Barcelona/Madrid/Granada (late December)

Wow. This must be the fastest tour of Spain ever. Your accommodation is like this ??

24+25 Barcelona
26+27 Granada
28+29 Sevilla
30,31,01 Madrid

You do have a lot on your agenda, especially with small children, short daylight hours and extensive travel between cities. You will not be able to do or see everything on your list, though it can be good to have a list and cut it back as long as you are understanding that some things will just have to be dropped.

You have a lot of Gaudi on the list for Barcelona. I suggest seeing Sagrada Familia as you have planned and then being flexible with the other sites. Parc Guell is pretty remote and hard to get to (ie: it takes time) so that might not work out (plus don't bother if the weather isn't good). Pick one of either Casa Batllo or La Pedrera - the kids might enjoy Batllo more. The kids might enjoy the cable car ride and Spanish Village. Las Ramblas is a street you walk down - it's not something you visit. Not sure how many street performers will be out but the kids would like them.

Stick with the daytime Alhambra - the night visit is limited and just a fancy light show. Be sure to be in line at the Nasrid Palace at the time on your ticket (you get a site ticket for morning or afternoon and a specific time for the Nasrid Palace portion). There are no excuses permitted for missing your time slot.

You mention driving to Cordoba on your way to Sevilla. Be sure to factor in getting checked out of your hotel, breakfast, the 3+ hour drive to Cordoba, parking remotely (there is no driving in the old center), visiting the Mezquita, and driving an hour to Sevilla to check into the hotel. That is a heck of a lot without the kids revolting. And what will you be doing with the car in cities like Granada and Sevilla?

Many people here love Madrid but aside from the museums, I find it more dull compared to the other cities. You may get bored but if so, hop an AVE train to Toledo for the day. It will also be considerably colder than the other locations as it is a much higher elevation.

BARCELONA on Christmas Day (25 Dec 2015)

Sagrada Familia (booked) - 9-11am GREAT
Is Spanish Village/Montjuic worth going? NO
Park Guell - to do last or after Sagrada Familia? PERHAPS NOT WITH YOUR LIMITED TIME.
La Pedrera, Block of Discord (Casa Batllo) ? YES, DO THIS NEXT.
Can we skip La Rambla? NO, MUST DO.
Explore Gothic Quarter? YES, CATHEDRAL & BASILICA SANTA MARIA DEL MAR.
Walk to harbour? YES, AND THE BEACH.
Seafood dinner? YES, IN BARCELONETA,
Is the harbour cable car worth taking? NO

This is busy, so it is very good to see you have things booked ahead of time!
Barcelona:
skip the Spanish village. Not worth it for such limited time.
Park Guell - works either way. Your time is tight - if the park is a high priority, do it second just in case. If the others are more important, do those first. Either way, get a cab to the park to save time, if possible.
Ramblas - iconic, but if you're not interested skip it. That's my advice for everything - don't do it if you're not into it, no matter how many people call it a must. It's busy and fun but highly touristy (not sure how it will be on Christmas day).

Granada
Alhambra at night - would be nice, but I'd skip it due to weather and a need to rest on this whirlwind! Looks like the Alhambra closes at 6 for regular visits. You could just go up there before 6 and see the unticketed parts of the grounds and some views of the city (Charles V, the areas in front of the Alcazaba and before the Nasrid entrance) - walk up from Plaza Nueva and use Justice Gate. But I'd just find a cafe somewhere and enjoy. Plaza Nueva area, or Plaza Bib Rambla and around, near the cathedral, could work.

Some smaller shops will be closed 2-5. Not as many as you'd think (at least in my experience in the summer and fall, December could be slower).

Flamenco show - I don't know, never done Flamenco in Granada. Maybe buy earlier in the day to be sure. Seville is famous for being the home of flamenco - see it there if you can. If not, Granada will be good. I'd look into the logistics of Sacramonte flamenco - I've heard about rip-offs in some of the cave shows, but also good reviews.

Madrid
No advice on Real Madrid - never been to a game or to the stadium

For Madrid if you only have plans for one museum (Prado) then it is a good idea to do it on your arrival day (30 December) as planned. I would consider a day trip to Toledo for 31 December. On 01 January I would plan a day of walking the central historic areas of Madrid, including the Royal Palace which is open that day.

