I've seen good posts about both these locations. Are they unique enough to warrant a stay at both locations on the same trip. If not, which one would you pick? Interested in old buildings, mountain views, food, hiking, and leaning towards just Annecy.

Annecy would get my vote. Geneva is close enough to do daytrips.

Hi, Tim: Definitely Annecy! When we traveled to France and Italy in '99 all six adults in our traveling group voted it their favorite stop of the trip.

Lausanne is a lovely Swiss town (right on Lac Luman about 1 hour outside Geneva) but not one I'd plan a trip around. I have friends who live there (Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux) and have visited 4 times now. Don't know a thing about Annecy to really compare though.

I have just been to Annecy, one week ago, having been there about 10 years ago and having left it thinking I would certainly go back. <BR>Well I could not find ANYTHING to suggest ANY reason to go there. It was like they had torn up the place and plonked about 1 million more people there. I think I would find somewhere else.

Liz<BR><BR>Your post just blew me away. All I've seen and heard about Annecy seemed so good. I thought it was a relatively small place with great mountain and lake views.

I LOVE Annecy! But Tim, are you able to stay at both? I did both in one trip, staying longer in Annecy than in Lausanne. I'm not saying that was an ideal arrangement, though.....I just like stuffing as much as I can into my trips! But if you pick Annecy, you will enjoy it. Have some raclette for me. mmmmm.

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Depends when you're going. We were there in the summer of 2001. It is a beautiful place, and has a very lively old town full of creperies, beer halls, galleries, etc., but it was PACKED with tourists when we visited. We took a boat trip around the lake which was quite nice, and hiked along some of the trails, but the throngs of people everywhere nearly did us in. So again, I'd say go, but hopefully in the spring or fall when it's not so overcrowded.

Wendy<BR><BR>I was thinking of May and expecting cool weather. Still not sure about Lausanne. I have time to do both, but<BR>don't want to get in to a &quot;more of the same&quot; situation.

On a scale of 1 to 20, Annency is an 18, Lausanne is a 9.<BR>My humble opinion.

Tim,<BR><BR>May should be much less crowded, (??) than July. If you have the time, why not go on to Lyon? Has wonderful food, a very interesting old town, and lots of excellent musuems. As I remember it, it was a two hour or less drive from Annecy. We stayed at the Cour des Loges there, very spiffy hotel in the old town in a renovated silk building. Found Lyon quite interesting for a few days. Then we went on to Paris by train. Have a great time!

Tim,<BR><BR>Here's my take:<BR><BR>Lausanne is a small city, while Annecy is a large town.<BR><BR>For the things you want to do, Annecy is probably a better choice, although hiking in May can be a bit iffy in higher elevations. Crowds shouldn't be a problem at that time of year - it should be quite quiet especially midweek. You definitely need a car to get out of town for hikes etc.<BR><BR>Lausanne is a real city with some good museums, an opera house and the amazing Ballet Bejart (modern dance troup). The excellent public transportation network makes it possible to explore the entire Lake Geneva region (and beyond) without a car.<BR><BR>These are definitely 2 places with very different feels.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

Thanks for all the inputs. Planning on Annecy and Lyons for sure and might include Lausanne if time and money permit.

You don't mention whether you will be driving or taking the train, but if you do have a car when in Annecy, you could head up to the Col de la Forclaz which is a beautiful peak overlooking lake Annecy. It's not far to drive, and the views are stunning.<BR>If you are looking for great hiking trails, you could also head to le Revard, on a mountain road between Chamb&eacute;ry and Aix les Bains (very near Annecy). It's a ski resort in winter but when there's no snow it has good hiking trails with fantastic views of the mountains. It's easily accessible and the roads are wide and well maintained.

Those areas sound great. I wanted to not rent a car and just travel by train or bus. However, some post here have given me the impression that getting around without a car my be hard to do.<BR>

I would advise hiring a car for the Annecy part of your stay (perhaps picking it up and dropping off in Lyons?). It's about 2 hours to drive from Lyons to Annecy and the scenery is beautiful along the way. I've been to Annecy both with and without a car, and it is definitely fun to be able to drive round the lake and up into the surrounding mountains. <BR>However, if you choose to travel by train you'll have no problem. It's perfect feasible! And you wouldn't really want the inconvenience of a car when in Lyons, for example.