Itinerary help needed for French Riviera.

No one can say whether 8 full days on the riviera is too much for you. Why are you going? To relax? Beach time?

We all have different preferences. It would be too long for me, because I just didn't care for the French Riviera much (preferred the Italian Riviera). I had three nights in Nice last year to do quick trips to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, Antibes, and Cannes. That was plenty for me. (I wound up liking Nice more than expected but didn't exactly fall in love with it.) But, some people truly love the French Riviera. Maybe you will.

When are you going? The strikes don't last for months - they are usually targeted to specific days and announced in advance. And sometimes only certain trains are affected. You can probably fly cheaply between Nice and Paris, though, so if you can coordinate getting to/from Nice with a flight into/out of CDG, I might just do that. But I love trains and might lean toward a train anyway - and just pay attention to upcoming strikes.

Thank you. Is the rail pass useful at all for this itinerary ( other than CDG- Nice and back ).

Fares change all the time, and much depends on your origin airport, but I got a great fare last summer, flying from Washington Dulles to Nice and back home from London, so flying into or out of Nice might be affordable.

Even if you must fly round-trip to Paris, a rail pass is unlikely to pay off if your itinerary is limited to Paris and the Riviera, assuming you can commit to specific dates and times for the long trips to and from Paris and buy the train tickets early. You won't spend much money traveling along the Riviera, and some of that travel may be by bus.

I liked Nice and enjoyed trips to a lot of nearby towns, both on the coast and in the hills. If I had eight days to spend in southern France, however, I would probably spend some of it in Provence, basing in either Arles or Avignon. Just a matter of variety. But I have no interest whatsoever in lying on a beach.

Thank you. You answered my question that I just posted as well. Great input.

There are also some wonderful small towns in the area - both along the sea and inland - especially around St. Tropez like Gassin, Ramatuelle, La Garde Freinet, Le Lavandou and Grimaud, among others. We rented a convertible and drove all around the area. It was really wonderful. Also, many towns have morning markets, which is a great way to start your day and immerse yourself in the local culture. Visiting a morning market is one of my favorite things to do in France.

This guide lists all the markets in the area by day: https://french-riviera-guide.com/infos/markets/

Plenty of people base themselves for one week, two, three or even more in one town in the Riviera. You don't have to be in a rush to see multiple sites at once, and there are plenty of towns and sites. Things you can easily do by train or bus: VilleFranche-sur-Mer, Cap Ferrat, Monaco, Menton, Ventimiglia, San Remo, Antibes, Biot, Haut de Cagnes, St. Paul de Vence, Vence, Cannes. The Train des Merveilles or the Train des Pignes/Chemin de Fer de Provence

A ferry or car is best to get to St. Tropez and environs, or the boats to the Leyrins Islands (St. Honorat). A few days rental will get you access to places like Tourettes Sur Loup, Gourdon, Gorges du Loup, the Mercantour NP, Peillon, Peille, Mourgins, and further into Italy and Provence. However, an easy split would be add some area around Aix-en-Provence, like the Luberon or the Gorges du Verdon