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Major city · France

Annecy

Give Annecy 2 nights: one full day for the old town and lake, one for the lake loop or a mountain. In July it is packed; go in June or September.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
Jun, Sep
avoid Jul–Aug (crowds and heat), Jan (some museums closed)
Airports
GVA · LYS · CMF
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • France and Monaco ↗France has run temporary identity checks at its internal Schengen land borders since 2015; carry a passport or EU/EEA national ID on trains and buses from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
  • France and Monaco ↗Nights in France and Monaco draw on the same Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance as the rest of the area; Monaco does not reset or pause it.
  • France ↗France is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors' fingerprints and photo at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • France ↗TGV (including the low-cost Ouigo) and Intercités night trains need a seat reservation: a rail pass alone does not let you board.
  • France ↗Paris, Lyon and other large cities run low-emission zones that require a Crit'Air sticker on cars; check before you drive a hire car or your own car into a city.
  • France ↗Carry your passport or national ID card: police can ask for identification, and hotels register foreign guests.

Annecy is a small Alpine city on a clean lake, 45 km from Geneva and about 40 km from Chambéry. The old town is compact and walkable in half a day; the lake, the 36 km cycle path and the surrounding peaks are what fill a second day. It works as a 2-night stop between Geneva and the French Alps, or as a base for Chamonix and the ski valleys.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Annecy, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee at a café€2–4 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Palais de l'Isle / castle)€3–5.50 (≈ US$4–7)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person€25 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, hotel or aparthotel, a night, per room€120 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedDouble room, hotel or aparthotel, a night, per room€220 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €70 (≈ US$85) · Mid €120 (≈ US$140) · High €220 (≈ US$300)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Canal-side old town and Palais de l'IsleLac d'Annecy and its beaches36 km lakeside cycle pathFondue and racletteJune animation film festival
Airports
GVA Geneva (Nearest major airport, about 45 km; direct shuttle buses to Annecy station, roughly 1 h) · LYS Lyon-Saint Exupéry (About 1 h 30 by road; train via Lyon Part-Dieu) · CMF Chambéry Savoie (Small regional airport; Annecy's own airport has no commercial flights)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Annecy: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

5°C

−1°C

10 rd

Feb

7°C

0°C

9 rd

Mar

12°C

3°C

10 rd

Apr

16°C

6°C

10 rd

May

20°C

10°C

12 rd

Jun

24°C

13°C

11 rd

Jul

27°C

15°C

10 rd

Aug

26°C

15°C

10 rd

Sep

22°C

12°C

9 rd

Oct

16°C

8°C

10 rd

Nov

10°C

3°C

10 rd

Dec

6°C

0°C

10 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable end to end in about 25 minutes. Buses (Sibra network) cover the suburbs and lake villages; a single ride is cheap and a day pass is worth it if you make three or more trips. Bikes are the best way to reach the far shore: the lakeside path runs about 36 km with lanes on almost all of it. Taxis are limited at night.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Chamonixovernight

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Car or bus via the A41 and A40, about 80 km

Mont Blanc views and cable cars; a long day but better with a night there.

Geneva

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Léman Express train from Annecy station, roughly hourly

Take your passport; the train drops you at Cornavin in the city centre.

Chambéry

go

Door to door: About 1 h

TER train, frequent

Old ducal capital with a compact centre; easy half-day.

La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand

go

Door to door: 40–60 min

Car or seasonal bus into the Aravis valleys

Hiking in summer, skiing in winter; check bus times outside peak season.

Yvoire

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Car around the lake, about 60 km

Medieval lake village on the French shore of Lake Geneva; busy in summer.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Old town (Vieille Ville)

Canals, Palais de l'Isle and restaurants on foot; noisier and pricier, book early for summer.

Station and Courier area

Train and bus stations, supermarket and mall; 10–15 min walk to the canals, best for one night with bags.

Lakefront (Quai Jules Philippe to Albigny)

Beaches, boat piers and the start of the cycle path; hotel rates peak in July and August.

Annecy-le-Vieux and the north shore

Quieter, cheaper rooms, 10–20 min by bus or bike from the centre.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€90–150 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
€150 (≈ US$180)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, hotel or aparthotel1 × 2 nights × €120€240
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × €120€480
Boat cruise on the lake, one hour2 × €14€28
Bike hire, one day2 × €20€40
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€82
Trip total≈ €225 per person per day, bed included€900≈ US$1,100

2026 estimate in euros; travel to Annecy excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee at a café€2–4 (≈ US$3–5)
Cheese dish (fondue or raclette) in a restaurant€18–28 (≈ US$25–35)
Ice cream in the old town€3–5 (≈ US$4–6)
Boat cruise, one hourfrom €13.40 (≈ US$16)
Museum entry (Palais de l'Isle / castle)€3–5.50 (≈ US$4–7)
Bike hire, one day€15–25 (≈ US$18–30) (check)
Train Annecy → Lyon Part-Dieuabout €33 (≈ US$40), 2 h

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Annecy is a low-crime city; the real risks are cold lake water, fast-changing mountain weather and pickpockets in the July crowds around the canals.
  • July and early August are the busiest weeks; the old town and lakefront fill up and hotel prices jump.
  • The Museum of Animated Film is closed until at least 2026: check before you plan around it.
  • Lake water is cold outside July–September; beaches are free but some have paid sections.
  • Cross-border buses and trains to Geneva need your passport; checks are not frequent but possible.
  • Mountain weather changes fast above the tree line: carry a shell even on a clear morning.

Emergency numbers

European emergency (police, fire, ambulance)
112
Ambulance (SAMU)
15
Police
17
Fire
18

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

AnnecyAnnecy

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • European emergency112
  • Ambulance (SAMU)15
  • Police17
  • Fire18

Embassy

No embassies in Annecy; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Paris, with consulates in Lyon and Geneva (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Geneva → Annecy bus: about CHF 32 return, about 1 h
  • Annecy → Chambéry train: about €10.60 (≈ US$13) one-way, about 1 h
  • Annecy → Lyon train: about €32.90 (≈ US$40), about 2 h

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • L'addition, s'il vous plaît — The bill, please (la-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH)
  • Une table pour deux — A table for two (ewn TAH-bluh poor DUH)
  • Où est le lac ? — Where is the lake? (oo eh luh LAK)
  • Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART)

Service is included by law in French restaurants; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Annecy. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun, Sep · avoid Jul–Aug (crowds and heat), Jan (some museums closed) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for GVA: shuttle and Léman Express options, last-departure times, taxi fallback.
  2. Walking clusters for the old town, lakefront and station quarter with rescue anchors for rain.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and prices for the Palais de l'Isle, the castle and the basilicas.
  4. Lake-loop logistics: bike hire points, boat piers and beach access, plus a July crowd fixture.

Meanwhile

Back to France

Sources