After the Geneva Marathon: Annecy

The Route: Geneva → Annecy → Geneva Airport Logistics: Direct coach over the Swiss–French border in roughly 75 to 90 minutes, then a return the same way to the airport. Marathon Month: May Duration: 1 night

Geneva ──(~1h15-1h30 direct coach)──> Annecy (old town, lake)
                                          │
Geneva Airport (GVA) ◄──(~1h15-1h30 direct coach)──┘

The Geneva Marathon runs on a Sunday in early May, and Annecy is the easiest overnight escape from the finish: a direct coach, no rail change and a town that is flat where it matters. Services from Geneva are run by operators including FlixBus and Cars Région Haute-Savoie, and the journey takes about an hour and a quarter in light traffic, longer on a Monday morning with border queues. Check the current timetable and pick-up point at the operators' sites before you travel, because stops differ between Cornavin and the airport.

May in Annecy: the lake is at its fullest as snowmelt arrives, the old town's flower boxes are in, and the water is far too cold for swimming. Mornings are cool and the afternoons can reach the high teens Celsius. Cafés set tables out along the canal from late spring, though a wet day will drive everyone indoors. Remember that this is France: euros, not Swiss francs, and keep your passport or ID card with you for the border.

Night One: Annecy

Annecy is a lake town built around the Thiou, a short, fast channel that carries the lake's overflow through the old town and on to the Fier. The Palais de l'Isle, a former prison and mint on a triangular island in the channel, is the picture on every postcard, and it is a short, flat walk from the coach station. Rue Sainte-Claire runs through the old centre under stone arcades. The paving is cobbled and slightly uneven, so wear your flattest shoes.

The recovery asset here is the lakeside. From the Jardins de l'Europe and the Pâquier, the broad lawn at the head of the lake, a level promenade leads along the water, and the Voie Verte cycle and walking path continues on past it on a mostly flat surface for several kilometres. It is paved, wide, and shared with cyclists, so keep to the walkers' side. Benches are frequent. A slow out-and-back of an hour is about right for legs that ran 42 kilometres the day before yesterday.

The old town is compact enough to cover in an hour, and a boat trip on the lake (check the Compagnie des Bateaux du lac d'Annecy for the May timetable and prices) lets you sit down while you see the shoreline. Skip the climb to the château unless you are in a mood for stairs; the lake level is more than enough.

For a bed, the Hôtel du Palais de l'Isle sits directly on the Thiou, a short walk from the coach station, and Les Trésoms is on the lakeshore on the west side of the bay, with a longer but flat walk to the old town. Confirm current rates and availability on each hotel's own site. For dinner, the lake's omble chevalier (Arctic char) and the local reblochon-based dishes such as tartiflette are what to ask for in the old town. Look for a menu in French first and a menu in English second.

Annecy's old-town market runs on several days a week, but a Monday evening and a Tuesday morning may fall outside it, so check the days before you plan breakfast around it.

Getting to Geneva Airport (GVA)

Direct coaches run from Annecy back to Geneva Airport and to Geneva city, taking roughly 75 to 90 minutes. Book the evening or the morning before so you are not caught by a full coach, and leave a generous margin before your flight: the border crossing, security and a Monday-morning traffic build-up can each cost twenty minutes. If your flight is early, take the coach the previous evening and stay near the airport instead.