Quiet and relaxing alternative to Nice for 3 days.

I am not sure what constitutes a village vs town. Maybe Antibes is too large for you and you want very small? I have friends who live there and have visited twice. Or Cassis, further down the coast.

Antibes
Cap Ferat
Beaulieu

Villefranche-sur-Mer? Right next to Nice. I was there on an RS tour - it used to be the ending of Eastern France. I recall walking over to Villa Ephrussi. It was definitely a quieter nook. Now that was about 10 years ago.

Thank you Pete, Suki and Debbie. I am researching them now.

Probably Antibes will be too busy and large; try Beaulieu-sur-Mer or St. Jean Cap Ferrat. (The latter can be isolating without a car, however and the former maybe isn't super cute but does have a pleasant center and decent transport connections).

I second Villefranche-sur-Mer.

My husband and I are also spending 3 nights on the Riviera after the RS tour ends in Nice in Sept. Wondering why the comment to not stay in Antibes as a base. We have a tentative booking at La Jabotte from the RS book. Looking for Boat adventures, hiking and beaches in addition to all the historic stuff found on the web. Not sure if its worth getting a car to go to the Verdon Gorge, or to wine country ( we live in the California Wine Country and would only consider going to a French wine experience that is different from Napa/Central Coast. Thanks in advance for any recommendations/comments.

I stayed in Nice and daytripped to just about every town and village from Cannes to the Italian border. Villefranche was my favorite and definitely fits the bill for relaxing. It's very small, and the beach is kind of pebbly. I'm not familiar with the coast west of Cannes.

It sounded to me as if the OP was looking for a smaller, quieter place than Antibes--a place to focus on relaxing rather than sightsering.

I only daytripped to Antibes, but I liked it. It draws a lot of positive comments on the forum, though I don't know how many people have based there.

I found Nice ideal for a long stay with a lot of side trips because it's the public transportation hub for the Riviera. For folks staying only a few days, there are lots of options, though some will be more practical than others, depending on the individual traveler's list of planned destinations.

I’ve stayed in Menton twice as it is a lovely small town on the coast with an Italian vibe.

I'll recommend Bandol. Cute marina and town.

Re: Villefranche. Cruise ships used to moor there, letting their mobs of passengers off on tenders to shore. Check to see if this is still being done before booking there. Otherwise, it is a lovely town to visit.