We are going on My Way Alpine starting August 24 -Sept 4 then extra night or 2 in Chamonix then off to Annecy. Where have you stayed or recommend staying. How many nights? Hiking and some time to just chill .
Thanks
The link above points to answers to a similar question.
I would recommend two nights minimum - more for you since you want to chill. We enjoyed renting a small motor boat to relax on the lake and rented bikes to go along the lake.
Sue - I stayed in the village of Talloires in the Lake Annecy region. It is at the foot of the Rhone alps so you will have time to hike and chill by the lake as you desire. I recommend staying there 2 nights.
http://www.campinglesfontaines.com/en/region/22-village-of-talloires
Annecy was a very pretty town on a pretty lake. For me, however, it was just a day stop between Lyon and Chamonix. I think you could find things to do for a day or two, any longer than that would just be relaxing.
You could spend a lot of time walking around the lake (or less time biking). The historic center is gorgeous and the setting is stunning. But as of June 2017 the historic area was packed with visitors. Consider your tolerance for that sort of thing in deciding how long to stay. It may be warmer than you might expect in September. Check actual, day-by-day, historical weather statistics on timeanddate.com before booking non-air-conditioned lodgings. I'd take a look at 3 to 5 years' worth of data. I would have been miserable without a/c during my visit, but I see that early September is, on average, cooler than the time I was there.
I've stayed in Annecy several times, including a 1-week stay in an apartment along the lake. It's a beautiful town, and ideal for walking and day trips. Here' a link to my travel blog with the search results for "Annecy." https://mainelywinenews.blogspot.com/search?q=annecy
We too stayed at Hotel Alexandra, and the earlier comment describes it well.
I agree with RJean, I would stay in Talloires, which to me is much more beautiful than Annecy (and better placed for hiking, I would guess, although that is not what I was there for).
I guess I must have missed something in Talloires. Aside from not being packed with tourists (which I admit is a big plus) and being situated on the lovely lake, I thought it was unremarkable. I am sure my disappointment was magnified by the unpleasantly hot weather, but it was equally hot in Annecy.
Full disclosure: I am uncommonly fond of the sort of colorful buildings found in the historic center of Annecy.
If you won't have a car, it will be easier to get to other places in the region from Annecy than Talloires.
We stayed at Hotel Alexandra for two nights in August. We were in a room on the corner of the Hotel with a view of the street in front. We left our windows open and were not bothered by street noise except for one rowdy bunch but they passed quickly and everything was quiet again. Maybe we were just lucky. Street noise is probably dependent on what day of the week you're staying and what hotspot has opened (or closed) near the Hotel.
I agree with Barbra's description of the Hotel. It was an easy walk from the train station and convenient to grocery shopping as well as the Old Town.
We took a boat trip around the Lake and got off at the much-recommended stop at Talloires. Like acraven, we found it unremarkable. It could certainly be a pleasant stay in a quiet town, but if your interest has been drawn to Annecy, Talloires is not at all the same kind of place. For hiking, Talloires would seem a better starting point than Annecy.