HWO Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 As part of our main couple of trips through the warmer part of the year, I like to stop for a week or so and do some or all of the following without using the engine bit of the van. Hill walking, canoeing swimming or cycling. What I need is a site with a lake or river very close, easy access to some biggish hills for walking and some good cycling opportunities either off-road or cycle track, but without cars. The places that I ended up doing the above this year were Keswick in the lakes, and Annecy in France. After the trips I thought I would compare these couple of weeks in each place. The sites; Both were on the side of a lake.in fact both pitches had a view of the lake so fairly even. The pitch in Keswick was a lot bigger than the French pitch, neighbours not on top of you etc. Keswick won that one. Both trips were not in high season. Keswick was considerably cheaper than Annecy, both wanted a deposit to book, and the Annecy site charged a booking fee. I did have to join the Camping Club to get a cheaper rate, and the site in France had some sort of French touring club there for the week, and I suppose they did not pay as much as I did. The French sites website had an English section; The Camping Clubs website is probably only English. Wi-Fi cost £10 for the week at Keswick, it was free at Annecy, but didn’t work the whole time we were there. The facilities at the Keswick site aren’t up to much but usable, at Annecy the facilities were fairly new and very good. So put that down as a draw The lake at Keswick is a lot better for kayaking, smaller, more interesting to go out for a day trip, you can land almost anywhere to have a rest and picnic, unlike Annecy with almost total ribbon development with no access to the shore. Keswick wins that one. Swimming; I would be brave to swim in the lake as Keswick but have seen it done. Annecy, a few swimming when we were there I didn’t have time to try. Annecy wins that. Cycling; Fairly even, both good for no-car paths and off-roading Hill walking; Keswick a clear winner. Hills almost straight from the site, and with the wonderful bus service provided by Stagecoach, easy access to the remote valleys. No real hill walking from a site on Lake Annecy and no public transport to get you into the hills Random thoughts about the two places. I guess of the two Annecy is a better looking place, both have interesting markets (overpriced local food and tourist tat), both have shops if you need them, and plenty of eating houses. Food unusually was a similar price. As at Annecy the nearest supermarket was a LIDL and the supermarket in Keswick charges silly up market prices. Best to stock up before you go to either. The liquid that I purchase on holiday (diesel, beer and wine) is all cheaper in France. We have a third member of the party, is a dog. Annecy is awful for dogs. No access to the lake side what so ever with a dog (the little bit of the lake side that you can get at). A petty& spiteful rule that you usually associate with UK. As I spend at least a couple of hours most days walking the dog, I like somewhere nice to walk. Thank god for the National Trust and the Lake Land planning people, No ribbon development, and access to almost all the foreshore for everybody. Wonderful walking for me and great swimming for the spaniel. Also the town of Keswick is dog-friendly, most shops and pubs allow dogs in.We did have one bus driver in Annecy mention a muzzle , I think he had one on him that morning ,general dogs are OK on all the buses. Is one more motorhome friendly than the other. I understand that Annecy is a lot bigger than Keswick, but it is an absolute nightmare to drive/park in, the aire was always full when I looked in as I cycled past. Keswick has a car park reasonably central for motorhomes of most sizes, and it is used as an unofficial overnighter. There is free parking ¼ hour walk from town, and there is always motorhome’s overnighting there. So I would put that down as a draw. Anyhow enough said, over a glass or two of the red stuff, we talked about this year’s trips and next year’s trips. I asked the co-pilot, did she want to go back to Annecy. No she wasn’t bothered. Did she want to go back to Keswick, yes she did. Me, I much prefer the free and easy atmosphere/attitude of Keswick to Annecy for my silly old man trying to relive his youth week. So the Lakes are pencilled in for next September, and new Grand-Sproggy allowing the tunnel will be booked for mid-May,but giving Annecy a wide berth Any suggestions were I can pitch up for a week in France to do my own thing is much welcomed. HWO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Do both....But I bet Annecy has the edge weather wise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWO Posted October 4, 2013 Author Share Posted October 4, 2013 JudgeMental - 2013-10-04 12:27 PM Do both....But I bet Annecy has the edge weather wise Yes probably Judge. The weather was quite awful this year in Keswick, It only rained once,but that was for two and a half days. Our Annecy week was the only week I did not get the Cadac out in the five weeks we were over in France So not wall -to wall sunshine there either. HWO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 My vote goes to Annecy, spent a very enjoyable couple of days there 3 weeks ago on the way to Provence. We stayed on an Aire which was like a CL on a small farm at the bottom of the Lac €8 a night, a 100yds from the brilliant cycle path only 18km to Annecy, and about 300 yards from the Lac. Keswick would be OK if you could guarantee min temperatures of 25 deg., we love hill walking but not in exchange for good weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 have been 3 times for a week each time (summer) beautiful weather! