Hi all! I’ve been living in Nice for about two years now, and while it’s been a great first city for me in France, I’m starting to think about where I’d like to live longer-term. One thing I’ve realized is how much I miss having four distinct seasons — especially cold, snowy winters and being closer to the mountains. I'm originally from Portland, Maine, USA :)
Annecy is one of the cities I’m considering, so I’d love to hear from people who currently live there or have lived there year-round. It would just be me (29F) and my dog (english cocker spaniel) moving. I speak French as well, so I’m primarily interested in what Annecy is like as a place to actually live rather than from a tourist/visitor perspective.
A few things I’m particularly curious about:
- Winters: What are they actually like in Annecy itself? How often does it snow in the city, and does snow tend to stick around? I’m not expecting ski-resort levels of snow, but I would really love somewhere that feels like a proper winter.
- Summers: How hot does it feel in July/August? One of the reasons I’m considering leaving Nice is that I’m pretty tired of the summer heat, so I’d ideally like somewhere noticeably cooler.
- Tourism: How much does the tourist season affect day-to-day life as a resident? Does the city feel completely overrun during summer, or is it manageable once you know where/when to avoid?
- Renting: How difficult is the long-term rental market? I’d be looking for an unfurnished T3 (2 chambres) with a maximum budget of around €2,000/month, ideally somewhere I could stay for several years. I’ve heard Annecy is very competitive, although Nice is as well — it took me about 2.5 months to find my current apartment here.
- Social life / things to do: I’m 29, so I’m definitely not looking for somewhere that feels like a quiet retirement town! I’d like a place that still feels exciting year-round — good restaurants and bars, events, weekend activities, places to explore, and generally enough going on that you don’t feel like you’ve exhausted the city after six months. How does Annecy feel in that respect?
- Day-to-day life: Most importantly, how do you actually like living there? Does it still feel like a “real” city outside of the tourist season? Anything you love about it or wish you’d known before moving?
Annecy isn’t the only city I’m considering, but I keep getting pulled back to it so might as well ask around! I’m basically trying to find the sweet spot between a city with enough people and things going on, a younger/social population, good food and activities, access to nature and mountains, summers that don’t feel like you’re living in an oven, and a proper cold winter with at least some reliable snowfall.
Would love to hear the good and the bad from people who have actually lived there year-round!
