My husband and I are strongly considering Annecy for our retirement and would love to connect with current or former residents in the SurviveFrance community.
A bit about us:
Active 60+ couple passionate about outdoor activities
I’m fluent in French, while my husband is currently a non-French speaker
Previous European living experience (myself in France, husband in Germany)
Particularly interested in the year-round outdoor lifestyle (skiing, mountain biking, hiking)
Key questions we’re hoping to have answered:
What’s the reality of Annecy’s winters? As outdoor enthusiasts, we’d appreciate insights on winter severity, snow management, and how the city functions during the cold months.
How manageable is the summer tourist season? We would love to hear about local strategies for handling peak tourism periods and whether there are quieter neighborhoods that maintain their charm year-round.
What’s the expat community like? Are there active groups or regular meetups? This would be especially helpful while my husband improves his French.
How accessible are the ski resorts and mountain biking trails throughout the year? We’d appreciate recommendations for specific areas/neighborhoods that offer good access to outdoor activities while maintaining practicality for daily life.
Any housing market insights, particularly for long-term residents
For those who’ve made the move, what aspects of living in Annecy surprised you most, both positively and negatively?
Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences and advice! Kim & Jeff
We are in the next Department and visit Annecy. To us it is a nice place to spend a day out of season, but horrifically expensive and horribly touristy in season. You need to visit and judge for yourself as it might suit you.
We lived in Grenoble many years ago and had skiing friends in Annecy, who we stayed with regularly. It was a delightful town. There is a wide range of ski stations in the region from the large to the small. We frequented Les Arcs, Les Deux Alps, Val Thorens (Les Trois Vallées), etc. and we had a lovely small station Prapoutel (les sept laux) just 30 minutes from our apartment in Meylan. There is no shortage, once the snow is there.
Sadly, having not visited for decades, I was in Annecy a couple of years ago and it was transformed into a tourist town. I found it sad and I certainly wouldn’t dream of living there. I think Grenoble is a better option.
Regarding the expat (which some consider a pejorative term) communities, I’d advise avoiding them, go for immersion. You are moving to France, not an expat bubble, and mixing with English speakers will do zero for your partner’s French.
Sadly, the elevated levels of tourism have transformed many places in France and Europe. I previously lived in le Pays Basque another area that has become extremely touristy.
When I lived in France, I enjoyed a great circle of French and Anglophone friends. It will be important for both of us to have a few English-speaking friends. My French friends in the US find their French friends essential.
To point a visit to the area is needed to see for ourselves.
I moved to Annecy in 2017 with my husband and son. In fact, we stumbled across Annecy and fell in love with it. The outdoor lifestyle ticked all our boxes. We made the conscious decision not to live where there are many expats which has worked well for us. We have made friends with locals but also with some expats as this is inevitable in a relatively small town as Annecy ;-). Annecy is a beautiful place but with anywhere, it has it’s problems. It is a victim of it’s own success which has resulted in excessive traffic especially in the peak of summer.
Since moving, I kind of fell into helping fellow anglophone find their way here, to the point where I set up my own website www.simplyannecy.com. Take a look at my blog as you might find some useful information, particularly the post: https://www.simplyannecy.com/post/navigating-the-housing-market-with-simply-annecy. There are also other posts which look at the villages around the lake and the suburbs of Annecy. This information might give you an idea of where you might like to locate. Either way, I hope it clears up some of your questions. If you would like a chat, feel free to contact me. All the best, Bernie
Is the help on offer something for which you make a charge? - in which case can I remind you that it is against T&C to promote your own business on SF, thanks.
We’ve debated this and come to the conclusion that blanket policy might not always be helpful, especially where services such as yours could be useful for people moving to France or a specific area of France but not quite come up with an “official” solution. The closest we’ve managed is that such links and mentions might be better off - briefly - in your BIO or a single post in the “introduce yourself” thread where they are easier to find.