Over the summer we spent the most incredible week staying near Annecy in the French Alps. We stayed with Eurocamp at an amazing site called Camping Les Fontaines. This isn’t an ad, and it wasn’t a gifted holiday, but we had such a good time, I couldn’t resist sharing this special place with you all.

Camping Les Fontainnes

Annecy is a beautiful town at the top end of Lac D’Annecy and the Eurocamp we stayed in was at the bottom end of the lake, in a place called Doussard. Set up in the hills, it offered stunning views of the mountains, and it was just a short walk to the lake itself, which had an amazing beach with a swimming area, and watersports. It also made the perfect base to easily explore the rest of the lake and Annecy itself.

Below are a few phone snaps from around the site. The two swimming pools were a huge hit with all 3 children, and I think we managed to swim every single day. You can see below that I actually managed to swim lengths one day as we got to the pool so early! It wasn’t usually so empty, but it was a great place for the kids to play, and there were often activities in the pool, and an inflatable assault course too.

Doussard

Doussard made a great base for the week, and we visited the beach there, and the surrounding nature reserve, a few times. We also hired kayaks, and a pedalo with a slide on, which was a huge hit with our Oldest who we couldn’t keep out of the lake.

Photos from in and around Doussard…

Talloires

We visited Talloires a few times during our stay, and it instantly became my favourite place on the lake. The beach there was perfect for our family. It had a deep area of water cornered off, which was perfect for swimming in. The view of the mountains from there was perfect, so swimming there felt so magical. It also had a slide in the middle of the water, and a diving board and pontoons. It made the perfect playground for the kids, and I don’t think it’s hard to see why it became my favourite beach to visit.

Some videos of the fun we had in Talloires…

Annecy

We managed to pull the kids away from the pool for one day to visit the town of Annecy. Often called the “Venice of the Alps” it was a really amazing place to explore and such a unique town.

Duingt

Another beach we visited more than once was Duingt. It was a really easy beach to access and had stunning views across the lake and mountains. The water here was much shallower than other places, so ideal for young children to get in and enjoy the lake.

Plage D’Angon

One evening my daughter and I went for a walk along the lake near Plage D’Angon. There is an amazing cycle path that goes all the way around the lake, and in this particualr section there was a path for pedestrians too, and it was a gorgeous place to watch the sun go down, and enjoy some magical golden light.

We also attempted to visit this beach during the day, but it was so busy we quickly left and went back to our beloved Talloires instead.

I was given strict instructions by my family to not plan any day trips for this holiday. The kids wanted to just chill out by the pool, and after the 8 hour drive to get there from Calais, I couldn’t blame them. Thankfully Lac D’Annecy was the perfect base for such a holiday. Really fun pools and activities at Camping Les Fontaines for the kids, and a stunning lake and surrounding mountains to keep me and my camera happy, and then the added bonus of the lake being perfectly set up for swimming and water-sports too. I don’t think we could have asked for a better holiday. However, I’m not sure my kids will ever settle for anywhere without amazing pools now, and I might just get some resistance if I start dreaming up too many day trips!

Good to know…

Here are a few things that will help you out if you are planning a trip to Annecy.

Where we stayed: Camping Les Fontaines.

Getting there: We got the ferry to Calais and then drove to Annecy. It took 8 hours, and that was driving at the French speed limit of 80mph. It was a very long drive, and definitely our least favourite part of the trip. But it was worth it to have the ease of our own car, and transporting all the kids things without airline limits. Plus it is better for the planet than flying. The roads were really good and we had no traffic at all. There were tolls, and if I rememeber correctly I think they totalled around 75 euros each way.

If I was doing the drive again, I would have got the ferry the night before and stayed in Calais, so that we had a full day to make the journey. As it was we stayed over in Dover, and so with the time change, even getting the earliest ferry, we didn’t get on the road in Calais till 11am local time. Meaning it was gone 8pm by the time we arrived at the campsite.

Parking: I think every single car park we used around the lake was pay and display, but they all used the same app; Pay By Phone. Luckily I already had it set up on my phone as it’s the same one they use in Pembrokeshire. It’s definitely worth downloading before you go, as it was invaluable for easy parking.

Food: We actually ate most of our meals at our caravan, and there were a few Aldi and Lidl supermarkets close enough that we were able to get groceries easily. The shop on the campsite was actually really good and had fresh pastries every day, so naturally we had croissants for breakfast every morning. It would be rude not to. There were plenty of cafes around each of the lakeside beaches, which were great for ice creams and coffees. We had one meal out whilst in Annecy at an Italian restaurant. The great thing about the French Alps, is they are close enough to the Italian border that you get some great Italian food there, which is my personal favourite cuisine.

If you’ve any questions about our trip, or want any other tips for planning your own, just ask below in the comments.

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