During our time in Lyon we rarely had two consecutive days of good weather. So what did we do the first time this occurred? Jump on a train to Annecy for an overnight trip.
Annecy was not on the short list of places to visit from Lyon when we arrived here a few weeks ago. Stephanie was agitating to go to Paris. I was partial to either Chamonix or Geneva. All three looked quite pricey with various pros and cons.
It did not take long to turn our attention to Annecy, a small, beautiful town on Lake Annecy in the French Alps. Lake Annecy is the third-largest lake in France and one of the cleanest lakes in Europe, as is the river that drains it, Le Thiou. Annecy’s nicknames include the “Pearl of the French Alps” and the “Venice of France” (based on the Thiou River and several canals that run through town).
To get to Annecy we booked train tickets with SNCF, opting for a direct train from Lyon Part Dieu. I was quickly reminded that France has one of the more expensive rail networks in Europe, as one-way train tickets for two cost about $70. That stung a bit.
We selected a room at Atipik Hotel on the outskirts of old town. From our hotel we can walk almost anywhere in about fifteen minutes. We opted for a standard room that cost $95 for the night (on a Sunday in early May). The room was surprisingly tiny, literally just a double bed and small bathroom. No refrigerator. A twenty-inch television was mounted on the wall. There was almost zero space to move around. But it was functional and the price was right. We did not come to Annecy to sit in a hotel room.
Our train arrived in Annecy about noon on a Sunday, meaning our lunch options were largely limited to tourist restaurants. So we went to Ali Baba Kebab. We never knew that lamb kebabs could be so bland and uninteresting. Not horrible, but not good, either. Just blah.
The major downside to our last minute plans was arriving at a tourist destination on a weekend. I’m sure Sunday afternoon is not as crowded as Saturday, but nevertheless Annecy was more crowded than we expected. Usually our overnight trips take place mid-week, but this time we followed the weather.
Before leaving Lyon we bought tickets for a boat tour on Lake Annecy with Compagnie des Bateaux d’Annecy. We went on the longer, one hour and thirty minute tour of the lake. The tour did not seem long at all, probably because the scenery was so beautiful. Tickets cost €21 per person. A shorter, one hour tour is available for €18, but we were not rushed for time.
Boarding was scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM, fifteen minutes before the tour started. About 1:15 PM we walked by the boat and noticed that a few people we already lining up. Looking at the boat, we could see that slightly more than half of the seats were under cover and behind windows. We definitely wanted to be outdoors.
To get our choice of seats – these lovely plastic picnic chairs that snapped together to form rows – we quickly joined the line. The boat travels clockwise around the lake, so sit on the left / port side for the best views. It is possible to move around during the cruise, but the amount of free space at the front and back is limited. And mostly occupied by smokers.
After a few minutes of cruising Stephanie observed that we would be sitting in full sun for nearly the entire trip. A hat or sunscreen, or both, is a good idea.
Our cruise was probably near 90% full, with most of those folks in line to board by 1:20 PM. If you want a good seat, arrive early and wait. The tour is narrated in French, but not much is said. The intercom was in use probably no more than ten minutes during the entire cruise. If you really want to know what is being said, and can’t understand French, it is possible to download the guide in a number of different languages. We did not bother.
Depending on the time of year, you might also have the option to ride a hop on hop off boat around the lake, or take a lunch or dinner cruise.
If you want something more adventurous, go parasailing. We saw parasailers everywhere in the mountains. As much as we enjoyed the lake tour, parasailing would have been better.
After our lake tour, we braved the crowds and walked through old town for a bit before deciding to head back at the hotel before dinner.
Several of the places Stephanie wanted to go for dinner were closed on Sunday, so we eventually decided upon Au Bureau, a kind of English pub sports bar place with a wide variety of options on the menu. It ended up being just another uninteresting restaurant with bland food.
By the time we finished dinner, the day trippers and weekend tourists were gone from Annecy. Old town was much quieter and more enjoyable (though unfortunately Sunday is garbage night). We walked around for quite a bit and even stopped to get ice cream.
Old town Annecy has a zillion ice cream stores. It seems as if every block has two restaurants, three ice cream stores, and one tourist shop.
Monday morning we were up early ready to go to Basilique de la Visitation and Musée-Château d’Annecy before catching an early afternoon train back to Lyon.
The Basilica of Annecy was built in the 1920s, making it much different from most of the churches and cathedrals that we have seen in Europe. In particular the sanctuary has a fascinating mosaic on the wall. It is definitely worth the walk up the hill to visit the Basilica.
Musée-Château d’Annecy, a former castle dating to the 13th century, houses essentially two museums for the price of one (tickets are €6.50 or €7.00 depending on the month), fine arts and natural history. It also offers perhaps the best view over Annecy from its walls.
The fine arts museum mostly features landscape paintings made by local artists in the 1800s and 1900s. A few sculptures are on display, along with a couple of rooms of ancient furniture pieces.
Across the courtyard is what I’ll call a natural history museum. There are a few aquariums, displays on fishing and boating, and stuffed animals from the area. It’s just an odd assortment to find in an old castle.
One thing to know about the museums in Annecy is that they close from noon to 2:00 PM (and on Tuesday). If you decide to go to a museum, check the hours and the clock. I’m not sure when the museums stop selling tickets, but we saw several people turned away from the ticket window in late morning.
After leaving the castle we took a leisurely stroll through Annecy one last time. Compared to Sunday the place felt empty. It was wonderful. Because the roads and walkways are so narrow in old town, any change in the crowds is very noticeable. Spending Sunday afternoon on the lake rather than in town was the right call.
For lunch we eventually settled on Istanbul Döner. We didn’t really want kebabs for lunch again, but our first two restaurant choices were closed and we only had so much time to eat before our train. Thankfully it was pretty good. Our last meal in Annecy turned out to be our best, and cheapest.
Garrett and Stephanie
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