Chamonix or Annecy with young children?

I can't say that I have been to Annency but Chamonix is great with kids! You can take gondolas up into the surrounding mountains (stunning lakes and views!), take the cog-wheel train up to the Mer du Glace, and there is a great amusement park with a lot geared toward smaller kids right in town called the Parc d'Attractions de Chamonix. We used to take our son there when he was small and he always loved it! The central town is very walkable and there are always things going on in the evenings.

My wife and I stayed in Annecy and day tripped to Chamonix in our rental car on our 2010 France trip. Both are wonderful visits, and the Alps are a much underrated region of France. If you are staying for four days I might choose Annecy and day trip to Chamonix on the bus, or even do two nights in each. The Mer de Glas is not to be missed. (We went on an Alaska cruise this past September and people were thrilled that we got within half a mile of a glacier... in Chamonix you get to walk right into one!) Although when we were there access was by a long temporary steel staircase that was slippery, I actually kind of twisted my knee in my enthusiasm to reach the bottom. Not a serious injury, but navigating with small children you would want to be extra careful. There was too much fog for the lifts to make sense when we visited Chamonix, because we arrived in the early afternoon and it was just a foggy day in May. The lifts used to offer multi-day passes that make it a lot more cost effective per ride, for a single ride I remember it being pretty pricey. Annecy has the lake where you can take a cruise, and a beautiful lake front park. I think to get the most out of Chamonix you might need to be willing to get a little athletic and incorporate some hikes, though I guess you could just go up and down on the lifts. You really cannot go wrong with either one, but try to visit both.

Hi Lindsay, there was a question a few days ago about taking children to the Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix. The poster said the pediatrician advised against taking their kids aged 9 and 11 due to the altitude. It's a wonderful experience but you might want to take that into consideration.

Here's the link:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/aiguille-du-midi-late-feb-2017-w-children

Lindsay,

We've visited both Chamonix & Annecy, and they are both beautiful places, however...

I'd choose Annecy with children as young as yours & your friends'.
There are so many things you can do in Annecy... You can rent a paddle boat, take a boat cruise, enjoy the playgrounds, eat gelato, rent bikes to ride around the crystal clear lake, stroll around this amazing town & shop at the street market on Saturdays, Sundays & Tuesdays.

Annecy became our favorite place in France!

Make sure you eat the delicious creamy gelato at 'Le Glacier des Alpes'

Enjoy your trip!

I've visited Annecy several times, and would definitely recommend it as a place for children. We weren't there with children, but nevertheless visited the bird park along the lake several times. And a boat trip around the lake was also enjoyable. And yes, I'd also heartily recommend the ice cream at Glacier des Alpes.

Thank you all for the replies! Your thoughts and experiences were exactly what I was looking for. We have chosen to stay in Annecy and we will of course visit Chamonix for the day. And we will be sure to try the gelato...maybe everyday!
-Lindsay

One thing that is not brought up but should be considered with young children is that Chamonix has very bad air quality due to its geological situation. It's a bit like LA but the pollution is trapped on three sides, not just one. If I remember correctly from a report I saw on French tv, it has a very high number of alert days in the valley. You can be sure the Chamonix TI doesn't want to advertise this.

By the way, Lindsay, here is my report on ice cream places in Annecy, including Glacier des Alpes. http://mainelywinenews.blogspot.com/2010/04/ice-cream-in-annecy-fondue-in-geneva.html

I have the exact same question so thank you for asking Lindsay! and Robert I love that you have an ice cream report! Very serious with children ;)
After you return, will you chime back in here with your tips Lindsay? we're not going until late July and I'm taking 4 littles! Trying to decide (and we won't worry with deciding) if a daytrip from Annecy to Chamonix is even worth it. Merci!

I am a major advocate for most people of Chamonix, and the Alps, compared to Annecy, but with such young children I would recommend Annecy. It's a better fit, in my opinion.