Question for Those Who Enjoy Annecy

Its flowered park promenade is lovely. It’s lakefront orientation offers good opportunities for cruising to enjoy elegant hotels, villages, mountains with hang gliders, etc. Its arcaded streets are a comfort during sunny and rainy days.

I'm back in the middle of September, am spending 2 days there, will report then. I presume the fact that I love gelato will help my review.

It's been a while since I was in Annecy. It was not overcrowded with tourists back then. The view from our hotel balcony of the shimmering lake surrounded by mountains was breathtaking. Add in the cobblestone streets in the old town, the winding canals, the flowers in the window boxes of the colorful houses, the markets and the many wonderful people who welcomed us.

Maybe if I were there today, in the midst of the summer crowds, I would not feel the same.

We had the good luck to find an apartment with a balcony overlooking the old prison on the canal and it was just stunning view. At my age, this kind of beauty is what I look for in short visits. We spent 4 nights much of spend sittign on our balcony enjoying the stunning view and one day which was spent on a quick day trip to Chamonix to go up the Aiguille du Midi which was an outstanding experience. I enjoyed strolling around the town and we did a boat trip on the Lake but there wasn't really anything to do. Loved every minute.

But we went just as COVID was ending and in May and there were very few tourists as buses were not running regularly -- we finally found a blabla that would get us to Chamonix at 11 and take us back at 3 and that sufficed. But it was before the rebound boom had started.

Thanks to those who responded. Perhaps had we stayed there rather than experiencing in a day trip, the city's charms would've been more apparent.

jhpbucks, I think there are a lot of places that can be a turn off for some travelers when only seen on a day trip.

Many times I will see posts on a place, for example Bruges or Colmar or Lucca, and some forum members will warn the OP that it's too touristy, too crowded, not worth seeing, someplace else is so much better. I then learn that they day tripped the place. No wonder they were disappointed.

I agree. I find that I put places I've stayed in much higher on my preference list than those I've only day tripped to.

My first trip to Florence was on my first trip to Europe with my husband 40 years ago or so -- we spent several days in Venice which was stunning and then a weekend in Florence before picking up a car and driving to an apartment in a tiny hamlet near Siena for a wonderful week of touring tuscany. We hated florence -- it was crowded even then and noisy and confusing and our entire short time seemed to be about figuring out logistics. We later spent two months there and loved every minute. Short trips are often logistically difficult and the frustrations overwhelm the pleasure in being in the place. I can imagine busing into Annecy and then being trapped in crowds and eating terrible tourist food and then leaving might not leave a pleasant memory.

A high point for me was boat ride across the lake to the Abbaye de Hautecombe.

We loved Annecy but we only spent one September night there. We arrived late morning, explored the town, took a cruise on the lake, and left late next morning. We also had good luck with our hotel - I booked a relatively low=price room at the Imperial Palace, but they upgraded us to the premium room with the central balcony overlooking the lake. When we thanked the manager, he said that the room was not booked for the night and he thought we would enjoy it! I don't think the town has enough to do for more than a one or maybe two night stay.

I was there two years ago in July and found the town extremely disappointing.

The main canal area was overwhelmed by the crowds and instagram photo chasers, specifically. Even at 10:00 at night the line for gelato was 30 people deep, although it was fantastic. In three nights, we had two frankly awful meals in the main part of town at highly reviewed restaurants and a decent one at a restaurant in the hills above town.

The bike path was dangerously crowded and we actually saw an ambulance hauling off two cyclists that collided with each other. Then a guy outside the train station tried to yank my watch off my wrist. The 4* resort we stayed at had a dj blasting techno music outside of our window until 10:00 at night despite the fact that there was no-one even out there listening for several hours.

We actually talked with the hotel concierge (who had lived there 20 years) about how puzzled we were be the overall experience and she was very frank that the town has suffered from over-tourism since the pandemic and it becoming a hot issue among the locals. She specifically said that the town was a hub on the drug smuggling route through Europe and this had increased petty crime substantially. Ironically, we met a young gentlemen a few months later in Stockholm who was born in Annecy and he admitted his family was also leaving for these same reasons.

While I do not know what the solution is, I would not return.

Two days after visiting Annecy, which to me was meh, I drove to Chamonix today. Entirely different story. Beautiful place with lots of activities and a wide selection of restaurants serving Savoyard fare. Younger travelers could easily make an active week visiting this place, with hiking and climbing taking front of stage. The cog railway ride to the glacier and the ice cave are so, so worth the visit. Seeing Mont Blanc "up close and personal" is an experience I won't forget.

Touristy? Sure, but nonetheless well worth the trip.

Along with jphbucks….

I LOVE Chamonix.