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Then there is the cost of getting to both of them, I think Keswick would win hands down with a good chunk over. Dave South of lake Annecy at Faverges, there is an Aire just before you get to the Carrefour Supermarket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 obviously we will vote for Annecy, as am sure you all suspected, but to be honest the Italian Lakes beat both hands down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 robertandjean - 2013-10-04 1:58 PM obviously we will vote for Annecy, as am sure you all suspected, but to be honest the Italian Lakes beat both hands down. La Dolce Vita! next year will be our tenth in a row..... You know something, I have not given up hope on you two yet......Brugge..... Italian lakes......whatever next! Benidorm? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 nowtelse2do - 2013-10-04 1:45 PM Then there is the cost of getting to both of them, I think Keswick would win hands down with a good chunk over. Not that much in it only paid £58 for return ferry crossing & diesel £1.50 per gallon cheaper, cheap wine & beer food better value, and as I live on the south coast it's a no Brainier Annecy every time. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Love them both, Keswick is two hours away Annecy three/fpour days away so we get to Keswick more often but last year managed a week in June and 10 days in September in Annecy at Cour du Lac campsite. This year two separate weeks in Keswick I agree with all the OP said except the cycling in Annecy is better than Keswick. Keswick is too lumpy unless you are in to Mountain Biking. There was snow at both, Annecy on the mountains Keswick on the roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 lennyhb - 2013-10-04 5:01 PM nowtelse2do - 2013-10-04 1:45 PM Then there is the cost of getting to both of them, I think Keswick would win hands down with a good chunk over. Not that much in it only paid £58 for return ferry crossing & diesel £1.50 per gallon cheaper, cheap wine & beer food better value, and as I live on the south coast it's a no Brainier Annecy every time. (lol) You're paying too much for diesel Lenny, £1.41p up here at the moment even less at ASDA unless you meant e1.50 a gallon, and don't forget the tolls. Haven't a clue where HWO lives. Don't drink but the fags are cheaper there but I don't like snails or frogs legs (lol) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 nowtelse2do - 2013-10-04 9:10 PM lennyhb - 2013-10-04 5:01 PM nowtelse2do - 2013-10-04 1:45 PM Then there is the cost of getting to both of them, I think Keswick would win hands down with a good chunk over. Not that much in it only paid £58 for return ferry crossing & diesel £1.50 per gallon cheaper, cheap wine & beer food better value, and as I live on the south coast it's a no Brainier Annecy every time. (lol) You're paying too much for diesel Lenny, £1.41p up here at the moment even less at ASDA unless you meant e1.50 a gallon, and don't forget the tolls. Haven't a clue where HWO lives. Don't drink but the fags are cheaper there but I don't like snails or frogs legs (lol) Dave Read it again Dave - £1.50 a gallon CHEAPER than UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Hi Another vote for Annecy, spent 3 weeks there in June this year, just one stop on the way down, as weather up north was poor. A beautiful stay...... Cycling and swimming are superb...and the town of Annecy is always a photographers dream.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 lennyhb - 2013-10-04 10:48 PM Read it again Dave - £1.50 a gallon CHEAPER than UK. Doh!! I've made an appointment at specsavers Lenny :-D I've been over twice this year and the prices of fuel in France has gone up quite a lot and in some cases were very close to our prices, what did surprise me was that prices in Switzerland were very reasonable but not as good as Luxemburg. