Spain in Christmas break with 2 teens

Barcelona, Girona, Sevilla, Madrid
At the prices you list, for four people, AirBnB will be more affordable.
Skip beach towns in Dec/Jan.
Neighborhoods? Study the cities to see where you want to stay.
Good guide books will give you places that are must see.

According to Wikipedia, you are likely to have a lot of below-50F temperatures in Madrid in late December and early January. The average monthly high temperatures are 50F in December and 49.6F in January. Average lows are in the upper 30sF. I'd expect below-50 temperatures most of the time. Although farther south than Barcelona, Madrid is considerably colder in the winter, as is the rest of central Spain.

At that time of year the nicest temperatures are down in Andalucia, in places like Seville (about 12 degrees warmer than Madrid in the daytime, on average. at around 62F) and Cordoba (about 10 degrees warmer than Madrid in the daytime). Even Seville and especially Cordoba cool off quite a bit at night. The third big tourist destination in southern Spain is Granada. It's at altitude with high temperatures averaging in the mid-50sF and lows in the mid-40s. None of those cities is on the coast, but they are extremely historic and popular for a reason. Seville's the largest of the bunch.

Barcelona is on the coast, and your odds of moderate weather in Barcelona are good, with daytime highs averaging nearly 60F and lows averaging in the upper 40sF. Not too far north of Barcelona (but not on the coast) is the beautiful, historic, smaller city of Girona. It trends a couple of degrees cooler than Barcelona. It has a lovely medieval center, still partially walled, two pretty churches and a lively restaurant scene.

Right on the express rail line between Barcelona and Madrid is Zaragoza, a very interesting city that gets a lot fewer international tourists that Barcelona and Madrid. It's average temperatures are much like Madrid's.

You might want to look at actual, day-by-day, historical temperatures in the places you are considering. I like to check the most recent five years, because I feel that gives me a better idea of the range of weather I may experience. Monthly averages only go so far, especially considering climate change and averages that may not be based on an up-to-date period.

Madrid weather -- December 2022

Barcelona weather -- December 2022

Use the pull-down box at the right, just above the graph, to change the month and year displayed. Use the Search box at the upper right to change the city.

January 6th is Three Kings Day and most places will be closed. I’m not sure how public transportation to the airport will be affected.

Rather than have other people plan your itinerary, you can do that yourself. Get the teens involved and let them research the cities. They can let you know what they’d like to see. That way they are part of the planning process and you’ll know what they don’t want to visit.

Maybe just stick to Madrid and Barcelona and take a couple day trips from each. Other will tell you the standard day trip recommendations.

You don't have time for six cities unless you are going a drive-by. If you are landing on the 26th and departing the 6th, all you have ten nights on the ground. And the first night is mostly wasted just getting settled and dealing with jet lag. . At best you have eight good nights and that is about three cities especially since you are returning from Barcelona. And NYE could be a dead night.

Assume you are traveling this January. (For others reading this posting, this is a classic example when a multi-city ticket or open jaw ticket coming home from Madrid would have saved time and money.) Remember, you lose at a half day if not more when you change cities so three cities is a day and half from your eight days. Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid would work or a longer stay in Madrid with a couple of day trips to Toledo, Avila, or Segovia.

A beach city is out of the question because of weather. Check a map. The beaches of southern Spain are close to the latitude of Washington, DC, and Barcelona is near to Toronto. Your days will be short and the sunlight weak. You should plan for fairly chilly weather and perhaps some rain.

Cannot speak for Madrid or Barcelona but you may find NYE celebration very different than the US. Recently we were in Sevilla for NY's week. This was almost no public celebration, all bars and restaurants are closed, on NYE in Seville and assume that would hold for most of, at least, southern Spain. And everything including most restaurants were closed on the 1st. The exception was the restaurants associated with hotels. Jan 6th is their big time for celebration.

I know my response has a negative ring but just want you to be appear that there are differences between Spain and US around celebration and want you to be prepared for these differences.

So you will need to check careful about what is open and when during this time period.

PS.. 100 - 150 us dollars is on the cheap side for four person accommodations at that time of year. You may want to double that.

The beaches of southern Spain are close to the latitude of Washington, DC, and Barcelona is near to Toronto.

Comparing places according to their shared latitude is pointless when it comes to climate. Barcelona and Toronto may be on a similar latitude but the climate in those cities in January is vastly different. Malaga is on the same latitude as Springfield, Missouri. I've been in shorts and t-shirt in Malaga in January, I couldn't imagine doing the same in Springfield. Likewise in Barcelona. I've been wandering around in shorts and t-shirt in February, there's not much chance of doing that in Toronto.

January on the Costa Del Sol can be quite pleasant. It might not be beach weather but if the weather is good you can still enjoy the sea view and the the coastal culture, al fresco dining, strolling the promenade etc. The highest daytime temperature in January this year in Malaga was 21°c, accompany that with some glorious sunshine and you have a very pleasant day.

For me, Madrid would be too cold in January and I think it would be for you too if you don't want to experience temperatures below 60°f.

No matter where you will be, on the evening of Jan 5 the BIG parade of the Three Magic Kings will take place. Something not to miss...most Spanish kids open their presents on Jan 6 and it´s a big family day, national holiday all over Spain.

thank you all for the valuable inputs! really appreciate the time and effort you put in. I think we may end up skipping madrid due to cold weather

Sorry, but we did Costa del Sol beaches and were disappointed. Not the best beaches in the World.

You amount per night for four persons will be hard to find. airbnbs tend to be away from city centers, so you might have to take public transportation to do sightseeing.

You don't have enough time for Barcelona, Madrid and Andalusia.

Barcelona deserves 4-5 days, then take the high speed train to Madrid. From Madrid, you can do day trips to Toledo and Segovia. Recommend 4-5 days for those cities. Seville is the gem of Andalusia, but you need 4 days for it and another day for Cordoba (between Madrid and Seville).

Sorry, but we did Costa del Sol beaches and were disappointed. Not the best beaches in the World.

The OP is going in Dec/Jan and is not expecting powdery white sands and crystal clear waters to dive into. What the area does offer is some great seaside locations. Explore fantastic historical sights and enjoy great food and wine whilst taking in the coastal location.

I just did a quick booking.com search for Barcelona Dec 30-Jan 1 for family of 4. The only choice under $300 for 2 nights is a "mobile home". Even for just 2 adults hostels are going for $100/night. You need to check hotels for some of your dates and I'm guessing pricing will be better in smaller towns.

Granted it is about a month earlier than the OP will be in Spain but we are in Sevilla now and it is quite pleasant. It’s in the low 60s, everyone is outside walking and eating at the cafes. Lots of jackets and short boots but yesterday I went out with only a lightweight sweater (and I get cold easily).

Best of luck with your planning!