And there goes Annecy...

I get TV5Monde USA, and I saw a similar but more current news report a few days ago (the one in the link above is a year old), the pushback on "surtourisme". When I googled this subject RE Annecy, at least as far back as 2016 locals and tourists were complaining about overcrowding, so this clearly has been going on for a while.

Over-tourism is coming to the forefront in the post pandemic resurgence in travel, the bucket list / TikTok crowd clogging these lovely towns making them miserable for everyone, and any interest I had in visiting Annecy is rapidly diminishing. Seems I missed my chance, much the same way I missed my chance to visit the Cinque Terre 20+ years ago...and more recently, the same for the Amalfi Coast, way too popular now.

Oh well...

While I don't speak French, the message was rather clear. I think it's wonderful that more people are able to travel and see such beautiful places now than in the past, but there's obviously a down side to travel being less exclusive. I'll be in Annecy (among other places) in October. I really hope it's not too crowded. I purposely travel in the cooler months, not only to avoid the heat, but to try to avoid crowds.

We were in Annecy twice last summer for day trips from our town 30 minutes away. Yes it was crowded both days but the worst combination was the second time of going on a hot Saturday market day. What a difference. We had our granddaughter with us the second time and she wanted to go to food markets. The other thing we noticed from our earlier, cooler midweek visit was that almost all of the small rental boats were gone from the docks in the sweltering heat that day. We were glad to have called ahead for a lunch reservation on that Saturday. On market day it looked even more crowded than the video shown and people were under the arcades because of the heat.

I was going to go there for a day trip early next April.

Maybe I'll skip, then.

-- Mike Beebe

We spent 4 days there in May a couple of years ago and it was not particularly crowded. Yes like all tourist driven towns many of the little shops are now tourist oriented and the central restaurants are not very good, but it is beautiful and much less crowded in spring than summer. I would not think April would be terribly crowded.

We spent 4 days there in May a couple of years ago and it was not particularly crowded.

What year? 2022 or 2023...it matters...2022 the travel to Europe had not exploded, but 2023 was the year of so-called "revenge travel", the pent up demand post peak Covid, and the return of the crowds. We were in Paris in May 2023, and it was the most crowded I had ever seen it, and I have been in Paris in all 4 seasons throughout the last 40 years.

Shoulder season has gotten smaller, too, post Covid. Italy is jam packed in March now, whereas a decade ago that was firmly in "shoulder season" with smaller crowds.

Edit: from your post history, I see that you were in Annecy in May 2022.

We were in Annecy last May (2024) and it wasn't crowded. Enjoyed the Tuesday Town Market and hiked around the lake area. Would gladly go back, but wouldn't consider during summer/peak months.

So it appears that you are safe, Michel Beebe.
Okay for now for May, October, and let's suppose September. Market days in July and August are the biggest no-no's.

Yikes, we are supposed to arrive there on September 1 and spend 4 nights before going to Wengen. Maybe we should choose somewhere else? We are flying into Geneva. There’s probably not a lot of options this close to our departure.

Edited to add that we will arrive on a Monday and leave on Friday, so no weekend time there.

Wow, it barely looks the same for number of people when we were there in 2016! We had a charming time there and stayed on the lake at the Imperial Palace Hotel.

A lot of things have changed since 2016.

Meh. Annecy has always been and will forever be a town that appeals and caters to tourists. I went there in 2005 and 2015 and found it both crowded and fun/unique. Unlike other places usually mentioned in the over tourism conversation, no cruise ships can stop here nor are there cheap flights here nor does it have the same draw as Mont st Michel, d day beaches or Provence for Americans. I wouldn’t be daunted to visit again for a few days.

On the other side of the spectrum, I spent about 55 minutes in Brest this past July. Didn’t see any tourists or crowds and parking was cheap and plentiful. I’ll take the crowds of Annecy every time.

Out of interest this morning I was researching the history of a school in London called Drayton Manor Grammar School. They were meant to go to Annecy on a school trip at Easter 1939, but their buses had been commandeered by the French army preparing for war after Mussolini had invaded Albania.
The school evacuated to Torquay, Devon in October 1940.

A different Drayton Manor in Staffordshire (now a Theme Park) was used as a Military Hospital in WW1, and for landing craft training in WW2- the actual reason for my research as my London colleague visited the museum at the Theme Park yesterday.

Hoping to go end of September. I’ve researched hotels, flights, and mentally, I’m already there….LOL

I thought it was unpleasantly crowded during the summer of 2016--enough so that I mentioned it here. That video looks distinctly worse.

We were there in August 2013 and found it very crowded near the canals, very difficult to walk around.

hey hey all
i'm surprised but really shouldn't be.
we were there for 6 nights in late sept/early oct 2019. thought it was great but was busy on market day, just went with the flow not in any hurry.
took a private taxi tour around to small villages, up to hang gliders soaring high above us & lake, went to cow farm for sit down lunch with there homemade cheese you put in pizza oven like contraption up in the hills, great fondue at small hole in the wall, yummy crepes. our apt was above a grocery store little ways from lake.
everyone has their own likes/dislikes it's your decision to go or not to go. if anyone their the forst weekend october, town parade bringing animals down from mountain for coziness in warm barns. look it up
aloha

not trying to be a contrarian, but I guess it all depends on your season of travel and planned activities... October 2023, I had a wonderful, quintessential, visit there for 3 days/nights.
packed a picnic lunch at the Saturday Market, then rode a bike around the lake,
enjoyed the public beach, that I had practically by myself,
dined at the bar of a restaurant frequented by locals, located just outside of the old town.

i would agree the outdoor pubs in the old town were crowded but would consider that added fun if I wanted that experience. My biggest challenge was finding a restaurant that would serve fondue for just ONE person. :)