📷 Skift til eget billede: Hero — søen og gamlebyen, bredt panoramabilledeWe almost didn’t stop in Annecy.
We were on a road trip through France in our campervan — fresh off watching Tour de France riders conquer Col de la Madeleine — and Annecy was just a dot on the map between the mountains and Lyon. We gave it two nights. That was our only mistake.
Annecy is the kind of place that gets under your skin. Small enough to walk everywhere, beautiful enough to stop you mid-sentence, and packed with good food, clear water, and that specific French charm that doesn’t feel put-on. If you’re a couple who likes to travel slowly and eat well, this is one of the best places in Europe.
| Country | France |
| Region | Haute-Savoie, French Alps |
| Best time | June – September |
| Recommended stay | 3–4 nights |
| Currency | Euro (€) |
| Language | French — English understood in tourist areas |
| Getting there | Train from Lyon (2 hrs) or Geneva (45 min) |
| Good for | Couples, slow travel, food, nature |
The Lake
Lac d’Annecy is the cleanest lake in Europe. The water is an almost unreal shade of turquoise, framed by the Alps on every side, and whether you’re swimming from the shore, cycling along the bank or sitting somewhere with a coffee watching the light move across the water, it’s hard to look at it and feel anything other than glad you came.
The lake is best before 10am when the light is extraordinary and the tourist boats haven’t started yet. If you can get hold of bikes, the cycle path along the south shore is flat and one of the nicest rides we’ve done anywhere.
The Old Town
They call Annecy the Venice of France, and while that kind of comparison usually means disappointment, here it holds up. The old town is threaded with canals, flower-covered bridges and narrow cobblestone streets lined with wine bars and restaurants that spill onto the pavement. It’s one of the prettiest town centres we’ve seen anywhere in Europe.
The whole thing is walkable in a few hours, which means the rest of your time is free for sitting outside with a glass of Savoie wine watching people go by. The Palais de l’Île — a medieval island prison sitting in the middle of the main canal — is the most photographed spot in town. Pont des Amours, a little further along, is exactly what it sounds like.
What to Do
Fly over Mont Blanc
If you’re going to do one thing that neither of you will forget, book a scenic flight over the Alps with Avialpes. The routes take you over Mont Blanc, the glaciers and the mountain range in a small four-seater plane — the views are completely unobstructed. Pilots speak English. Rated 5/5 across 232 reviews. Book in advance in July and August, it sells out.
Avialpes · Metz-Tessy, Annecy · Open daily 08:00–19:00 · Book via GetYourGuide
E-bike in the Semnoz mountains
The 3-hour electric mountain bike tour through the Semnoz forest is perfect for couples who want to get into the mountains without needing a serious fitness level. Alpine forest, views back down over the lake, and the e-bikes mean the uphills don’t become a conversation topic.
Book via GetYourGuide · 3 hours · All fitness levels
Annecy Food Tour
The food tour by Do Eat Better is a guided walk through the old town stopping at local producers, market stalls and restaurants — a full French meal spread across an afternoon. Rated 5/5 with 240 reviews.
Book via GetYourGuide · Approx. 3 hours
Where to Eat
Lundi au Soleil — lunch
Go to Lundi au Soleil for lunch. It’s on Quai Madame de Warens right by the water — the kind of place where the setting alone would be enough, but the food is genuinely good too. It gets busy; arrive just before noon or around 14:30.
4 Quai Madame de Warens · Open daily 09:00–17:00
Les Terrasses du Lac — dinner
For a proper dinner, Les Terrasses du Lac is worth the effort. It sits up in the hills above the lake with a terrace that looks straight out over the water. The local Fera fish is exceptional. Michelin-recommended. Book a taxi both ways — signal at the top is unreliable.
7 Route du Semnoz · Wed–Sun, lunch and dinner · Reservations essential
Where to Stay
Hôtel Le Pélican
Le Pélican sits directly on the lake, the rooms are spacious, and breakfast is worth waking up for — local Savoyard cheeses, homemade jams, fresh bread. Close enough to the old town to walk everywhere but far enough away to feel calm.
⭐ 4.6/5 · 1,375 reviews · Book on Booking.com
Planning Your Trip
How long to stay
We had two nights and it wasn’t enough. Three nights is the minimum, four if you want to feel unhurried.
When to go
June to September is high season. Late May or early October give you good weather with far fewer people.
Getting there
Two hours by train from Lyon, 45 minutes from Geneva. We combined it with watching a Tour de France stage on Col de la Madeleine and drove down to the lake the same evening.
Jay & Didi
We travel slowly, book thoughtfully, and only share what we’d choose ourselves.