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Arrival, information and accommodation
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The
gare SNCF
and
gare routiA?re
complex is northwest of the centre, five minutes' walk north of the rue Royale. The road's continuation is the arcaded
rue Paquier
, which contains the modern shopping precinct of
Centre Bonlieu
, housing the
tourist office
(April to mid-June & last two weeks Sept Mon-Sat 9am-12.30pm & 1.45-6pm, Sun 10am-3pm; mid-June to mid-Sept Mon-Sat 9am-6.30pm, Sun 9am-noon & 1.45-6.30pm; Oct-March Mon-Sat 9am-12.30pm & 1.45-6pm; tel 04.50.45.00.33,
ancytour@cybercable.tm.fr
), who sell an excellent 1:25,000 map (57F/a?¬8.69) of the Annecy area, showing walking trails. There are a number of
Internet cafA©s
in Annecy - in the old town try
l'emailerie
, faubourg des Annonciades (
www.emailerie.com
). There's
bike rental
from Sports Passion, 3 av de Parmelan (there are many other places to rent bikes around the lake - the tourist office has a complete list), and round-the-lake
boat trips
stopping off at various points along the lake - expect to pay around 35F/a?¬5.34 per hour - from Compagnie des Bateaux or Bateaux Dupraz by the mouth of the Thiou canal.
There are a number of good, inexpensive hotels in Annecy. The cheapest in town is the small and serviceable Rive du Lac , behind the gare at 6 rue des Marquisats (tel 04.50.51.32.85, fax 04.50.45.77.40; 160-220F/a?¬24-34), but it's worth paying a bit more for better-located choices like the HA?tel du Nord (tel 04.50.45.08.78, fax 04.50.51.22.04, annecy.hotel.du.nord@wanadoo.fr ; 220-300F/a?¬34-46), and the HA?tel Au PA?quiers , 3 rue de PA?quier (tel 04.50.51.09.67, fax 04.50.45.97.35; 220-300F/a?¬34-46). Farther from the madding crowds, Le BelvA©dA?re , at 7 chemin de BelvA©dA?re (tel 04.50.45.04.90, fax 04.50.45.67.25; 160-220F/a?¬24-34; closed mid-Oct to April), has great views over the lake, while the homely HA?tel du ChA?teau , 16 rampe du ChA?teau (tel 04.50.45.27.66, fax 04.50.52.75.26; 220-300F/a?¬34-46; closed mid-Nov to mid-Dec), has a terrace overlooking the town. Upmarket options include the charming but cramped three-room HA?tel du Palais du l'Isle , 13 rue PerriA?re, in the heart of the medieval town (tel 04.50.45.86.87, fax 04.50.51.22.04; 500-600F/a?¬76-91), and the luxurious L'ImpA©rial Palace , 32 av d'Albigny (tel 04.50.09.30.00, fax 04.50.09.33.33; over 800F/a?¬122), in a beautiful mansion by the lakeside casino.
There is a modern
hostel
a short distance from the centre, just uphill past the Centre Hospitalier at 4 rte du Semnoz, overlooking the lake (tel 04.50.45.33.19, fax 04.50.52.77.52; closed Christmas); follow the signs to Semnoz. The municipal
campsite
,
Le Belvedere
(tel 04.50.45.48.30), is situated off boulevard de la Corniche - turn right up the lane opposite chemin du Tillier; it's on the left past the
HA?tel du BelvA©dA?re
. There are other sites all around the shore of the lake. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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France,
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