can be just wonderful. A couple of December's ago we were wading in the surf when we stayed in So Portugal.

no disrespect, barcelona is my main team, spain is my world team, rafa nadal is everything, and i spent two weeks in spain in 2010. italy, italy, italy, anywhere, anytime. favorites are florence, venice and siena. rome, what cannot be said. the cinque terra is amazing. spain is cool, but it is not italy. have fun, be safe.

Chose ITALY! Warmer weather, great food, antiquities, museums, charm, looking at the great Italian styles, gelato ! Wear your money belts and use the safe, avoid gypsies and look like you know where you are going. If you get lost then sit down for a cappucino or glass of wine and figure it out in comfort. Stay with the crowd; you know where not to go in Dallas so you can read Rick's book for neighborhood tips. Have a great time!
( and take layers of clothes for warmth)

Our family just returned from Rome and we found the city to be very international. The city was also very friendly. There were no crowds and the reported pickpockets were not seen.
From our experience, the safety consideration is terrorism. The day after we left Rome, the embassy bombings occurred. We had noticed the increase in police around tourist sites but didn't know why.

My husband and I honeymooned in Spain 20 years ago. My family has been to Rome/Florence and Spain (never been to Barcelona, but have seen the rest). We just took our teens to Spain for Christmas break (Madrid, Seville, Tarifa, Granada, Cordoba). I have not checked the weather in Italy but temps in the parts of Spain we were just in were very comfortable. I mean, it's winter there, but we were not uncomfortable out sightseeing. We live in central NC, and it's been much colder here than it was there. Safety was not a problem for us in either Italy OR Spain. I will say that I felt less comfortable leaving train stations in Italy than in Spain. There are people of all colors and cultures all over Europe. We had been told by friends that the unemployment rate in southern Spain made for higher crime rates, but we didn't have any trouble. In fact the gypsies we encountered in Spain 20 years ago were invisable (or maybe in a warmer place for the winter). Having said that, we walked our feet off each day and headed back to our hotels before 10, which may have helped us avoid any issues. I have heard that things change quickly in some cities after 11pm. We tried to chose hotels based on reviews (I read back for a year or more if I can to look for any safety concerns) and locations that would allow us easy access to sights and train stations. We rolled suitcases in/out of train stations in both countries. We walked everywhere in both as well. We used the Metro in Rome and Madrid. No problems anywhere. All the best with your planning and HAPPY Honeymoon!