If you are planning a trip to France, I would highly recommend that you visit Annecy. The city is among the top 10 cities to live in France. In 2020, 2021 the city was ranked number one.
Despite loosing its number 1 spot in 2023, Annecy still has a lot to offer. In this blog post I am going to cover 12 budget-friendly things that you can do as a first time traveler in Annecy.
Table of Contents
A bit about Annecy
Annecy is the largest city in the Haute Savoie department located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Its population is about 182 000. As a big city; it offers a lot of amenies including budget friendly things that you could do solo or with the family. In this blog post, i highlight 12 Budget friendly things that you can do in in Annecy even with a small budget.
Why Is Annecy famous?
Annecy enjoys an exceptional geographical location between the mountains, lake and driving distance to the sea and Geneva. As a result, locals are able to enjoy a diverse range of seasonal activities. In addition, its historic center lies on the banks of Lake Annecy, a large natural lake nestled among the mountains.
The city is well-known for its:
- Beautiful landscapes
- Medieval architecture
- Historical medieval center called “La vieille ville or Old town in English
- Clear water lake which is considered to be the purest in Europe
- Its Canals
- Savoyarde cuisine
- Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June
- Proximity to many ski resorts
- Better quality of life
The Venise Of The Alps
Why is Annecy called the Venise of the Alps? It is because the medieval town centre has been broken down by small canals and streams running out of Lac Annecy.
How to Get To Annecy By Plane?
- Geneva International Airport which is the closest airport
- Lyon International Airport is the second closest
From Geneva and Lyon, you have the option to drive or to book a bus ride which are both about an hour.
I highly recommend Altibus. If you do not drive, I highly recommend that you take the train and bus. AltIbus buses leave from Geneva International Airport and will drop you in the city center. Altibus offers also rides to some of the surrounding ski resorts such as La Clusaz, Val D’Isère, La Plagne and Tigne.
Bonus tip. For more information on the small ski resort of La Clusaz, follow this link La Clusaz here.
How To Get To Annecy By Train?
From Paris trains leave from Paris Gare de Lyon train station located in the 12th arrondissement. You can book your train ride on the French national railway website SNCF here or via Trainline. If you truly want to save money on train tickets, I highly recommend that you book your trip at least 3 months in advance.
The ride from Paris will last about 4 hours. There are trains leaving as early as 6:30 am. To fully enjoy your ride, I suggest that you book first class tickets. Not only the seats there are more comfortable and spacious but it is best to do it if you want to travel in peace. With that said, let dive into 12 budget-friendly things that you can do in Annecy, the Venise of the Alps.
12 budget-friendly things to do in Annecy
- Visit the old town
- Attend the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June
- Swim in the lake
- Hike in the surronding mountains
- Bike along the lake
- Book a boat cruise on the lake
- Brunch served all day at Slake ( I love this place) get there early because it fills up quickly
- Shop in the city center
- Get a bus ticket via Altibus or at the Annecy train station and go sky for the day at La Clusaz and be back on the same day. Trust me you will love the scenery.
- Purchase a bus ride for a day trip to Geneva and be back on the same day.
- Visit the Musée Château
- Walk accross the Pont des Amours ( the lovers’ bridge)
Now that you know about the 12 budget-friendly things to do in Annecy, you might wonder where to stay.
Where to stay in Annecy?
We choose to stay in the old town to be close to the train station because we had an early train ride scheduled to return to Paris. The old town is really beautiful and is at a walking distance to a lot of nearby attractions and my favorite cofee shop mentioned above Slake.
Budget-friendly hotel in Annecy
We stayed at the Splendid Hôtel located right accross from the canal and we had a room with a terrace facing the mountain. As I mentionned above, we booked it to be closer to the train station and fit our budget.
Conclusion
Annecy is a beautiful city, refered to as the Venise of the Alps due to it geographical locations, small canals and streams running out of its lake. Although the city is not cheap, you can still do the 12 budget friendly things to do in Annecy mentioned in this article. Wheter you are traveling solo or with the family. Annecy is one of my favorite city to visit especially during the slow season travel.
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