Lake Annecy 6 nights tour
Holiday Highlights
Glorious lake and mountain scenery
Superb family owned Les Grillons hotel – a Travel Editions’ favourite for 20+ years
Pretty lakeside villages - Yvoire is delightful
Spa towns - Evian is an elegant resort
Cable cars or rack railways - Chamonix offers both
What's Included
INCLUDED
Return train travel from St Pancras to Lyon via Lille
Six nights' accommodation on dinner, bed and breakfast basis at three star Les Grillons Hotel in Talloires, based on shared occupancy of a double room
Welcome drink at the hotel
Full coach touring programme as detailed in the itinerary above conducted by tour manager
Tour manager throughout
NOT INCLUDED
Double for sole use supplement Holiday insurance
Standard Premier/1st Class upgrade on Eurostar/TGV. On the Eurostar this constitutes upgraded seating and light meal with complimentary drink with upgraded seating only on the French railway leg
Meals other than those stated Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls.
Porterage and gratuities.
PLEASE NOTE:
As with most trains, passengers are responsible for carrying baggage onto and off the train. Baggage can be stored on overhead shelves or at the entrance to the carriages.Trollies are available at St Pancras and Paris, but bags do need to be carried on to the platform. Travel Editions recommends a luggage delivery service called thebaggageman, where your suitcase can be picked up from your home before departure and delivered straight to your hotel; therefore removing the worry about carrying your cases onto and off the trains. Please click here for more information and we have arranged a 10% discount exclusive to Travel Editions clients off the thebaggageman service. Tel: 01844 264890
Itinerary
Day 1 to day 7
Day 1: Travel by Eurostar and TGV from St Pancras to Lyon via Lille.
On arrival, transfer by coach to Talloires (approx. 2 hours) and the Hotel Les Grillons.
Day 2: Full day tour to Chamonix.
A busy and cosmopolitan town, Chamonix sits at the foot of Mont Blanc surrounded by the best of mountain scenery – glaciers, snow-capped peaks and lush green meadows. It is the base for all mountain based activities, in summer and winter - for spectacular views take the Aiguille du Midi cable car up Mont Blanc itself, or, for those who aren’t big fans of heights, try the Montenvers rack railway which will take you to the foot of the Mer de Glace glacier.
Day 3: Full day tour to Annecy.
One of the most attractive and popular resorts in the French Alps, the town of Annecy sits on the banks of the lake surrounded by breath-taking alpine scenery. The imposing château on the hill and the Palais de l’Ile provide much historical interest, and you’ll find the canals and narrow passages of the 16th century old town enchanting, especially when the town’s many flowers are in bloom.
Day 4: A full day free to explore or relax at your leisure.
Day 5: Full day tour to Lake Geneva, Évian and Yvoire.
The expanse of Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman to the French) forms a natural border between France and Switzerland. The awe-inspiring scenery and fine climate made the shores of the lake popular for health resorts the most well-known being Évian-les-Bains, where you can take a lovely stroll along the tree-lined waterfront. Take a bottle along to taste the famous water from the Source Cachat on the Avenue des Sources. Picturesque Yvoire is a lovely medieval village of narrow cobbled streets and stone houses sloping down to the edge of the water. The castle and two stone gateways date from the 14th century.
Day 6: Full day tour to Geneva.
In terms of being international and cosmopolitan there aren’t many cities that can compare with Geneva. Its location is fantastic, strung along the shore of mountainbacked Lake Geneva, and it is the place that many international organisations choose to base their European headquarters – you may see the UN, WHO and Red Cross. The museums here are world class and the old town is wonderfully picturesque – heading up the 16th century St Peter’s Cathedral gives great views over the city, lake and mountains beyond.
Day 7: Transfer back to Lyon station to catch the return TGV to Lille. At Lille, board the return Eurostar service to St Pancras.
NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion. Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 35 passengers.
Les Grillons Hotel, Talloires
The three-star family-run Les Grillons Hotel (now in its 3rd generation of the Casali family) is located 2km south of the lakeside village of Talloires, which is 10km south of the town of Annecy. The hotel is located on the lake and facilities include extensive grounds, swimming pool (seasonal opening), jacuzzi, bar, restaurant, lift to all floors and comfortable rooms with all modern amenities including air-conditioning, wifi, safe, telephone and TV. Dinner is served each evening in the atmospheric restaurant with 100% home-made food with fresh products from the local area all cooked by the chef Steve. Guests will receive a friendly welcome at this family-run hotel with a welcome drink on arrival. Les Grillons Hotel Website
OUR VIEW ON THE HOTEL
Many, many past clients have described Les Grillons as 'first class', 'excellent' and 'superb' - it has been receiving rave reviews for over a decade. You will receive a lovely warm welcome from the charming staff, and the hotel's position in lovely grounds is tranquil and beautiful. The hotel is just two kilometres outside the popular resort town of Talloires and offers views over the lake, surrounding mountains and meadows.