30 Dec - Prado
31 Dec - Toledo
01 Jan - Temple of Debod > Royal Palace > Almudena Cathedral > San Francisco el Grande >
> Plaza Mayor > Puerta del Sol > Plaza de Cibeles > Puerta del Alcala > Retiro Park

Some notes (no particular order):

Sevilla to Cordoba is only about a 90 minute drive, but you do need to allow time to check out, get to Cordoba, find parking, and have time to see La Mezquita.

You won't want to skip Las Ramblas (it's a pedestrian street). If you are walking from the Gothic Quarter to the harbor, you will probably be walking down Las Ramblas, anyway. You would probably enjoy walking around La Boqueria, a huge food market on Las Ramblas. I prefer Casa Battlo to La Pedrera. I don't think you will want/need to do both (they are very similar, and not cheap to visit).

Many of the places you list in Madrid are just streets or plazas, nothing much to see or do there after a few minutes, so they won't take much time. The Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral are very worth doing (don't miss the armory at the palace - it's a separate entrance off of the palace courtyard). Retiro Park is massive. If you plan to watch the New Year's countdown in Puerta del Sol, be very aware of your surroundings. Large crowded gatherings are perfect for pickpockets.

Thank you very much for your suggestions!

The plan is just to go Casa Batlo. La Pedrera we will just view from the outside. Yes, it's not cheap!

The Madrid palace is closed on New Year's Day unfortunately. So, we'll have to visit on New Year's Eve.
It might be a good idea to go Toledo on New Year's Day. We'll go if we're not too tired. Otherwise we'll just go for walks in Madrid, from the palace area to Retiro Park.

I'm sure if it's a good idea to go to Puerto Del Sol with kids on New Year's Eve. We might not.

If you had to choose one museum for the kids, would it be the Prado or the Reina Sofia?

Prado for sure. Reine Sofia is all modern art and most of it is pretty abstract. The Prado has all the classics.

I cant find any official information on Royal Palace closing dates ...
http://www.patrimonionacional.es/en/real-sitio/palacios/8280

I went to book the tickets for the Royal Palace on the same website you gave, David. It's closed on New Year's Day. Thank you very much though!

Thanks, Douglas. My family's not into museums. Well, at least it will give them a better idea of Spanish history! I had to tell my husband that my kids learn about world famous artists in school :)

Ah, I see that now too. More detail on their information page would have been helpful.
I would be concerned Toledo may be a ghost town on January 1st. Others may have experience.

Toledo looks fantastic in pictures. I will do some research. Hopefully its main attractions will be open on New Year's Day.

All the monuments in Toledo will be closed on New Year's Day according to this guide :(( :

http://www.maribelsguides.com/mg_toledo.pdf

You could perhaps do both the Royal Palace (closes 18:00) and the Prado (closes 20:00) after your lunch time arrival on 30 Dec.

Then on 31 Dec head to Toledo by AVE train from Madrid Atocha Station.

Your choices for 1st Jan in Madrid really don't extend beyond the streets ...
Temple of Debod > Almudena Cathedral > San Francisco el Grande > Plaza Mayor > Puerta del Sol > Plaza de Cibeles > Puerta del Alcala > Retiro Park

Thanks, David.

I'm thinking it might be best to go Toledo in the early morning around 8 or 8.30am by AVE train and then the Royal Madrid palace. There are slots every 15 mins right up till 1.45pm. After that, we can go walk around Plaza Mayor and Puerto del Sol.

I will have to book the train tickets online in advance.

In the evening, we can go to Puerto del Sol. I read that it's common to find children at Puerto del Sol for the New Year countdown and fireworks.

You need to right off an entire day for Toledo.
I would not consider the Royal Palace on the 31st Dec after an hour or two in Toledo - just not worth it.

Dec 30
1130 Arrival by train
1400 Royal Palace (closes 18:00)
1700 Prado (closes 20:00)

Dec 31
Toledo by AVE train from Madrid Atocha Station

Jan 1
Temple of Debod > Almudena Cathedral > San Francisco el Grande > Plaza Mayor > Puerta del Sol > Plaza de Cibeles > Puerta del Alcala > Retiro Park

Thank you, David!

Still cannot decide to do Toledo or not. We might just stay in Madrid and enjoy Christmas Eve there.

If your kids aren't big art lovers, they may enjoy the Naval Museum (down the street from the Prado) much more. If you go, know that you need to have your passports with you to enter. If you choose the Prado, make a list in advance of those paintings you want to see and where they are. The Prado is huge, if you don't plan ahead, your group may tire long before you get to your top choices. The Thyssen is also excellent (down the street from the Naval Museum) with paintings for the time span between where the Prado ends and the Reina Sofia begins.

