Spain - request itinerary for 2 week visit in December
 

We will be a family of 6 adults and 1 child ( 3 1/2 years) visiting Spain in December. This month is chosen because our son-in-law and daughter are teachers and this is the only time we can go for so many consecutive days. Our son and daughter-in-law will be based in Oviedo for a year, and they are joining us in the trip. We do not necessarily need to go to that area, I am sure they can meet up with us.

I need help with a itinerary that will give us a good feel for Spain- the culture, food, music and history. We will be renting a car, and because there are so many of us, I am thinking renting a house would be more cost efficient. We can also fly in to any airport, whichever one is closest to what the best itinerary is.

We don't know what your interests are (except history which is my main interest in travel). There is really no "best itinerary" for everyone.

I'd get a Spain guidebook--Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Michelin Green Guide are the ones we use--Fodor's for a first-time trip because it gives suggested itineraries for various length trips and interest sets. For a group of six adults, I'd get all three and distribute them among you so that each person can come up with his or her own list of "must sees."

I would also be guided by what your daughter and son-in-law want to do.

There is a conflict between "renting a house" and "having a good itinerary." Spain is a big country and things are spread out so you'll probably have to move at least once and house rentals may require you to commit for a longer term than what would be optimal for your itinerary.

But first step is to get a guidebook or three and see what Spain has to offer for your interests.

Honestly, you need to do some research.

Every travel publisher has suggested itineraries. http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/spain/

The first time I went to Spain, I got some really good advice from a friend who was living there. He told me don't try to go too many places, pick a few places and spend a few days at each. We spent 5 days in Segovia and then took the train to Cordoba for 5 days. Cordoba doesn't really warrant that much time but there is a fabulously well-preserved Roman aquaduct in Segovia that made the trip worthwhile by itself. A lovely central plaza, surrounded by cafes, a cathedral, etc.
On subsequent trips, I've rented a house each time and made day trips from there. Especially with a group and especially with a small child, it seems like renting a villa would be a good fit: multiple bedrooms, a few bathrooms, common areas to sit and chat, a kitchen to perhaps cook some local foods. In December, you might want to consider sticking to Andalucia for the warmer weather. You could probably have weather warm enough to sit outside at the house and at cafes, etc. I always went in February/March when it was like spring in New England.
Advice above to pick up guidebooks is excellent. Look through them, figure out what appeals to you, put together a string of possibilities and then come back here for advice about what works, what might be too much.
You could rent 2 houses for a week each, if you felt like you really wanted to see more than is possible from one location.
I always stayed in a village halfway between Granada and the coast (haven't been back in some years) and enjoyed the lemon groves surrounding the village, access to Alpujarra mountains and towns along the coast, an overnight trip to Sevilla, etc.
Spain is a lovely country and the people we met were warm and friendly. You'll have a great time.

There are a few places where you can do some day trips, but to see much, you will have to do some moving around.
Seven people plus luggage would require a van. It would also require everybody to be doing the same thing or be stuck. Vans and big cars are a real pain in places like Seville and Madrid. You often can not get them very close to some hotels. You might want two small cars. You would not need them for the whole trip. You could do a city using trains for day trips, then rent cars for country areas.

Figure out what you want to see, then how best to do it.

In December with only two weeks, Andalusia would be good with Possibly Madrid and Barcelona as bookends to the trip. The other usual "biggies" are Seville, Granada and Cordoba. Day trips from Madrid are Toledo and Segovia. There is also the coast and the white villages.

Seven passengers plus luggage space is going to be a large car, well minivan. Do not forget your child will need a car seat and all drivers on the rental agreement will need an IDP.
Maybe this website will give you some ideas about an itinerary.
http://www.spain.info/