Is it reasonable to try to explore Eze Village & Villafranche on the same day? Additionally, is it an easy walk from Nice to Villafranche? Train or bus from Villafranche to Eze? Thanks

No trains go to Eze. I have never done what you propose as I have always had a car but you can certainly bus to Eze from Nice and Eze to Villafranche. Can take either a bus or train from Nice to Villafranche. I think you could do both in one day depending on what you want to do in Villafranche. I assume at least the Villa Ephrussi.

Thanks mjs

I do want to visit Villa Rothschild and Villa Kerylos and do a short coast hike. However, not knowing the area well, I was putting them as a separate daytrip to Cape St Jean-Farrah. Perhaps they are close enough to do them plus Villafranche and Eze in one long day. But would that be too rushed?

I did the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and Villa Kerylos on the same day, with lunch in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. I might could have added another place if I had been feeling energetic.

If you want to hike round Cap Ferrat, that would need to be a different day, or just combined with Villa Ephrussi.

For my first trip to Nice (have definitely been back!) see: Nice to Paris: on not taking it easy in Eastern France

A hike around the Cap is about 4 hours. I guess you could do Eze, a hike and both Villas in one very long day if it were summer and you started really early. Am not sure how much time the buses would take for this as I’ve only bused from
Nice to Villefranche.

You could possibly do it in one day, except for the walk around Cap Ferrat. You can take the earliest bus to Eze. Walk down (very steep) to the train at the base, take the train to beaulieu sur mer (walk to villa kerylos), take the bus to Villa Ephrussi and then take the same bus to Villefrance for an apero (or you can take the longish walk(. You can then take bus or train back to Nice. You run into issues with truncating a lot of visits in the middle of the day because things do have shorter hours, especially in the offseason. And really, the Villas do take time to do properly, and you have to eat someplace along the way (and that is likely in Beaulieu, and MANY restos there hold lunch pretty much on fixed hours).

The walk to Nice to Villefrance is doable but not in this combination. Mont Boron is in your way and you have to either climb up and over (lot of winding roads to the top) or more simply, just walk around.

When in Villefranche-sur-Mer for a month in April 2014, we walked to Nice a few times, especially when the bus was packed, taking M6098 (the bus route) around Mont Boron. It's a relatively easy, though not short, walk. We also enjoyed getting off that road and exploring the Mont Boron Park and the nearby Mont Alban fort, which has great views of Villefranche, its harbor, and Cap Ferrat.

I would give Cap Ferrat a day of it’s own. Villa Ephrusdi and Villa Kerylos plus lunch in St/Jean make for a full day. Eze and Villefranche can be done the same day.