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 During September cheapest was Luxembourg €1.28/lt, France €132.5/Lt, most we paid was 1.399/Lt in France, dearest we saw was €1.499/Lt Never used a toll road in the 5 years we have had the Motorhome, not counting the mistake I made a couple of weeks ago it cost me 70 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 None of my dictionaries (including Oxford, Cambridge, American Heritage, etc.) have "Aire" except as a river in northern England. What are all of you calling "Aire"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Lance - 2013-10-06 7:38 AM None of my dictionaries (including Oxford, Cambridge, American Heritage, etc.) have "Aire" except as a river in northern England. What are all of you calling "Aire"? Get across to France, that will soon become clear. As for the OP, living as we do in southern Snowdonia, I've never understood the fascination with the Lake District, come to Cymru it has everything the Lake District has, but without the crowds. Having said that we never do the UK and are in France right now, and just three days ago we were swimming in a lac in water temperatures that would be impossible in the UK, absolutely miles and miles of deserted cycle tracks through the forests, a lovely site at the edge of the lake,with no traffic noise, although at the end of their season we were one of only four outfits stopping there, and couple that with a far more relaxed attitude to Motorhome users it's France for us every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 This forum is in English. Why do you tell me to go to France to find the meaning of the word "Aire"? Can't you just stop being snide and simply tell me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 I think you may have taken a trolls bait Mike. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 lennyhb - 2013-10-06 9:06 AM I think you may have taken a trolls bait Mike. (lol) Mmmmmmm, perhaps some folk have yet to hear of that wonderful online search resource, Google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Here you go Lance......(giving you the benefit of the doubt) http://campervanliving.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/aires-de-camping-car-are-we-missing.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 You did ask for alternatives so here are a few, you judge! Lac du Bourget Lake Maggiore or lac Vassiviere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-10-06 8:01 AM I've never understood the fascination with the Lake District, come to Cymru it has everything the Lake District has, but without the crowds. Snowdonia is breathtaking, beautiful, but undeveloped. Even though they complain about development, most people go to where the development is. People complain about Bowness, calling it 'Blackpool on Windermere', yet they still flock there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWO Posted October 7, 2013 Author Share Posted October 7, 2013 Hi again A few of my thoughts on your thoughts If I took the travel costs into consideration, the cost to get to Annecy was frightening. Five times the cost to getting to Keswick. Lenny, Yep I could live with a couple of days in Annecy on the way to somewhere nicer, but that would be about it. As I live in the flat Midlands I need my fix of hills, so I put the hillwalking first, nice weather is always a welcome bonus. Caddies, I am glad you enjoyed your stay there. It was last June that we were there, and it just did not do a great deal for us and I was glad that it was no longer than a week Retread, thanks for those suggestions. Lac Vassiviere looks good when I had a quick look at your link, I will keep it in mind when I start my winter research. Would lac du Bourget be like Lake Annecy, restricted and regimented??? Its a few years since I have been to Italy, I always thought that they were more anti-dog than the French any help on that one? Also do you have the same access problems in Italy as France on the big lakes? Peter, After Keswick we called in at Bowness for a few nights, and I came to the same thoughts as you .This is just like Annecy, a lake spoiled by development rulesand rescrictions. Luckily Windermere has the national trust to save a bit of it and there was stagecoach to get me to civilization up in the hills. 1foot, I envy you living in Snowdonia, and I go there as often as I can, unfortunately the Co-pilot is not happy with the natives, she thinks they are a funny lot!! I keep telling her she should not have these illogical prejudices, but she knows she is right. On your way to Annecy we found a great little site on the edge of the Vencors. Swimming, canoeing, cycling and a bit of walking all without the crowd’s .It was a bit restrictive dog-wise, but you cannot win them all .Unfortunately we had to move on for our booking at Annecy. But it’s on the list for a revisit. I know that mine would be a minority view on here but hay-hoe I am happy with that, perhaps see some of you in Keswick over the new year holiday and show you how good it is . HWO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 lennyhb - 2013-10-05 4:18 PM During September cheapest was Luxembourg €1.28/lt, France €132.5/Lt, most we paid was 1.399/Lt in France, dearest we saw was €1.499/Lt Never used a toll road in the 5 years we have had the Motorhome, not counting the mistake I made a couple of weeks ago it cost me 70 cents. We managed cheapest fuel @ 1.28 euros per litre up to 1.32 last week in France. Having been over 3 times in 6 weeks it seems to be getting cheaper each trip. Le Clerc have a new policy which has brought their prices down. We know the cheap fuel places between Le Havre and Mont Lucon but will be travelling via Caen from next month so are looking for Le Clerc outlets near the motorways.... :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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