Annecy

No need for a gondola to take you to beautiful Annecy, a.k.a. the Venice of the Alps: a Ouibus ticket is good enough! Tucked away between the lake and the mountains, this pretty town criss-crossed by canals has managed to retain all its charm. Take a stroll through the Jardins de l’Europe, home to many centennial trees, to reach the Pont des Amours, the bridge that is the town’s symbol. Close by, Swan Island invites you to admire its birds, especially if you rent a pedalo from one of the town’s two beaches. The waters of Annecy lake are some of the purest among mountain lakes and are protected. The Roc de Chère, with its pleasant coves and cliffs, as well as the Bout du Lac, where you can see a lot of wildlife, are part of the protected areas of Haute-Savoie. In the evening, head over to the old town with its shops and restaurants, overlooked by Annecy castle, which has been converted into a regional art museum. If you’re not feeling too full after a delicious cheese fondue, try your luck at the casino in the Imperial Palace hotel, as did Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill many years ago. Just make sure you don’t bet your Ouibus ticket if you want to make it home! Don’t cheat either, or you might find yourself locked away in the Palais de l’Isle, also known as the old prison…