Best Time to Visit

No matter what time of the year you decide to visit this city, the "Venice of the Alps" will let you capture the beauty of its history and nature in each season. Many towns close to Annecy house winter sports resorts and open their doors in winter, so if you're interested in coming to the region for skiing on the French side of the Alps, you should definitely choose the cold season. Otherwise, if cold and skiing are not your thing, consider planning your trip in spring: even if summer means the best days in terms of weather (also, the lake is at its warmest), it is also when tourism is at its peak, so you'd do better coming in spring to enjoy the city on foot and admire the beautiful flowers blooming all along the canals. Annecy also has a bustling cultural scene, whose offer covers the whole year. The two main summer events are the Lake Festival (www.lac-annecy.com/fete-et-manifestation/1/209349-fete-du-lac.html), a spectacular pyrotechnic show over the lake, and the International Animation Film Festival (www.annecy.org), held respectively in August and June. If you come in the fall season, don't miss the chance to see the "Déscente des Alpages": every year in October, farmers take their livestock down from the mountains to the streets of the centre, where a number of artisans and farmers display and sell their products, and folk bands play all day. Another popular occurrence is the Venetian Carnival, which is very similar to the one in Venice and takes place between February and March. Finally, also in winter, the iconic Annecy Christmas Market (www.marchedenoelannecy.com) in the old town, held between the end of November and the beginning of January, is a must-see for visitors, who love to stroll along the canals in a magical atmosphere, and enjoy delicious local food or handicrafts.

Passport/Visa

France can be visited visa-free for up to 90 days by citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, UAE and most countries in America. If you are unsure whether or not you need to apply for a visa, we recommend contacting the embassy or consulate in your country. International (non-Schengen) travelers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip in order to enter the Schengen zone. Citizens of Schengen countries, instead, can travel without a passport, but must have a valid ID with them during their stay.

Public Transport

SIBRA (www.sibra.fr) runs the local transport system and links, with an efficient bus service, the communes of the Grand Annecy. Tickets (www.sibra.fr/voyages-occasionnels) can be purchased from the stations, the tourist information office and in kiosks (www.sibra.fr/points-de-vente), and travel cards are also available in these shops. The Espace SIBRA (21 Rue de la Gare) is the main transport information office, it opens 6 days a week and is close to the SNCF station. The same company also offer a bike rental service, called Vélonecy (www.sibra.fr/velonecy): more than 200 bikes can be rented and used to move around the city in the respect of the environment. You can choose between classic bikes, electric bikes and folding bikes (very quick to set up), and even if renting one daily, weekly or monthly, depending on how much you want to stay in Annecy (more information: www.velonecy.com / infos@velonecy.com). An alternative to SIBRA to stroll around Annecy city centre is the rental company Roul'ma Poule (www.annecy-location-velo.com), with two shops (in Annecy and Annecy-le-Vieux). There you can rent not only bikes (classic, electric or tandem bikes), but also rollers (www.annecy-location-velo.com/en/roller-rental-annecy), kayaks (www.annecy-location-velo.com/en/kayak-paddle-rental-annecy-le-vieux) and paddle boards (www.annecy-location-velo.com/en/paddle-boards-rental-annecy-le-vieux), for an amazing tour of the lake. Roul'ma Poule (Annecy) 4 Rue des Marquisats, Annecy +33 4 50 27 86 83 / info@roulmapoule.com www.facebook.com/RoulMaPouleAnnecy Roul'ma Poule (Annecy-le-Vieux) 47 Avenue du Petit Port, Annecy-le-Vieux +33 4 50 23 31 15 / info2@roulmapoule.com

• Web:

  www.sibra.fr

• E-mail:

  sibra@sibra.fr

• Address:

  21 Rue de la Gare, Annecy

• Phone:

  +33 4 50 10 04 04

• Opening hours:

  7:30-19:00 (Monday to Friday) 9:00-12:00 14:00-17:00 (Saturday)

Taxi

Taxis can be hailed at stands or along the street, but they can be hard to find, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. Always make sure that the driver has a regular licence, before hailing one. GIE Taxis d'Annecy +33 4 50 45 05 67 www.taxi-annecy.net annecytaxi@orange.fr Bardet Taxi +33 6 75 13 79 28 www.bardet-taxi.com Annecienne de Taxis & Transports +33 6 32 48 32 43 www.annecienne-taxis-transports.fr att.taxi@orange.fr Actuel Taxi 74 +33 6 98 83 75 75 / +33 4 50 08 08 90 www.actueltaxi74.com accueil@aerotaxiannecy.com

Electricity

220/240 V AC, 50Hz

Genève Aéroport

Annecy is served by Geneva Airport, situated less than 50 kilometres from the city centre. You can reach the airport, or travel from there to Annecy in several ways. The first option is renting a car. There are several car rental companies in the airport where you can rent one, but if you decide to return it to the French sector you may be asked to pay an additional fee (same thing happens if you rent a car in the French sector and you return it to the Swiss one). Some of the companies at the airport are Avis (www.avis.ch), Budget (www.budget.ch), Europcar (www.europcar.ch) and Hertz (www.hertz.ch). Here you find more information about car rental companies: www.gva.ch/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-72. Buses also operate regularly to connect Geneva Airport to Annecy (as well as other French cities and winter sports resorts). If you search for a bus (www.gva.ch/en/Portaldata/1/Resources/fichiers/voyageurs/Cars_lignes_r_guli_res_GeneveAeroport.pdf), you will need to take a Transalis one (line T72), with many departures each day from the airport. Otherwise, you can also take one of the regular trains departing from Geneva-Cornavin Station (in the city centre), which you can reach in 6 minutes with one of the trains departing (5 times per hour) from the airport. SNCF (www.voyages-sncf.com) is the company that manages the railway service.

• Web:

  www.gva.ch

• Address:

  Route de l'Aéroport 21, Grand-Saconnex

• Phone:

  +41 2 27 17 71 11