Nice or Menton
 

We will end a 5 week trip in Santa Margurita Ligure (Italy) and then the easiest places to fly home are either Milan or Nice. We were in Milan and the Lake district last year so are thinking of flying out of NIce. With that said we would take the train and am thinking it might be nicer to stay in Menton for 2 nites before departing Nice. We really won't have much more time and will visit France another time. With that said what are your thoughts of Menton instead of Nice and how hard is it to get to the airport in Nice from Menton. We are just wanting to wind down before heading home. Thanks in advance to all of your help on this forum.

Menton is very charming and more of a resort town than Nice. If you are traveling in the summer , it is a spot to relax and sit on the beach
Nice is large place with museums, good restaurants , interesting 'old town"; much more to see and do than Menton.
Getting to the airport from Menton is of course more complicated. You may have to take a train to Nice and taxi to the airport. or a bus to Monaco ( or Monte Carlo ) and another bus direct to the airport in Nice. I am not sure about the bus though.

Nothing to add regarding Danon's brief cities description.
Just that there are direct buses from Menton main bus station to Nice airport (one stop in Monaco) by motorway. Easy !

Stay in Nice; then you won't need to get from Menton to Nice for your return flight. Also, I find Nice much more interesting than Menton.

If all you want is to wind down, Menton is the place for that. Nice beaches, great restaurants, still has that small town feel to it.

Actually I looked at Rick Steves book and he recommended Antibes, Nice, or Villefranche-sur-Mer. Any comments on these choices. Obviously Nice is easiest to get to the airport, is there a nice beach area there as well?
Thanks again.

VsM is very close to Nice and rather small, I liked Antibes better including the beach.

sorry, Nice has amny beaches ( not sand), some free ( only showers), some pay (with restaurants, change rooms etc)