From Geneva
Annecy and the Aravis
A town of water in the morning, a mountain road in the afternoon.
Loop
139 km
Driving time only
2 h 56
Suggested hire
6 h
From
600 CHF
Annecy is under an hour from Geneva, and it is the nearest town of canals: pastel façades, and the Palais de l'Île standing on its natural island in the Thiou since the 12th century. The nickname Venice of the Alps is not ours.
In the afternoon the road climbs into the Aravis towards La Clusaz. The loop runs 139 kilometres but counts nearly three hours of driving out of six: the second half is a mountain road, not a motorway.
We drive and we wait. Museums, meals and lifts are settled on site.
The itinerary
Annecy, la vieille ville
The Palais de l'Île has stood on a natural island in the Thiou since the 12th century. First a prison, then a courthouse, it is today one of France's most photographed silhouettes. The canals and pastel façades earned the town the name Venice of the Alps.
Le château et le lac
The castle, once home to the Counts of Geneva and then the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours, overlooks the old town and houses the museum. Below lies the lake, whose purity is what the town is proudest of.
La montée sur les Aravis
The road leaves the lake and climbs towards La Clusaz via Annecy-le-Vieux. This is no longer a motorway: it is a mountain road, and it explains why 139 kilometres take nearly three hours.
La Clusaz et le col
A Savoyard village that has kept its character, at a thousand metres. In winter the upper section depends on the snow and the pass can close: we check the road conditions on the morning.
km included : 150 km
The kilometres below are measured from the airport. Starting from a hotel in town, or from another town, changes the loop and therefore the count: the quote is adjusted to your actual pickup point.
Two landscapes in one day
The lake in the morning, the mountains in the afternoon. It is the only one of our six-hour itineraries that changes world entirely halfway, which makes it interesting when you do not want to spend the day in one place.
Distance tells you nothing
139 kilometres for three hours of driving: the ratio is poor because the climb into the Aravis averages thirty kilometres an hour. That is the kind of thing a route planner does not tell you and a chauffeur who knows the road tells you beforehand.
Winter changes the second half
The upper section depends on the snow and the Col des Aravis can close. Annecy stays doable all year; the climb does not. We check the road on the morning and adapt rather than cancel.
Frequently asked questions
From 600 CHF in an E-Class for six hours of hire, 840 CHF in an S-Class and 780 CHF in a V-Class. The loop runs 139 kilometres against 150 included: no supplement.
Under an hour on the A41 for some fifty kilometres. That is the fast part of the day; it is the afternoon climb into the Aravis that takes the time.
A 12th-century building set on a natural island in the Thiou, in the heart of Annecy's old town. It served as a prison and then a courthouse. It is one of France's most photographed silhouettes.
Because the loop counts nearly three hours of driving: over four hours, one would remain on the ground, which is enough for neither Annecy nor the Aravis. Over six, three hours remain, split between the two.
Annecy yes, all year. The climb into the Aravis depends on the snow and the pass can close. We check the road on the morning and adapt the itinerary if needed.
Yes, but it is a different programme: the lake circuit replaces the Aravis climb, it does not get added to it. Tell us which you prefer at booking and we shape the day around it.