On Water:

Every village on the east side (best side!) of the lake has a public beach with a bar, a restaurant and a beach volleyball court. Talloires has a diving board. Menthon has a water slide. Veyrier has live music most weekends through July and August.

Jean-Louis is our guy for waterskiing and wake-surfing. He also rents paddle boats, stand up paddle boards, etc.

Wherever you are on the lake you will find opportunities for:

  • swimming, floating, shell collecting

  • stand-up paddleboarding / paddle boating

  • pier jumping / cliff jumping

  • water skiing / wake surfing / kite-surfing

Compagnie des Bateaux acts as a local ferry and also offers breakfast and dinner cruises. (I’ve never done this, so I can’t vouch for it, but they’ve been around for ages.)

On Land:

For walks/hikes, use All Trails to find a hike of suitable length/difficulty. An easy/gorgeous route is Roc de Chere. Hiking to the Cascade D’Angon will leave you winded but it’s totally worth it. A great longer hike is the Mont Veyrier - Mont Baron loop. You can cut the trail in half by driving half way up the mountain. From the top you can can see Mont Blanc on one side and a panorama of Lake Annecy on the other. Truly spectacular.

  • Bike rentals are everywhere and easy to find, but if you’re a cycler, you may want to check out Nomad in Talloires. Biking around the entire lake takes between 2 and 5 hours depending on how many times you stop for a swim and a smoothie. And by smoothie, I mean Aperol Spritz.

  • Canyoning is an incredible experience. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I highly recommend it!

  • There’s a tennis club in every village that are open to the public. Just stop by and ask how to reserve a court.

In the Air:

  • Parapenting isn’t nearly as death-defying as it seems! Try it and you’ll be hooked. We always use Adrenaline Parapent in Menthon/Talloires.

  • Accrobranche (ropes course) is usually a family favourite. There’s a place in hills above Talloires, but we prefer Aravis Parc d’Adventures in Thônes. There are various levels - so if you are a weenie like me you can skip the black-belt level routes and stay closer to the ground.

  • Via Ferrata - This is a love-it-or-hate-it activity. Dan took the girls and thought he would love it. He was wrong! He thought he was going to die and still shudders when describing it. The girls loved it and want to do it again.

Summer Camps for Kids:

We’ve been coming to Lake Annecy since the girls were little and I always put them in some sort of summer camp (stage d’été). Their favourites were: Pony Camp in Thônes, Tennis Camp in Annecy-le-Vieux and Dance Camp at Centre Artys. The soccer camp that my youngest went to is no longer running, but FC Annecy now hosts summer camps and they look great!

Shopping:

Talloires has a bi-weekly arts and crafts market where you can find locally made products ranging from soaps to lamps.

Annecy has a brocante fair on the last saturday of every month.

Also in Annecy: Try the little shops along Rue de l'Île… Yes, they can be touristy and hit-or-miss, but I always get lucky. I found a gorgeous Indian block print dress that I lived in all spring. And there’s a chapellerie (hat store) which is always popular with out-of-town guests. There’s a great Vinyl and Coffee shop just out of the old town. Murmur is a nice gift shop with locally made jewellery, decor, journals and more. And of course, I always ALWAYS love a trip to Monoprix. It’s like a French Target! I especially love their pyjamas.

Skip the mall in Annecy (called the Centre Commercial)- it’s nothing special. Instead walk to Galleries Lafayette. There are several boutiques and local pop-ups that circle the department store - plus a few good casual eating spots and a climbing gym!

If outdoor gear is your thing, you’ll find most major brands in Annecy or neighboring Epagny. If luxury brands are your thing, drive to Geneva.

Restaurants:

My favourites seem to change seasonally and yearly. I’m currently enjoying:

  • Le Pecheur: This is our local spot and a perennial favourite. It’s right on the lake, and you can watch the sunset while you wait for the waitresses to finish flirting and come serve you. They have loads of tables and the atmosphere is always fun and lively. Never disappoints. They don’t have a website or phone number though, so just turn up and wait. 10 Av. General Doyen, Veyrier-du-Lac

  • Haven: An excellent Ausie brunch place in Annecy.

  • Auberge du Lyonnais: On the canal in Annecy. Make reservations - good for a nice night out.

  • Chez Ingalls: A traditional French restaurant bizarrely inspired by Little House on the Prairie. It’s super weird but surprisingly elegant and the food is pretty good! We asked our server why the restaurant was themed on this random American TV Show and she said (I’m translating) “Because there used to be a chicken farm nearby.” Which is a ridiculous answer for so many reasons, but let’s go with this one: I grew up LOVING Little House on the Prairie and I’ve read all the books and watched every single episode of the TV series, including the all the specials. But if we played the word association game and you said Chicken Farm, I would never in one million years say Little House on the Prairie. And yet somehow in the middle of the French alps, there’s a restaurant that serves a Nelly Burger and has a wine cellar that’s called Le Cave de Charles.

Groceries:

Honestly, I usually eat at home because you can make a world class meal with some local cheese and produce. All you really need to know is: go to a fromagerie for your cheese, go to a boulangerie for your bread and go to a live market for your produce. Stop by the local supermarket for everything else. I could write a whole book about grocery shopping in France, but I’ll leave it there for now!

Where to stay:

For years, we used VRBO and stayed in many wonderful places at various price points. I recommend staying on the east side of the lake: Veyrier-du-Lac, Menthon St Bernard or Talloires.

My favourite hotel in the area: Le Palace De Menthon. We call it the Wes Anderson Hotel and you can see why! Even if you aren’t staying there, it’s a great place to have an apéro (pre-dinner drink and nibbles).