After teaching in Geneva on April 9 for Hillside Communications, I’m enjoying four days in stunning Annecy, France (an hour away from Geneva). Annecy gives you a cozy combination of Lake Como (lake and Alps); Lucerne (lake, Alps, Swiss/German architecture, biking along the lake), Venice (canals), Geneva (classy shops), Norwegian fjords (jaw dropping bike rides along the water) and so much more. I just love it – can’t wait to come back. Here are some photos.
April 9 – Below: Dinner with Rick (center) and Chris (right) at Geneva’s Rooftop 42 restaurant after a successful day of teaching.
April 10 – Below: My stroll along Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) before taking the bus to Annecy.
Below: I took the comfortable bus from Geneva to Annecy – 2.5 hours, and there are several busses per day. (Driving takes only an hour.) Below are two of my favorite photos from the bus ride. You’ll find bus travel details below all the photos.
Below – beautiful Annecy!
Below – snacks (local sausage and Tomme cheese along the Thiou River (which looks more like a canal) at Le Pont Morens restaurant. I was hungry at 4:00, an in-between time for many restaurants throughout France, and at this hour, Le Pont Morens offered sausage and cheese; sweet crepes; and quiche, and very charming and helpful service. If you’re hungry at 4:00 in Annecy, you could also find savory crepes (Galettes – buckwheat crepes with varieties of ham and cheese) at two restaurants a little further along the river (toward the lake). It’s wonderful to dine along the river!
Bus travel information – Geneva to Annecy – 13 euros one-way – 2.5 hours.
Inside Geneva, all of Geneva’s public transportation is free. (From what I saw, you don’t even have to validate a transportation card – just hop on the bus.) Take a bus to the Coutance stop, which is a 10-minute walk from Geneva’s Gare Routière (Geneva’s bus station, which is a little hut with about 15 bus slots. You can buy your ticket at the bus station.)
There are several busses to Annecy throughout the day – I took the 11:50, and it arrived in Annecy at 1:30.
If you want to book in advance, try Flixbus or OUIBUS. I heard several times – take the bus, not the train.
If you’d like to take a sandwich on the bus trip: If you’re standing in the center of Geneva’s Gare Routière, with the lake in front of you, there’s a sandwich shop directly behind you.
When you arrive in Annecy – follow Rick Steves’ France book about Arrival in Annecy. Definitely go to the TI and get the map, brochure with four walking tours, and bike map (follow Rick’s guidance on finding the TI.).
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