Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Planning Your Time
Lakefront Annecy has boats, bikes, and hikes with mountain views for all tastes and abil-
ities. Its many arcaded walking streets and good transportation connections (most trains
to Chamonix pass through Annecy) make it a convenient stopover, but if you're pressed
for time and antsy for Alps, ride your sled to Chamonix. There you can skip along alpine
ridges,glideovermountainmeadows,zipdownthemountainonaluge(wheeledbobsled),
or meander along riverside paths on a mountain bike. Plan a minimum of two nights and
onedayinChamonix,andtrytoworkinanadditionalnightinAnnecy.Becauseweatheris
everything in this area, get the forecast by calling Chamonix's TI or checking online. If it
looks good, make haste to Chamonix; if it's gloomy, Annecy offers more distraction. Both
towns are mobbed with tourists in summer. (If you're driving from here to the Riviera, see
tips in “La Route Napoléon: North to the Alps,” at the end of the previous chapter.)
