My wife and I are going on our honeymoon in mid-December and are spending 5 days in Nice (actually right in between Nice and Cannes) and 5 days in Malaga. Much of the info online about traveling to these two places is geared towards summer travel, for obvious reasons. We floated going to the Caribbean or Hawaii but ultimately, while we enjoy the beach, it’s not the deciding factor for us, and we wanted to have a rich cultural experience as we’ve never been to either country.
Anyone have recommendations for us while visiting these areas during this time of year?
I’ve heard that Nice has fairly extensive Christmas markets, so we’d like to check those out. We definitely want to soak up as much Côte d’Azur and Costa Del Sol culture as much as possible. I would love to do some wine and art related activities. I’m also a huge enthusiast of ancient history (and I’ve read there are some well-preserved Phoenician ruins in Malaga, things like this I will be very interested in).
Couple of bonus questions:
In preparation for our trip (and also general interest), I’ve been learning some French. Im at level A2 so can speak basic sentences and elementary thoughts. I understand French people are very proud of their language and culture, rightfully so. Will it be appreciated if I attempt to speak French to people? Or should I just stick to English since my French is very basic and probably rough-sounding. I don’t want to offend anyone.
Also, I’m aware that Europe as a whole and particularly France & Spain are suffering from overtourism. My wife and I want to make sure we are traveling in a respectful and constructive manner. I’m not overly concerned about this as it’s the offseason, we are staying in hotels rather than AirBNB, and we’re pretty mellow. But any tips on how we can travel and add value to and be respectful of our hosts?
TL/DR: Going to Nice&Malaga in December, any tips? Should I try to use my basic french while in France? How to travel respectfully in these areas?