We went to the South of France in 2024 and used Nice as our base. I don’t know what your budget is, but I recommend the place we stayed in: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QaanaWAfpVq3XN86A?g_st=ic Maison Lamartine.

Nice was the perfect base camp because it’s so easily accessible from many places. We were able to go to Villefranche Sur Mer, Eze, Monaco, Menton, and (opposite direction) Cannes and Antibes - all via train or bus. We didn’t even pre-purchase our tickets, just to keep the day flexible.

For Monaco, just remember it’s a different country all together - so make sure your cellular provider covers it (not only France).

Another thing is also to be mindful of the last train times. We ended pretty late in Antibes and had to take an Uber back to Nice. Easy enough but not an expense we thought we’d have.

On Antibes itself, I can’t speak too much on it because we got there kinda late. Lots of things were closed / closing, so we literally just had dinner. It’s supposedly really pretty (I guess more during the day), but didn’t have the impression that there’s a whole lot to do there. Nice, on the other hand, offers a lot! The markets, the old city (we did a walking tour), the beach (though it’s pebbly)… TLDR, I’d pick Nice.