Guide
Savoie French Alps Itinerary: 5, 7 and 10 Days
A realistic first French Alps route for Annecy, Chamonix, Vanoise, Beaufortain, Aravis, Chambéry and Lac du Bourget.
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Quick facts
- Best time
- Summer route depends on lift and trail operations; redesign winter around suitable activities and open roads
- Recommended duration
- 5, 7 or 10 days / 4, 6 or 9 nights
- Budget range
- Low: 90-150 EUR/person/day · Mid: 170-340 EUR/person/day · Comfort: 420+ EUR/person/day
- With kids
- Yes
Orientation
Five days: two bases and a clear choice
These plans count arrival and departure. Five days mean four nights, seven mean six and ten mean nine; a base needs two nights to provide one uninterrupted outing day.
Budget bands are editorial base-cost estimates per person per day for two adults sharing a room, including meals and shared vehicle or local transport costs. Flights, mountain railways, boats, guided activities and hut nights require separate pricing.
For one week I would give Annecy and Chamonix three nights each. A third region joins at ten days, preserving a genuine second weather opportunity in Chamonix.
Alex Travels · TravelHighlights.io
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Map
Guide map
- Savoie French Alps Itinerary: 5, 7 and 10 Days
Mini itinerary
- 15 days / 4 nights: Annecy 2, Chamonix 2 or Aix-les-Bains 2 instead.
- 27 days / 6 nights: Annecy 3, Chamonix 3.
- 310 days / 9 nights: Annecy 3, Chamonix 3, Pralognan 3; replace the final base with Beaufort/Arêches or Aix-les-Bains if preferred.
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Planning notes
Avoid These Common Mistakes
Plan the shorter version honestly
An early return flight determines the final night. Replace an existing overnight rather than hiding an extra drive in the flight day.
Check the specific outing
Annecy and one other base are enough for a week. For young children, replace Aiguille du Midi with an appropriate valley day.
Travel planning answers
Planning questions
How much time does this plan allow?+
These plans count arrival and departure. Five days mean four nights, seven mean six and ten mean nine; a base needs two nights to provide one uninterrupted outing day.
What should be omitted with less time?+
An early return flight determines the final night. Replace an existing overnight rather than hiding an extra drive in the flight day.
What matters with children?+
Annecy and one other base are enough for a week. For young children, replace Aiguille du Midi with an appropriate valley day.
Worth it / Skip if
Worth it
These plans count arrival and departure. Five days mean four nights, seven mean six and ten mean nine; a base needs two nights to provide one uninterrupted outing day.
Skip if
An early return flight determines the final night. Replace an existing overnight rather than hiding an extra drive in the flight day.
With kids
Annecy and one other base are enough for a week. For young children, replace Aiguille du Midi with an appropriate valley day.
Budget range
Low
90-150 EUR/person/day
Mid
170-340 EUR/person/day
Comfort
420+ EUR/person/day
Guide details
Five days: two bases and a clear choice
Day 1 is arrival in Annecy; day 2 covers the old town and nearby lake paths. Move to Chamonix on day 3; day 4 is the sole full mountain or valley day, followed by departure on day 5. If high mountains are not the goal, replace Chamonix entirely with Aix-les-Bains. Neither version also includes Vanoise.
Seven days: two full days in each place
Spend nights 1–3 in Annecy and 4–6 in Chamonix. Day 4 is the transfer, days 5 and 6 belong to Chamonix and day 7 to departure. Annecy gains a town day and a separate lake day; in Chamonix, a mountain outing can switch between full days where reservations and operations permit.
Ten days: choose one third region
Keep three nights each in Annecy and Chamonix, then move to Pralognan on day 7 for nights 7–9. Days 8 and 9 are available there; day 10 is departure. Beaufort/Arêches or Aix-les-Bains replace those three nights rather than joining them. With fourteen days and thirteen nights, add a fourth three-night base and one further night at an existing stop. Check the sequence against your departure point and seasonal roads; a Cormet de Roselend transfer is not a standard winter connection.
Sources and onward planning
Mont-Blanc Natural Resort · Arêches-Beaufort Tourism · Pralognan Tourist Office. Savoie and Haute-Savoie itinerary.
Sources & Last updated
Last updated: 2026-09-07
Sources
- Mont-Blanc Natural Resort: Specific visitor context used in the linked planning guidance; route allocation is editorial.(checked: 2026-09-07)
- Arêches-Beaufort Tourism: Specific visitor context used in the linked planning guidance; route allocation is editorial.(checked: 2026-09-07)
- Pralognan Tourist Office: Specific visitor context used in the linked planning guidance; route allocation is editorial.(checked: 2026-09-07)
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