What would be reasons for you to want to live in Annecy?
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What would be reasons for you to want to live in Annecy?
When I lived in Switzerland (Lutry/Lausanne*) as a child we lived quite close to the French border so we often took day trips to Annecy, It has a beautiful lake and is close *(1 to 2hrs) to some of the best skiiing in Europe.

We like the fact that it has plenty of park space near the lake for young children to ride their bikes and to rollerblade. It is a rather small town approx 50,000 and we are looking at a place that has more of a community feel to it.

Annecy is also quite close to the Italian border and we wil be making more frequent trips to Bologna and Gargnago where my grandmother and father live respectively.

* In the 70s when we crossed lake Léman from Lausanne to Evian-Les-Bains /France we needed to take our passports haha

Although I understand your reason for like the place so much...I just find this forum to be "out of place", there's general discussions, sports, and then...Annecy.

It may just be me...:\

Hmm sorry the words 50,000 people and small town dont really go together in european terms. That is actually quite large by french small town standards, if you are looking for somewhere to intergrate and feel part of the french community I think I would look for somewhere smaller myself. First stop for rentals is usually the local Mairie or mayors office as they usually have lists or look under gites de france in your area as some french gite owners will long term.winter let.

If you remember the area from childhood perhaps it might be a good idea to do some travelling around the region before you settle for a rental or buy a house you may find it has changed quite a bit since then. Roads are good in France so you may decide that you can be a bit further than you thought from the Italian border and still go over for visits.

Another thought to consider as someone who lived in australia myself I think you might find the winters a trifle cold after Queensland and although all that snow is appealing from a distance the novelty soon wears thin believe me! We had a lot of snow by Bretagne standards this winter and quickly went from "whoopie it snowed in the night" to "Oh NO it snowed agai in the night!" and thats from someone who loves the stuff!

Thanks for the wise suggestions loufoque, I am planning a short trip in January '07 to sort out rental accomodation (and to snap out of my romanticized childhood memories), I will be staying with a family friend who lives in lucinges near Geneva.

ps
It is good to have somebody that has travelled extensively providing feedback on the forum :)

Thats me , born with sand in my shoes!

It sound slike a great place I would LOVE to be that close to Italy as well. I oce did a round trip in Switzerland and really enjoyed it, especially Geneva.
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