Spain over Christmas and New Year's?
 

We are trying to narrow down a first-time trip to Spain, where we'll probably spend about two weeks over Christmas 2005. We're mainly interested in art museums and will probably spend our time in Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla, with a day trip to Toledo. Can anyone tell me what it will be like to spend the holidays in Spain? And can anyone recommend moderately-priced hotels to be near the main museums? Thanks.

Topping -- can anyone help me with this?

The weather in Madrid is usually decent around the Christmas holidays, as is Barcelona, but Sevilla will be several degrees warmer. Christmas is a Christian holiday and celebrated throughout Spain, but it is a little different then what you are probably used to.

We'll need to know a little more about you budget and requirements for a hotel before anyone can recommend anything reasonable. Are you looking for something classic, quaint, upscale or basic? 3, 4 or even 5 star? There are a number of excellent hotels to select from in each category.

You may also want to download a copy of Maribel's Guides to Barcelona, Madrid and Sevilla for a little more insight into these areas. (http://maribelsguides.com)

We're looking for something in the two- or three-star line -- something quaint would be nice. We're not interested in upscale, but we do like our comforts.

As for the holidays, I'm curious whether things shut down around Christmas. We're not religious, and we do understand there won't be much open on Christmas Day. But will we be able to go out and have a meal that day, and on New Year's Day? And are there places to avoid if we don't want to get caught up in New Year's Eve carousing? We're the quiet type ...

You will find no problem for a restaurant on 25th and New Years day, some of them may be closed, but the majority will be opened for you.

But on the 24th and 31st at night you will find only luxurious dinners (from 150 Eur. pax aprox.)

I've spent several Christmases in Spain and I can confirm that lots of restaurants and bars are open on Christmas Day. Very few places are open on the evening of the 24th, so you should aim to have a big lunch or eat something very early in the evening.
Hotels are generally quiet, so there's no problem finding accommodation in the cities when you arrive. The only problem is that some hotels close so in small towns, there may not be any hotels open over Christmas.
On New Year's Eve, restaurants will offer inclusive parties; if you want to spend a whole evening celebrating, book in advance and be prepared to pay, otherwise aim to eat a big lunch and buy bottles to drink in your hotel in the evening.