Cannes

I didn't make it to Cannes when I visited the Riviera last year, but the train makes it very easy to reach the other coastal towns. It's a regional train, so you don't face the difficult decision about whether to buy date-specific tickets far in advance to get a low fare or retain flexibility and pay through the nose. The hill towns will probably require a train/bus combination, though I believe there may be rail service to Grasse.

Do beware of pickpockets on the train--though they may have decamped to greener pastures by late October.

If you happen to like art, you'll need more than one day in Nice.

Menton (practically on the Italian border) is the warmest spot on the coast. It has two very nice gardens and a very pretty historic area (the latter unfortunately often full of tourists, but perhaps October will not be as crowded as May).

Villefranche-sur-Mer is a cute little town. The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and the Greek-style Villa Kerylos are not too far away, though Beaulieu-sur-Mer might be a closer train station.

There is much more: Vallauris where Picasso made his ceramics, Biot for glass and the Leger Museum, St.-Paul-de-Vence for the fabulous Fondation Maeght. Provencal markets, often held weekly, are a lot of fun. I don't know the best single place to go for a list; you might need to do some Googling so you can try to hit a few of them by traveling on the right days.

You should pick up Rick's guidebook to southern France, which has a lot more detail about the area than the larger "France" book.

One thing to note is that October is well past high season on the Riviera, and many of the tourist attractions will have shorter hours and more closed days that you would encounter in mid-summer. It will be important to check websites of museums, etc., before laying out any day-by-day sightseeing plans.

I have been in Cannes many times with family who live on the Coast and don't think there is much to do once you've window-shopped the yacht outfitters, looked at the red carpet, visited the little fort on the hill and the local museum. We go there for seafood meals at Brun. So acraven's advice to travel out of Cannes and to give Nice more than one day is spot on.

Yes, do get Rick's Provence and the French Riviera guide; it has MUCH more information on this area than his general France book.

In terms of what to see, there are places along the coast, easily accessible by train. West to east, there's Juan les Pins, Antibes, Nice, Villefranche, Monaco, and Menton, as well as detours to St. Jean Cap Ferrat (two worthwhile villas). Then there are places inland, for which you'll need a bus from the train. Two of the most famous are St. Paul de Vence (the Fondation Maeght is just outside of town and very worthwhile) and Eze Village (in the hills above Eze bord de mer, which is on the train line). I didn't get to Grasse. Two of my inland favorites were Haut des Cagnes (where Renoir's house is - not in Rick's book) and La Turbie (with great views down over Monaco to the sea). Note that La Turbie has very infrequent bus service to Monaco and Nice, and that's all for public transit - check schedules carefully to be sure you're not stranded, or you'll have a very expensive taxi ride to get out of town!

I was staying in Nice, which is very much the transit hub of the region and made things easier. If you won't have a car, the train along the coast (as noted above) runs twice an hour until about 11 PM and is unreserved. Buses along the coast are even more frequent, but from Cannes they take twice as long; you will probably want to take the train along the coast and then bus inland. But, inland buses are less frequent, so you'll need to check schedules. Assuming you'll be taking a lot of buses, you can't lose with a 7 day regional bus pass for €15 (I know mine got a workout!). Buses within Monaco are on a different system; again, for me a Monaco bus day pass was very worthwhile (Monaco is famously small, but due to its shape, it can be a very long walk between things of interest, and it's hilly as well).

Here's the website, in English, for the regional bus company: https://www.lignesdazur.com/en

If you want to do some easy solo trips during the time period of the 22nd to the 25th, try going to Leyrins Islands, specifically perhaps Ste Honorat, if the weather is good. It's no longer beach weather. In Cannes, there is a nice old town but the attractions like Museums are a bit more limited.

The train is best heading east -- it's more efficient. However, some places are only reachable by bus (or Uber). I do recommend adding Villefranche-sur-Mer/Cap Ferrat, Eze and St. Paul de Vence to your targeted itinerary. If you don't do them together, they are small villages that are quite do-able solo, and they are on a small scale.

Many thanks to all of you for your comments. You have renewed my enthusiasm for the trip, and the Provence & South of France guide is on its way to me! I don’t know how I missed it. I feel much more prepared, and look forward to building my itinerary. Happy travels to you!