Camping Le Lanfonnet on the shores of Lac d' Annecy
A definite highlight for the kids when driving back through France is always a stay on Lake Annecy. We’ve explored several campsites around the lake over the years, but this time we left our bookings quite late and had fewer options available. After some searching, we found Camping Le Lanfonette on Pitch Up. Despite reading a few questionable reviews, we decided to book it because it offered direct lake access and was located near a village.
The campsite itself could definitely benefit from some updating and modern touches, but it does retain a certain rustic charm that many visitors might appreciate. We were located opposite a small park for the kids. This park is situated just behind the main toilet and shower facilities, as well as the campsite reception and small shop. Our pitch was spacious enough to accommodate us, although it did lack a bit of privacy—something that is quite typical of most campsites we have visited in this particular area. We did notice that the pitches closer to the lake offered more privacy and were less busy, but they did not have electric hookups. Upon arrival, we were quickly assigned a pitch and realized we needed an adapter for the electric hookup. Thankfully, the reception staff were very helpful and had no trouble assisting us with this. On reviews we have read that there is a limited number of sit-down toilets available; we never experienced any issues accessing them during our stay. The showers were quite small but sufficiently clean, and there was plenty of hot water available each morning. The evenings posed a bit of a challenge because as more people took their showers and washed their dishes, the water temperature became less consistent, often fluctuating and running cold unexpectedly. The shop was very useful, offering essential items, and the cycle route along with the bus stop was conveniently situated right at the top of the campsite. Overall, we found the location of the campsite to be excellent, and we would definitely consider staying here again.
Once we were all settled in, we headed for the lake. This time, we were on the east side of the lake, rather than the north-west side where we had stayed during our previous visit. Access to the lake was via a jetty, and the water there was quite deep instead of having a shallow beach area. This wasn’t an issue at all since the kids had their life jackets. There was also access for the paddle boards. However, it wasn’t ideal for the children to freely explore and play around. Adjacent to the lake access point was a small bar and kiosk that offered a selection of food and beverages - they made a fantastic aperol Spritz! For the following day, we decided to explore the public beach, Plage d’Angon, as it would give the kids much more space to run around and play freely.
Plage d'Agnon was maybe a leisurely 10-minute walk with the kids and paddleboards in tow. We ventured up to the road and cycle path, turned right and continued along. The beach was signposted to the right. The beach itself stretched out long and pebbly, featuring a sectioned-off swim area and access point for paddleboards. We found a spot to set up next to the shore, where the kids enjoyed hours of uninterrupted play. Conveniently located near the beach are public toilets, showers, and a small café offering a variety of sandwiches, wraps, fresh salads, kids’ meals such as sausage and frites, along with a large selection of drinks and ice lollies. We grabbed some lunch from the café and relaxed in the sunshine before heading back out on the paddleboards.
In the afternoon, we took the cycle path veering to the left and headed towards the town of Talloires to pick up some essentials from the local supermarket. The town was full of character. We parked our bikes carefully and strolled down to the waterfront. It was truly idyllic, with scenic views all around. Nearby, we discovered a kiosk that was serving ice creams and drinks. We settled in front of the water, then decided to jump in for a quick paddle to cool off before making our way back to the shop and our bikes.
The next day we wanted to visit Annecy specifically for the Tuesday morning market. We jumped on the number 20 bus heading into town. Luckily, the 8.55am bus wasn’t too crowded, so we managed to find seats without any trouble. This was a far better option as last year we had a very long cycle ride back to the campsite in midday sun. Once there, we took our time exploring the charming old town and wandering through the market. We picked up some local honey, oil and plenty of saucisson – Esme's favourite. We made a stop to one of our favourite ice cream shops, Maison Perrière, where Esme chose unicorn flavour and Sam chose bubblegum. Afterwards, we strolled around visiting a few well-known shops before finding a restaurant that served pizzas and pastas, just as the kids had requested.
The bus on the way back to the campsite was a completely different story! We managed to secure seats at the very back, and the bus driver continued to squeeze passengers in like sardines, and the heat inside quickly became unbearable. It was such a huge relief to finally be back at the campsite, where we practically ran straight to the lake with the paddleboards to cool off!
