First timers to Spain - January 2020

Hi, good choose for a vacation! Here would be some of my advice for Spain in Dec/Jan:

• Spain is quite festive during these times, remember our main celebration is the 3 Kings Day (Jan 6th) rather than Christmas, so you will still feel the holiday atmosphere.

• We actually have a tradition of the Christmas Markets too, that may come as a surprise. The best one for me is in Barcelona la Feria de Santa Llucia, right in front of the main cathedral, it's the oldest one from the 1700s.

• Also know that on the night of Jan 5th most cities in Spain have a big parade of the Three Kings (Cavalcade de Los Reyes Magos), I think the kids will love this experience. There are really big ones in Barcelona and Madrid.

• Toledo is a great city to spend a portion of the holidays in, it feels very cozy and is decked out in decorations and lights, with a nice Christmas market right in front of the Cathedral. It will also be a nice place to spend a low key NYE as Barcelona and Madrid can get quite crazy (in a good way).

I would probably recommend something along these lines for 9 nights:

Fly in to Madrid
then AVE train to Toledo
Toledo (2 nights) - spend NYE in Toledo
AVE back to
Madrid (3 nights) - day trip to Segovia castle
AVE to
Barcelona (4 nights) - enjoy Cavalcade and la Feria
Fly out of Barcelona

Jacey - Carlos gave a great itinerary. May i also add during your stay in Barcelona, take a day trip to Montserrat with the kids. They will love it. Girona is also another option time permitting.

https://www.spain-holiday.com/Barcelona-province/articles/barcelona-day-trip-the-mountains-of-montserrat

https://www.earthtrekkers.com/best-things-to-do-girona-spain/

https://parkguell.barcelona/

I wonder how much there will be for the kids to enjoy in Madrid. The big draw is the art museums. One sight that kids seemed to enjoy was the Naval Museum (be sure to take your passports with you).

Barcelona has a lot more variety.

I've visited twice in February, not much difference in weather between Madrid, Barcelona and Andalucia. Toledo may be colder (altitude).

Given the idiosyncrasies of weather recently, I wouldn't want to make any prediction for next January! But, in general it will be colder in Madrid, bitterly so at night, than Barcelona or, for example, Seville (I suspect Toledo will be very chilly too up top, and with a biting wind perhaps?). But I don't think the difference is enough to be a deciding factor, and you can dress accordingly (also the chill is a great excuse to regularly stop for hot chocolate and other warming snacks). If you're lucky most days will be cold but with clear blue sky - if you're unlucky it will rain, but be a bit warmer. You can usually anticipate less rain and brighter winter sun in Seville than Barcelona.

Personally, I'd split your time between Madrid and Sevilla because I think Barcelona and around are best saved for when you can enjoy and take advantage of being on the coast. For instance, arrive Madrid and stay 3 nights, Toledo for a night, then Sevilla for 4 nights, before returning to Madrid for the night before flying home? There's a lot to see in Madrid that doesn't require stepping foot inside an art gallery.

Carlos has mentioned that Epiphany is an important holiday. Be aware that as well as celebrations, that does mean some attractions and shops close, though by no means all.

PS if you do stay up for NYE (unlikely, perhaps, with young children), by tradition you need grapes to eat as 2020 is rung in.