Lake Annecy (France)

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Mr Celine

Discordian
We stayed in a caravan at a campsite at Doussard, which is just beyond the south end of the lake, in 2009. Conveniently located to watch the TDF time trial, which passed about 200m from the campsite entrance.

SDC11029.JPG


The day before we were watching on the Col de la Colombier. Two days before that we went on a recce to look for a good vantage point near the bottom of the climb and I cycled back to the caravan over the col. Great fun.
Compared to sustrans cycle farcilities french cycle tracks are fantastic. This is the one down the west side of Lake Annecy, along an old railway alignment.

SDC10987.JPG


and it carried on to Faverges. (It may have been extended since.) Note the roadsign showing the cycletrack has priority at the crossroads.

SDC10947.JPG


When in the car avoid the D1508 down the west side of the lake, it had a near permanent traffic jam.

As for bike transport I remove the wheels, seatpost and pedals and put it in a roofbox, which will also take a lot of other junk packed around the frame. This does not hammer the fuel comsumption like having the bike on a roof rack and is much more secure when parked en route. It also fit (just) under the barrier at an underground car park in Annecy, which is just as well as I'd forgotten about it!
 
OP
OP
Johnno260

Johnno260

Veteran
Location
East Sussex
Sorry to necro an old thread.

Times approaching for my Annecy trip, I did go ahead a purchase a bike carrier, it's been used often already taking the children to cycle paths etc, it's a Thule 943 I have got the lockable knobs for the frame clamps, and a decent length cable lock with kryptonite D-lock.

We're staying in a welcome break/premier inn the night before the crossing and they said I can lock my bike in the conference room.

Does anyone know of a site where I can download GPX files for my Garmin head unit? I recently upgraded to the 820 Edge as it was going cheaply
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
Sorry to necro an old thread.

Times approaching for my Annecy trip, I did go ahead a purchase a bike carrier, it's been used often already taking the children to cycle paths etc, it's a Thule 943 I have got the lockable knobs for the frame clamps, and a decent length cable lock with kryptonite D-lock.

We're staying in a welcome break/premier inn the night before the crossing and they said I can lock my bike in the conference room.

Does anyone know of a site where I can download GPX files for my Garmin head unit? I recently upgraded to the 820 Edge as it was going cheaply

If you mean plan a route and convert it into a gpx file and load it on your Garmin I suggest as follows:

1) Use www.ridewithgps.com
2) Plan the route you want on there (there is a tab called "routeplanner")
3) Once you're happy with the route, click "save"
4) Then view your route in ridewithgps, there is a "download" option. The best format is usually .tcx. This will save it to your downloads file on your computer
5) Connect your Garmin to your computer using the charging cable
6) Computer will recognise Garmin as a "drive". Go to your downloads file, find the route file and click on it. Select "copy"
7) Go to Garmin drive on your computer, go into "New Files". Click on it and select "paste"

Job done
 
OP
OP
Johnno260

Johnno260

Veteran
Location
East Sussex
Crikey, I'd rather just buy a map, which shows me everything I need to see.

I looked at the site nicky suggested, you can view maps of the area and print them out as well.

I just wanted a fall back to stop me getting too lost! haha I want to enjoy the bike and the scenery.
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
ahh I will take a look, the first site you listed you can make GPX and TCX file from the maps as well.

Here's what I do when I go somewhere overseas and want to use my Garmin to do a preplanned ride

First I download the relevant maps (for free) using the DCRainmaker instructions.
Then I plot my ride using ridewithgps and load it onto the Garmin using the instructions I provided
 
OP
OP
Johnno260

Johnno260

Veteran
Location
East Sussex
Car is packed bike is ready I can't wait, I was sad I bought a Frank's bike blanket after I picked up loads of stone chips, I know I'm a saddo.
 
Last edited:

KneesUp

Guru
Went as a 15 year old. Bikes transported inside the caravan. I didn’t have a clue where I was nor did I have a map. Mobile phones were something Maggie Philbin talked off on Tomorrow’s World. So I just rode out for a bit and turned around when I was getting tired. Lovely area even if you just ride with no aim, plan or idea. I only went for two rides though because I was 15 and there were loads of girls at the lake!
 

Profpointy

Legendary Member
We cycled round the lake on locally hired bikes. Bikes were flat barred road biased hybrids, but had squooshy but not awful saddles but ok otherwise. Mostly off-road tarmac cycle paths but one narrow muddy footpath with steps which we had to push / carry. We only did the one ride that time but apart from the lake itself the area is quite hillu
 
OP
OP
Johnno260

Johnno260

Veteran
Location
East Sussex

Attachments

  • 0424245C-4098-4A7B-AA6C-F69C89600513.jpeg
    0424245C-4098-4A7B-AA6C-F69C89600513.jpeg
    129.8 KB · Views: 6
  • 384BDAB1-118F-47F9-8327-1BEBCC3E46EA.jpeg
    384BDAB1-118F-47F9-8327-1BEBCC3E46EA.jpeg
    214.2 KB · Views: 5
  • 10014C0D-1397-49F3-914F-458BF126E678.jpeg
    10014C0D-1397-49F3-914F-458BF126E678.jpeg
    150.6 KB · Views: 7
  • D9A077C0-2DBD-43AD-86FD-8812E774785D.jpeg
    D9A077C0-2DBD-43AD-86FD-8812E774785D.jpeg
    194.8 KB · Views: 6
  • 161B4744-D747-4A31-AABF-900C08BC7430.jpeg
    161B4744-D747-4A31-AABF-900C08BC7430.jpeg
    202.6 KB · Views: 6
Was there last month. Rainy day in La Toussuire/St Jean de Maurienne so five of us bailed to Annecy where the weather was much kinder. I needed a recovery spin from mountains while others wanted to tackle Semnoz. Parked at Sevrier on western side of the lake and followed cycle path south expecting to find a turn that would bring me back around the eastern side of the lake in a loop. Missed it (not obvious) and ended up turning back a few kms beyond Doussard where the only sign was pointing me towards the Col de Forclaz. Anyway the cyclepath is great, very busy towards town though. Nice ride.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2518120771
 
OP
OP
Johnno260

Johnno260

Veteran
Location
East Sussex
The cycle path around the eastern side isn’t obvious at all, I just followed the next road that followed the lake.

I’m tempted to try Sambuy for a climb and meet the fam there to use the chair lifts to the top, not sure I fancy the descent haha
 
Top Bottom