Solo Itinerary for Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy is one of France's most popular destinations for couples and families, but Annecy and its surroundings are a great destination for solo travellers too! Get our in-depth guide to a long weekend solo trip to Annecy below.
Annecy is one of France’s top destinations and is often touted as one of the country’s most beautiful towns! Located near the Swiss border, Annecy sits alongside the spectacular Lake Annecy. The lake itself is renowned for its scintillating blue colour and charming environs of mountains and villages. To visit Annecy is to also visit Lake Annecy and while you are there you would be remiss not to explore further afield than Annecy’s town centre and closest beach! To get the most out of your trip to Annecy, you might be thinking you’ll need a car, someone to go with, and a full week of vacation, but that is not the case at all!
Lake Annecy is a great place to visit on your own for a long weekend city break! Why Annecy specifically? Not only is Annecy pretty easy to get to from other cities in France and Switzerland, but getting around the lake itself has been made simple by the region’s impressive public transportation system which you can read all about in this article! Not only are there bus lines that take you around the lake, but during the height of summer they are completely free to use! If you’re worried about visiting during summer due to crowds, know that the number of people around you can also add to a feeling of safety when you are travelling on your own – it will be easy to ask a fellow traveller some questions and you may even make a few friends!
The summer months make a great time to travel to Annecy solo, especially due to the ease of transportation. In addition to the buses, you also have plenty of bike rentals at your disposal, boat tours across the lake, and boat shuttles from Annecy to a few close-by villages that run multiple times throughout the day during high-season. With all these options at your fingertips, it is simple and easy to visit Annecy on your own and enjoy its surroundings in a few days! Keep on reading for a proposed 3.5 day itinerary that will cover everything you need to know for your next trip to Annecy!
Day 1
When deciding where to stay when visiting Lake Annecy, staying in the city of Annecy itself is probably your best choice due to the variety of accommodation and transportation available as well as the ease of staying in a relatively big town. Booking a place close to the city centre will also make things extra easy for you! The city centre of Annecy is very walkable, and you will be able to hop off your train or bus and head straight to your hotel/airbnb to check in.
After dropping off your bags, you’ll likely want to eat lunch and explore the beautiful city around you! Annecy is praised for its food scene, and a few foods you may want to keep an eye out for are fresh lake fish, such as arctic char, regional cheeses such as Reblochon and Tome de Bauges, and of course, anything locally grown or made. After refuelling during lunch, it is time to spend a few hours walking around town!
Walking through Annecy is like walking through a mediaeval fairytale world! You absolutely can’t miss the Palais de l’ile, an old prison located on an island in the middle of the canal, or the art museum located in a castle nearby! After some sightseeing and shopping, continue walking along the pretty canal as it turns into the River Thiou for a lovely way to see more of the town.
After soaking in the atmosphere in town, it is finally time to get into the water for your pre-booked guided snorkelling excursion of Lake Annecy! After changing back at your hotel, hop onto a lake shuttle that will take you to the next town over, Veyrier-du-lac, for your snorkelling tour! Lake Annecy is the cleanest lake in Europe, and swimming in its sparkling waters is a real pleasure. For your first day at the lake, this guided evening snorkelling tour will ensure you won’t get sunburned on day one while also giving you the confidence to explore the lake waters yourself later on.
After your 1 hour snorkelling session, you can choose to dine in Veyrier-du-lac or head back to Annecy for dinner and the perfect end to your first day out in Annecy.
Day 2
Grab a couple of pastries from a boulangerie and head to the Jardins d’Europe for a lovely way to begin your second day in Annecy! Sit on a bench overlooking the lake, glittering in the morning light, while you relish your breakfast and enjoy the view– don’t forget to bring a book with you for an ultra relaxing way to start the day. This slow morning will get you ready for an adventurous afternoon of biking around the lake!
The Lake Annecy greenway is one of the oldest and most beautiful bike paths in France! With multiple bike rentals available around the lake, it is quite simple to rent a bike and take it for a leisurely tour around the entire lake for a great way to soak in the sights from every angle! Without stopping, a ride around the greenway takes around 2.5-3 hours, but you can even take a little picnic with you to stop along the riverbank for a peaceful lunch!
After an active afternoon, once you are back in Annecy you will no doubt want to sit back and relax over dinner. For something a little different, book yourself a dinner cruise with the Compagnie des Bateaux Annecy that will take you around the lake –by water this time– and serve you regional specialties while you watch the sun setting behind the mountains. The boat picks you up and drops you off right in Annecy for a simple yet memorable evening on the lake!
Day 3
By day 3, you will surely be ready to explore the lake on your own this time! Forget the fancy speed boats or pedalos and rent a stand up paddle board – the perfect solo method for getting out on the lake! With a paddleboard, you will be able to hop in and out of the water as you please while comfortably covering more of the lake than you might just swimming. Simply take the shuttle boat from Annecy to Veyrier-du-lac and enjoy a morning out on the water!
If you want to continue your adventure straight from Veyrier-du-lac, after your paddle boarding session, hop on the bus to the next town over of Menthon-Saint-Bernard. Enjoy a lunch in town before heading to the Roc de Chère Natural Reserve (either by bus to the Echarvines stop, or on foot) for a pleasant walk around the forested mount. Not only will you be surrounded by lush nature and shaded paths, but you will also have great views of the lake!
For those who are confident in their hiking, a more challenging hike is the Mont Veyrier Loop which will take you high above the lake starting from the town of Veyrier-du-lac itself. However, if you are not at all comfortable hiking alone but still want to discover other parts of the lake by foot, try taking a boat bus to the port of Saint-Joritz to walk along the protected reed beds by the lakeside for an easy stroll.
After an afternoon of hiking, head back to Annecy by bus or boat and enjoy dinner in town.
Day 4
For your last day in Annecy, don’t forget to wake up early so that you can enjoy lounging on the beach one last time! Grab some food to go and head to either Plage des Marquisats, Plage de l’Impérial, or Plage d’Albigny which are all located within walking distance of Annecy’s town centre.
Enjoy your time at the beach as long as possible before you have to change, shower, and catch your train back home!
There really are so many things to do and see when visiting Lake Annecy during the summer, and it is a real treat to make the trip there on your own! Whether you want to have an adventure or simply relax, Annecy is a great place to do a little bit of everything. From biking to boating, our itinerary shows you how to make the most of a short trip to Annecy. If you fancy staying around the lake even longer, check out all the great activities you can do from Annecy, from canyoning to paragliding, for an even more exciting lakeside holiday!