Two nights in Chamonix, or Annecy, or both?

My daughter and I enjoyed staying at both of these beautiful towns last spring.

Annecy became our favorite place with its crystal clear lake, farmer's markets, colorful flowers adorning the water canals, great food and delicious gelato.
We didn't visit any museums while in Annecy.

Chamonix's highlight, the Aiguille du Midi, is absolutely magnificent! Make sure you go up on a nice sunny morning, before the clouds roll in, if you want to see Mont Blanc.

Choosing between the two is a tough call, but if I had to choose, I'd choose Annecy.

However... This is your trip and you'll need to decide which one appeals to you more.

Have a wonderful trip!

Both are easily worth a couple of nights. I was in both in late May 2010 with my wife. We stayed in Annecy for three nights and did a day trip with the rental car to Chamonix. We arrived late in Annecy on the first night, and had one full day there. the third day we did our day trip to Chamonix. We did not take any of the lifts but the rack railroad up to the Mer de Glace was a great excursion out of Chamonix. People go an Alaska cruises to see a glacier from a mile away, and in Chamonix you get to see it up close. Chamonix lifts get more economic if you get a multi-day pass. It can fog up later in the day (when we were there), so all the more reason to stay overnight and start early. Annecy is not that easy to drive into, can be confusing until you get the hang of it, and parking is difficult (coordinate with your hotel, they have deals with specific car parks). The lake at Annecy is spectacular. A much underrated region of France. So I vote for both!

Annecy is a really neat town with lots to do and see in a relaxed way. Chamonix also fits the bill for being a nice relaxed little town. And Mt. Blanc itself (and getting up close and personal) is in a class by itself. Definitely think you should do both. You'll not regret it.

Annecy is lovely but can be made as an extended stop over (or night) on your route. The lake, the canals, and charming old section make for some great sights.

However, Chamonix and Mt. Blanc are pretty spectacular -- taking the lifts up is a rare experience that most people don't get to experience without heavy duty climbing. There are also other trams, lifts, trails and other activities.

I'm more interested in Chamonix than Annecy. I'll stop in Annecy for a look around but won't stay there. It really depends on what interests you.

We loved Annecy. We rented bikes and rode up along the lake. Also rented a paddle boat on the like. Lots of fun.

Stayed at the Hotel Central, not fancy, but clean and good enough for us. (Don't think the lady who runs it speaks English.)
For tea at breakfast you get a good-sized pot, and the lady won't mind if you bring in supplementary pastries to add to the breakfast.

If you rent bikes bike up to Les Tilleuls. It's a hotel just off the lake. We had a superb meal in their restaurant (although this was 5 years ago, and things do change) eating out on their terrace under the shade of linden trees. Superb food in what was a wonderful setting.

I did this trip in May this year and stayed in Annecy and really enjoyed it,had a hotel with parking and seven minute walk to canal and lake area,loved it.Went from Annecy to Chamonix and spent four nights there,the ride up to the Aiguille du Midi is the most spectacular Alpine ride that I have ever done and I have been to Jungfrau and Matterhorn,also did the Mer de Glace rack rail ride to the Glacier,spectacular.We went through Switzerland and spent four nights in Lyon,just awsome.
Mike

Annecy has its own charm. Pleasant old town and canal leading up to the lake. Great atmosphere at night and enough to keep you happy for a day at least. If you stay in Annecy stay in the old town so that you can walk around at night and enjoy a canal side dinner. Touristy but fun!
Chamonix on the other hand is the Alps. You can see mont blanc right outside your window ( assuming you don't get fogged out for your entire stay) and I agree with the previous poster, aiguille du midi is just spectacular. There are enough things to keep you busy for 2-3 days. We went in off season when only the aiguille du midi was running and still didn't get bored.

Have a great trip!