You are of course quite correct that an auto gives you a freedom that a bus or train cannot compete with. However, that freedom comes at a cost. If you are willing to pay those costs (in money and convenience), then, yes, an auto is better for you. However, an auto is not "much better" as a universal truth.

For those who put a higher priority on convenience and cost, public transport can be a perfectly acceptable alternative. Looking at your recommendations, for example, I see that Beaulieu sur Mer has a train station. Secondly, I see there is direct bus service from that town to Éze and indirect to the other towns you mentioned and lots more. If you're curious, you can find a very detailed map of transport services in the area here: http://www.lignesdazur.com/ftp/plans...re%202012).pdf

However, there are places that may well have no public transport connections. Fair enough. In those circumstances, I usually take a bus or train to the nearest town and then use a taxi for the final bit. Fortunately, towns with no public transport are quite rare.

There is, however, a great sense of freedom in knowing that after you have travelled to village X there are no worries about where or how long you've parked or how the traffic will be on the trip back or whether you've got enough fuel or any of the other inconveniences of using your own transport. Instead, you just appear at a designated spot at the designated time and for a very small cost, you will be driven (in comfort) back to village Y. Frankly, I don't see how it could be much more convenient than that.