Drive from Barcelona to Marbella
 

We are considering a trip to Spain with our daughters who are 19-20 years old. Can the 4 of us drive safely from Barcelona to Marbella? Or from Madrid to Marbella? Which route would you recommend? What about traveling in January? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

of course you can drive if that is what you want to do. i assume you would drive in order to stop along the way and make it part of your trip?

without knowing the duration of your trip it is impossible to help you know if it is even feasible.

You absolutely can drive it easily (and safely assuming you take the basic precautions you would anywhere).

But am curious about Marbella in Jan. It would be too cold for swimming/beach - and isn't the best place for sightseeing Andalusia. Are you going for the golf and tennis?

It is a long drive, and can be somewhat boring unless you have the time to stop and explore along the way. One route would lead you south to Valencia, the other would take you through Madrid.

You can check Mappy.com, Michelin or guidecampsa.com to check the possible routes and distances.

The weather in January can be iffy, but Barcelona, Valencia and the Costa del Sol are usually nice, although you can always expect a little rain. It might be a little cooler in Madrid, but the city in January is quite inviting.

Sales in Spain begin on 7 January and run through the month.

I recommend you take a look at some of Maribel's Guides for a little more information on Barcelona and Madrid (maribelsguides.com)

I agree with the consensus, unless there is a specfic reason for driving, I would not. And remember gas is about 7.50 US for a gallon of gas.