Train stations in Annecy

Annecy station stands at Place de la Gare, close to the city centre, with city buses and regional coaches directly outside. The lake is about 12 minutes on foot, so many short visits need no onward transfer. From here you can reach Paris on a direct TGV INOUI, Lyon and Chambéry by TER, and Geneva by Léman Express.

The station to use

Annecy station handles all long-distance and regional trains, so there is no choice to make. It has self-service ticket machines, a sales area, lifts and an assistance service for passengers with reduced mobility. Other facilities include free Wi-Fi, a Relay shop, toilets on the platform side, free bike racks and partner left-luggage points within five minutes' walk.

City buses stop at the Gare Pôle d'Échanges directly in front of the station. Regional coaches leave from the coach station on Place de la Gare for Albertville, La Clusaz, Le Grand-Bornand and Geneva Airport, which gives car-free visitors a way into the mountains.

Trains to Paris, Lyon and beyond

Direct TGV INOUI trains run from Annecy to Paris Gare de Lyon several times a day. They take about 3 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 55 minutes, stopping at Aix-les-Bains and, on most trains, Chambéry. Journeys with a change, often at Lyon Part-Dieu, take between 4 and 5 and a half hours and can offer a departure that suits your day better, though a direct train is easier with luggage.

TER regional services cover the nearer cities. Lyon Part-Dieu has up to one departure an hour, and the fastest take just under 2 hours. Some of these are TER coaches, which leave from the coach station on Place de la Gare and arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu coach station. Chambéry has up to one train every 30 minutes, with the fastest journey taking 48 minutes. TER also serves Valence, Grenoble and Aix-les-Bains.

For Geneva, Léman Express line L2 runs direct from Annecy about once an hour. It reaches Annemasse in about an hour and Genève Cornavin, Geneva's main station, in about 1 hour 30 minutes, then continues to Coppet in Switzerland.

From the station to the lake

The lake is about 12 minutes on foot from the station, which is the simplest way to reach the waterfront. Sibra buses cover the shore villages from the station. On the west shore, line 15A runs to Duingt and line 15B to Saint-Jorioz. Line 20 serves the east shore towards Veyrier-du-Lac, Menthon-Saint-Bernard and Talloires-Montmin.

From Monday to Saturday a line 15 bus leaves about every 25 minutes, shared between the two branches, and line 20 leaves the station about once an hour. Other line 20 buses start and finish at Vignières, where lines 1, 5, 10 and 26 connect with the city centre. Lines 15A and 20 also run in the evening and, less often, on Sundays and public holidays. Within the city, the Rythmo lines 1, 2 and 3 run about every 10 minutes on weekdays between 7am and 7pm outside the summer, and until about 12.30am from Monday to Saturday.

A Sibra single ticket is valid for one hour and costs €2 in the app or by text message, or €2.50 on board. Sibra tickets can also be bought on SNCF Connect.

Rail passes and reservations

With an Interrail or Eurail pass, TGV INOUI trains to Paris need a seat reservation, which costs €10 to €20 in either class as of October 2026. TER trains, including those to Lyon, Chambéry and Valence, need no reservation. Léman Express trains to Geneva are also included in the pass and need no reservation. Sibra city buses and lake lines are not covered by the pass, so budget separately for the shore villages.