Looking at a potential trip for 2 in November. Probably looking at a week minimum, and definitely not 2 full weeks….so probably 7-10 days I am guessing. Here are some of the countries I am considering. Any big things in y'all's experience to sway someone to one of these countries over another? Especially considering the time of year?

Portugal
Denmark
Spain
Fill in the blank with other similar recs for a couple in November. At this point I do not think we will do one of the big main countries (France, Italy, England types), but if we did I lean heavily towards France.

For November, I'd rank your original list as Spain first, then Portugal, followed by Italy, and then Denmark, with southern Spain (especially Andalusia) offering the best combination of mild weather, sunshine, and cultural depth. Portugal is a great, easy 7-10 day option. Lisbon plus the Algarve works well (though it's more scenic than beachy that time of year). Italy is fantastic culturally (Rome, Florence, even southern regions), but November can be rainier and cooler depending on where you go, while Denmark will be the coldest and darkest of the group.

Happy to answer questions or help with the trip if you're looking for it!

Depends upon your interests. I suggest traveling post Thanksgiving in order to see the Christmas markets. Of your choices, Denmark provides the best option. Should France move up your list, then Strasbourg is the better choice as it has one of the best Christmas markets in Europe.

Should you wish for warmer environs, then Spain or Portugal are your best options.

Danger Mouse said:

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Depends upon your interests. I suggest traveling post Thanksgiving in order to see the Christmas markets. Of your choices, Denmark provides the best option. Should France move up your list, then Strasbourg is the better choice as it has one of the best Christmas markets in Europe.

Should you wish for warmer environs, then Spain or Portugal are your best options.

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Big fan of Christmas market travel, and you're spot on with Strasbourg. It's easy to get to, direct high speed train from Paris. Colmar is another excellent option to add on (incredibly charming town).

The one thing I'd point out is that you're getting out of "shoulder season travel" and into "peak travel". More crowds, higher hotel costs, need for restaurant reservations in advance, etc. Definitely not a bad thing but it's a different approach to the trip.

For a 7-10 day trip in November, I'd recommend focusing on one or two destinations max so you're not spending half your trip moving around.
Portugal is one of my top picks mild weather, incredible food and wine, and Lisbon + Porto is a perfect pairing for a week.
Spain is also fantastic that time of year, especially Seville, Granada, or Madrid once the summer heat is gone.
Denmark is beautiful, but November can be dark, cold, and rainy, so it's usually not my first recommendation for that month.
Another great option for couples that time of year is Austria, Vienna and Salzburg.
If you'd like help narrowing this down and designing the right itinerary for November, send me an email and we can set up a quick call to talk through ideas. My contact info is in my bio.

I was able to narrow it down to top choice now of Spain, secondary choice Portugal.

Always wanted to see the Basque country, but do see how the more southern coasts might be nice that time of year.

If y'all were to split the country into 2 or 3 parts, and build the trip around them, what would y'all do? I can't recall if it is Madrid or Barcelona that people view as potentially overrated.

Unless you're a "big city" fan, I would avoid spending significant (if any) time in Madrid or Barcelona. I have friends who live in Madrid and they love it but given the short timeframe of your trip I would suggest the below:

3 days in San Sebastin in the North + 6 days in Andalusia (Marbella, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada, Alicante & Valencia). I would pick one base in Andalusia with day trips built in vs moving again but you could split between Marbella & Alicante/Valencia.

Happy to answer any questions or help with the trip if you're looking for it!