ANNECY in the summer

I took a trip to Annecy by train in July. Something I have been wanting to do since I started work in the travel industry back in 1981! I used to work for French Travel Service that ran trains from Calais throughout France and the Alps was somewhere I never got to. These days you have to go via Paris rather than overnight from Calais but was a simple journey.

I started St Pancras on the Eurostar and opted to spend a night in Paris on the way to break up my trip and meant I did not need an really early train from London. I then joined the direct train from Gare de Lyon, Paris to Annecy, it took just under 3hrs for that journey.

On arrival I walked to my hotel in the Old Town approx.. 10 mins. This is where I recommend you stay in the medieval part. It is full of historical buildings, little bridges over canals..hence why it is known as the Venice of the Alps and is an easy stroll to the lake. It is lot bigger than you think as well!

There are so many restaurants to chose from, bars, cafes and I was thrilled to see the Saturday antiques market and the Sunday food market take over the squares and cobbled streets. We hired a boat on the lake to enjoy the water but you can always take a boat excursion if you prefer.

Annecy is more than a tourist spot it really is used by locals for family time, dining out, the parks around the lake were full of families enjoying the sunshine oh and it really really dog friendly which is a bonus if you chose to take your furbaby with you!

I would recommend Annecy as a great place to visit!