We arrive by train from Seville on 30 Dec at 11.15 am and our hotel is in Chamartin, near the train station I believe. We've just got tickets to watch a Real Madrid match at 4pm. We will have to be at the stadium at 3pm. So that only gives us 2-3 hours. We could make a quickie visit to the Prado I think. I don't think my kids can last longer than that at a museum anyway.

On 31 Dec, we are visiting Royal Palace at 10 am and then we will explore Plaza Mayor, Puerto Del Sol, do some souvenir shopping. After that I'm not sure what to do. I don't think we want to splurge on expensive dinner.

I'm sure the kids would love to see the fireworks but getting back after the New Year might be too taxing with so many revellers, especially we are staying quite far (Chamartin). We'll see how it goes.

New Year's Day - we will walk around the city. Unless we get so bored that we decide to take a train to Toledo :)
Never mind if the attractions are closed.
It's still a beautiful city.

Thoughts:

Don't worry about Montjuic in the winter. It's only lively in the summer. I'm not sure if the cable car runs in the winter?

Parc Guell is fun, you might do it last and decide how much walking you are up for. We did a Moderniste day in Barcelona that started at the Block of Discord, then to Parc Guell, and Sagrada Familia last.

The Rambla is essentially the walk to the harbor. You could walk through the streets in the Gothic Quarter but I think you would enjoy the Mercado de la Boqueria off the Ramblas - lots of bizarre foods for the kids to be grossed out about. There is a lot of petty theft centered around the Ramblas, but it should get lighter as the crowds thin in winter. For the Gothic quarter, take the TI guided walk that starts at the TI in Placa (pronounced Plassa) Sant Jaume in the morning then walk afterward.

If everyone is a good eater (not picky) I'd suggest a small Tapas place called El Xampanyet it's in another old part of town adjacent to the Gothic Quarter. The food, prices and clientelle were the most local feel we found in Barcelona. Most of the recommended Tapas in guide books are franchises of a chain.

Granada:

We enjoyed seeing a Sambra show in a cave home in Sacramonte. We saw two options and went to the one furthest from downtown. It ended up being the one on Rick's show. I liked it better than the Flamenco show we saw later in Seville - more instruments, more clapping, more dancers and more of a gypsy feel.

It can be freezing in Granada even in spring. We toured in the AM in April and it was unseasonably cold (fresh snow in the mountains behind the Alhambra). Madrid is worse - be prepared for cold, maybe you will get lucky. San Nicolas at sunset is the best - end of natural light and start of lighting on Alhambra.

Everywhere in Spain there will be a siesta time. Each shop has it's own times ranging from around 11 AM to 5 PM, most places are closed for three or four hours. The only exceptions are the main sights, so plan to see those through the middle of the day.

Cordoba is worth a stop. If you are driving, I'd suggest parking across the Roman bridge from the Mesquita rather than trying to park in the center. There is ample free parking (it's where the buses park) and a very convenient walk across the pedestran bridge into the center.

Madrid:

I'm only a fan of the Prado. The parks might be great in the summer but not when you're there. Personally I'd stop at Atocha station, walk two blocks to the Prado for several hours, then get on the train and leave. The indoor garden is part of the Botanical gardens next to El Prado, towards Atocha. It's okay but I don't think worth it in the winter when the rest of the gardens will be hibernating.

Madrid is new (think Baltimore) by European standards. The palace isn't even the best in Spain (there is an Egyptian temple, Temple Debod, not far from the Palace) and the Cathedral is very unspectacular - especially by Spanish standards.

Plaza Mayor isn't great and was littered with protestors when I was there. There is a bull bar on the north side of the square that was worth a stop. They give you a free Tapa with your drink, kids are welcome in the day, so order what you want and see what they bring (rather than ordering Tapas too). Puerto del Sol is nothing more than a square with a metro under it, the center of petty theft in Madrid.

Plaze de Espana, at least the one I'm thinking of, is in Seville. It's an Expo site - so nothing special IMO. It's nice gardens to stroll through if you have extra time but not historic in any way. In Seville your focus should be on the Cathedral, the Alcazar and the surrounding quarter. If you want you can walk toward the river past the Bull Ring and see the Golden Tower. There are no bull fights in the winter.