Going in a couple weeks. Le Chalet restaurant looks good. Fingers crossed. Driving to and from Annecy (Lyon, Annecy, Arles), and around the lake should be worth it.

A top favorite of our spring trip to France this year was lunch in Annecy at Le Freti. So. Much. Cheese!!!!

Multiple varieties of fondue and raclette and about half of the tables had both! It was a show watching how people handled raclette and we entertained ourselves (as self-appointed experts) - "the heater is too far away, they'll never get the melted cheese" and "oh - it's gonna slide" as we watched the molten landslide of gooey cheese ooze.

I had a tartiflette - cheese with potatoes, onions, bacon, and sour cream baked together. I'm salivating as I write this and would make a detour to go again if I had the chance. Cheese heaven!!

SueH, I rarely seek out specifics restaurants, but that sounds pretty amazing. Is that a place a solo diner could eat? I'll be there in October.

hey hey all
everyone always has their own opinion of annecy. we spent 5 nights there in late september several years ago and absolutely loved it. stayed in an apartment with balcony overlooking the beautiful mountain views with some snow atop.
spent 2 nights in geneva (not impressed & would not go again) then a 30-40 minute taxi to annecy, best way to arrive.
these are a few things we did and saw.
creperie ti mad 21 rue royale
savory and sweet crepes
rotisserie du thou 17 passage de i eveche
small family owned hole in the wall down a canal way. had the prix fixed lunch of cheese fondue and other goodies, sat outside table, near la freti but only opened dinner time and was too fancy for us
tuesday/fridays/saturdays are market days. gets busy walking the canals but we just went with the flow. stopped at art gallery shop & bought small framed picture of area
les palais des glaces 6 rue perriere a gelato shop
brassierie saint charles 46 rue de pamelan
small bar/pub next to our apartment had the best beef stroganoff for lunch. sat outside. call them when they have that special
annecycitytour.fr
meet at annecy city center, offers a few tours, take your pick
we reserved a private taxi tour about 5 hours to villages around the lake with gaelle. there is also the
my favorite place was col de la forclaz. gorgeous green pastures with cows grazing with cowbells (like a concert in the fields), swiss/french houses, hang gliders soaring above you and the lake. stopped at gift shop and a drink to buy 2 small cowbells for me & my sister in hawaii since mom grew up on a private ranch near waimea on big island
restaurant-a-la-ferme.fr
had our tour guide take us here for their special, cheese heated in like a pizza oven at table & full meal with dessert. private dairy farm with cheese from the cows that have their "stables" below restaurant with glass floors to see them. it was fabulous with cheese only from that area, never heard of this before but we were game for this adventure
chateau de menthon saint bernard. walt disney visited this castle with inspiration for sleeping beauty's castle.
kevmrc.com/ 20 best things to do in annecy
en.lac-annecy.com/ retour des alpages
second saturday of october festival in the streets for all the animals to return back from the hills/mountains for winter time.
depending on how many days you stay in annecy, there are day trips to other small towns. just some ideas for anyone hoping to travel to this area, i don't travel during summer months, sept/oct are busy with harvest time but didn't feel that crowded. with the way travel is happening now so many people are going away from the "big" cities so there is more overtourism in places that weren't on peoples radar. have a great time and enjoy
aloha

KRS - Yes, I think you'd be fine dinning solo. While I didn't do it at Le Freti, when I have been by myself I typically go early/non-peak times and feel comfortable. For this experience, I'd definitely go for it!

One thing not mentioned yet is that Annecy is a great town and area to explore by bicycle.

The multi-use path around the lake is mostly flat (pretty much completely flat on the west side, with two decent climbs on the east side) and is well maintained. The view from the path is excellent, and the people on it are mostly well behaved (save for commuter rush hour when it can get busy). Plenty of beaches, cafés, and the like are directly on the path. Of note is Le Bon Wagon in Duingt, which is a bike shop with an excellent café - really great.

I know that moving under pedal power is not everyone's cuppa, but it's really a big upside for Annecy.

I've been there in June, July, August, and September. The June and September visits were the least tourist-laden, for sure. The Fête du Lac, on August 1, is always awash with tourists as it's one of the largest fireworks displays in Europe. And yes, it is the kind of old town that is social media friendly. But it's a real town with locals who know how to exist happily during peak tourist time. That's been my secret, as a high school mate has lived in Annecy for nearly a decade and knows the ropes of how to get around the glut of tourists - knowing that sometimes, regardless of season, it's unavoidable.

Obviously I love the place and would go back anytime.

And I agree about Chamonix, though it can be pretty saturated with tourists during both peak hiking and winter sports seasons. Luckily the French Alps are awash in lovely mountain villages, many of which aren't on the "must-see-tourist-desitination" radar and are as charming, beautiful, and worthy of a visit as the big names.