Annecy or Lyon for returning car?
Feb 23rd, 2015, 03:12 PM
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Annecy or Lyon for returning car?
Hi folks,
I had an earlier post about this when I was looking at all my options for getting back to Paris on the TGV after leaving Chamonix. I've narrowed it to laving from either Lyon or Annecy, and based on our needs, train schedules, travel time, etc... a case can be made for either location. Is one station or drop off (Europcar) easier to get to than the other?
Here's a quick pro/con... I think we're leaning towards leaving from Annecy (Kerouac said this one's especially easy to get into)... unless I've missed something.
1) Leaving from Annecy—4 hour train ride
--Pro: Only 1.5 hour drive from Chamonix; makes an easier overall journey to Paris.
--Con: Only 1 direct TGV that works for our plans, leaving Annecy at 12:30---so we can't miss this train. (Anything later than that will put us in Paris after 6pm... and we have plans at 5pm in Paris that really can't be changed.)
--Con: Europcar closes for lunch at 12... so we'll have to pad our driving time and arrive well before noon to be sure we get the car returned.
AND
--A Potential Pro: if we have an hour or two to wait in Annecy, could we walk from the station to the Vieille Ville? (We each have only one small carry-on roller.) Would that be silly to try? It'll be our only chance to see Annecy this trip.
2) Leaving from Lyon—2 hour train ride
--Con: The drive to Lyon from Chamonix is about 3 hours (according to ViaMichelin).
--Pro: The TGVs from Lyon run hourly, all day... which is handy if we hit traffic and miss our train for some unforseen reason. (I like having options.)
--Pro: The Europcar desk is open during lunch; so no limits on our arrival time in Lyon.
--Con: Not much to do except wait once we're at the station (i.e. if we did arrive there really early)
If we're able to wander through Annecy, then it's an especially seems strong option. Even without walking through Annecy, it's appealing to only have a 1.5 hour drive from Chamonix. But then again, I hate only have one option in case of a road closure, traffic, etc.
Am I missing any other considerations for these two options?
Any tips for getting into either station? (I'll have Via Michelin or Google Maps for the real-time navigation.)
Thanks!
-skatterfly
I had an earlier post about this when I was looking at all my options for getting back to Paris on the TGV after leaving Chamonix. I've narrowed it to laving from either Lyon or Annecy, and based on our needs, train schedules, travel time, etc... a case can be made for either location. Is one station or drop off (Europcar) easier to get to than the other?
Here's a quick pro/con... I think we're leaning towards leaving from Annecy (Kerouac said this one's especially easy to get into)... unless I've missed something.
1) Leaving from Annecy—4 hour train ride
--Pro: Only 1.5 hour drive from Chamonix; makes an easier overall journey to Paris.
--Con: Only 1 direct TGV that works for our plans, leaving Annecy at 12:30---so we can't miss this train. (Anything later than that will put us in Paris after 6pm... and we have plans at 5pm in Paris that really can't be changed.)
--Con: Europcar closes for lunch at 12... so we'll have to pad our driving time and arrive well before noon to be sure we get the car returned.
AND
--A Potential Pro: if we have an hour or two to wait in Annecy, could we walk from the station to the Vieille Ville? (We each have only one small carry-on roller.) Would that be silly to try? It'll be our only chance to see Annecy this trip.
2) Leaving from Lyon—2 hour train ride
--Con: The drive to Lyon from Chamonix is about 3 hours (according to ViaMichelin).
--Pro: The TGVs from Lyon run hourly, all day... which is handy if we hit traffic and miss our train for some unforseen reason. (I like having options.)
--Pro: The Europcar desk is open during lunch; so no limits on our arrival time in Lyon.
--Con: Not much to do except wait once we're at the station (i.e. if we did arrive there really early)
If we're able to wander through Annecy, then it's an especially seems strong option. Even without walking through Annecy, it's appealing to only have a 1.5 hour drive from Chamonix. But then again, I hate only have one option in case of a road closure, traffic, etc.
Am I missing any other considerations for these two options?
Any tips for getting into either station? (I'll have Via Michelin or Google Maps for the real-time navigation.)
Thanks!
-skatterfly
Feb 23rd, 2015, 04:28 PM
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I think the main "con" about Lyon is driving into Lyon. It's a big city (2nd largest in France), and getting "in" is not easy. Lyon has rush hour traffic also (we got stuck in it once).
Walking old town in Annecy would be a great treat. Get there at 10:30, return the car, and then explore!!
Stu Dudley
Walking old town in Annecy would be a great treat. Get there at 10:30, return the car, and then explore!!
Stu Dudley
Feb 23rd, 2015, 05:12 PM
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Thanks Stu. Just the kind of feedback I needed to hear. I don't know why I didn't remember it's such a big city.
I haven't tried to explore a city with luggage since my 20s when we had a 2 hour layover in Pisa and we hoofed it from the train station to the Leaning Tower. Probably not the most ideal way to explore but I think you are right... Aim to get there by 10:30 and spend an hour exploring before walking back. Even if we spend that time sitting by the lake with a sandwich, that'll be better than driving into Lyon.
I haven't tried to explore a city with luggage since my 20s when we had a 2 hour layover in Pisa and we hoofed it from the train station to the Leaning Tower. Probably not the most ideal way to explore but I think you are right... Aim to get there by 10:30 and spend an hour exploring before walking back. Even if we spend that time sitting by the lake with a sandwich, that'll be better than driving into Lyon.
