Information about town of Annecy.
 

We will be in Lyon for 5 nites in Oct. Have heard on forum that it is a place to see. Can you please tell me (ignorant about south France) about the town for day trip. No car. Thanks. Any other ideas would be most welcome

Stopped in Annecy to break up the long train trip from Paris to Rome a few years ago. My sister Melissa, who often posts here, was running the Paris marathon, so she got to do her training runs around the lake there. It's a beautiful, quaint town in the French Alps. The old town is very walkable. I'd recommend it for a day trip.

Actually, I would recommend you stay overnight! I really enjoyed my stay there. The lake is crystal clear, the people are warm & friendly, and the food is so nice.

Rich,<BR><BR>I agree with the other posters ---Annecy is definitely worth a day trip. The small old town, flower gardens and lake promenade are lovely. There is a canal running through the old town with bridges crossing here and there ---slightly reminiscient of Venice.<BR><BR>Actually, being without a car in Annecy is any advantage ----In summer the traffic can be horrific in early morning and late afternoon.<BR><BR>Go---you will really enjoy it! Climb the hill in the old town to the castle above for good lake views.

Hello rich. The old part of Annecy is very beautiful, but it's a short walk from the train station. Maybe you can get a city map before you go. Two other towns are Perouges and Yvoire (on Lac Leman). They are small and quaint, but probably would not require as long a visit. J.

Annecy is very nice, yes. It takes about 2 hours by train from Lyon Part Dieu. There are not many trains on this route. For timetable, go to www.bahn.de, it is much easier to use than the French railways own www.sncf.fr. The current timetables are not valid for October.

Thank you all for response. Daniel, glad you told me 2 hr. trip. Any other places that are closer that you might suggest Assume you,ve been to Lyon where we,re staying for 5 nights at Hotel Elysee. Have you heard of it? We have travel book but welcome personal advice as well. Restaurants ( we eat everything). Moderate price. Less expensive is great. One special higher price in Lyon? Also sights you have enjoyed. Thanks again.

I would definitely recommend to visit Annecy. It is a lovely town by an emerald lake surrounded by rugged peaks. Beautiful during the day and also illuminated at night.

The June issue of FRANCE magazine has a feature on Annecy which should be helpful for anyone thinking of visiting

Stopped by both Annecy and Lyon in early spring 1997 and I would highly recommend both. Annecy is on a beautiful clear lake with wonderful views of the French Alps. Foods great and the old center of town has a quaint German-alpine feel to it. Definately worth a night's stay. Lyon is wonderful too because it is relatively un-touristy. It is set on a large island with the older districts on one opposite bank and newer parts on the other opposite bank. The best restaurants - there are many - are within the lanes in the older city; for French food at great value and great atmosphere it beats Paris hands-down.

Lawrence/others,<BR><BR>Can you make some suggestions for favorite lunch/dinner/cafe spots near Lake Annecy? I'll be going there in September. Would rather not break the bank at places like Auberge du P&egrave;re Bise. For lunch, prices in the $10-$20 range per person would be preferred; for dinner, prices in the $20-$40 range per person would be great.<BR><BR>Many thanks.<BR><BR>John H.

topping

We were fortunate to do a home exchange with a family in Thones in 1997, and spent two and a half weeks in the Annecy area. Not to be missed is the Chateau Menthon, the home of St. Bernard (yes). What a story that is. <BR><BR>The chateau at Annecy is splendid, with beautiful vistas over the lake and the site of son et lumiere spectacles at night. As mentioned above, the lake on a summer day is awash with brightly colored windurfers and sail boats, and hang-gliders floating off the cliffs above. It is enchanting.<BR><BR>We had several wonderful dinners in old town Annecy...but I can't remember the names of the places. As a rule, we follow Gault-Milliau recommendations and look at menus posted outside. You really can't go wrong that way. Get there early, and give yourself plenty of time for browsing. The more expensive places are along the swan-flocked canal. In fact, we have lots of video footage of the swans at Annecy. <BR><BR>We also did many day drives, including a very long one to Zermatt after an overnight at Chamonix. The entire region is splendid. Yvoire is fun, although quite touristed. <BR> <BR>PS Melissa...I'll email you about lunch one of these days...Aloha, k

Burta and I had a nice dinner at Auberge de Savoie (1 place Saint Fraincois). It was ABOUT $19 - 35 for the prix fixe menu and everything was yummy....although my notes say the pate was a little 'spammy'!! The service was A+, and the chef even comes out to greet you. <BR><BR>Hi kalena!! Yes, time for lunch!