Talloires family holidays and breaks

A haven of peace on the eastern shore of Lake Annecy in France, the little town of Talloires has made a name for itself as a base for summer and winter activities in a charming setting, with lots of medieval architecture and great food too. All of these combined make it a great spot for family holidays and breaks with outdoorsy kids.

16.00

Today

17°C
63°F

Flying Time	1.75 hours
Carbon Footprint	0.72 tonnes CO2
Timezone	GMT +1
Local Currency	Euro

What to do

Watersports are one of the key attractions on Annecy, and both adults and kids can try their hand at sailing, windsurfing, diving, rowing and waterskiing. You can also swim in the lake, including in special kids' section, and there's a toddler's pool on one of its beaches.

Sample the wide range of mountain sports, including mountain-biking, canyoning and climbing.

Explore the medieval buildings of both Talloires and nearby Annecy, or branch out into the numerous attractive ski resorts within easy driving distance, including Megève – see our Haute Savoie page for more details.

Where to stay

For family holidays and breaks in Talloires, we recommend the family-friendly Hôtel Le Lac, with its outdoor pool (see right-hand column). There's also the world-famous Père Bise, with suites and lake-view 'apartments' sleeping up to 4, plus a gourmet restaurant.

For accommodation in nearby Annecy, see our Haute Savoie guide.

When

The official ski/winter sports season in the Haute Savoie region of which Talloires is a part kicks off in mid-December and ends in early May, although the ski lifts may open earlier if there’s enough snow. 

The main summer season in Talloires is relatively short – early June to late Sept. Temperatures in July and Aug are typically in the high 20°Cs and you can expect plenty of sunny days, although older and wetter alpine weather can occasionally roll down from the surrounding hills. However, Aug can be busy with French holidaymakers, so try to schedule family holidays and breaks for July, which sees some of the best weather but is relatively peaceful.

How

There are numerous flights from UK airports to Geneva in Switzerland, from which it's little over an hour's drive to Talloires. See our family holidays car-hire page.

Alternatively, the town is about 8hrs' drive from Calais, almost all by motorway, with plenty of reasonably priced hotels en route to break the journey.

By train you can reach Annecy (a 15-minute drive from Talloires) from London, via Paris, leaving the British capital at 9.22am and arriving at 5.30pm.

Eat

There's are plenty of restaurants in the area catering for those on family holidays and breaks of all budgets. The renowned restaurant at Père Bise (see above) has a kids' menu.

For more on local cuisine, see our French Alps page.

Cost

Its location and popularity mean that Talloires isn't a cheap option for family holidays and breaks. On top of accommodation prices, reckon on paying about £20–30 each for activities.

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