How to Join us in France

For those looking for travel guidance, we have provided two options for your consideration to arrive in Annecy, France by Monday, August 4th 2024

What You’ll Need

1. A valid passport which will have more than 6 months until expiry after your planned departure (France only requires 3 months, however we recommend 6 as other countries in the Shengen region are more stringent). You can renew/apply for a passport at the local post office or online.

2. A plane ticket to one of the two airports listed below.

3. An international phone plan. For short term travel, many US providers offer short term international deals for European travel. Such as ‘by the day’ plans.

4. Notify your bank of international travel. You will be able to use your Visa/Mastercard credit and debit card’s all over Europe, however it is imperative that you notify your bank of international travel so they don’t freeze your accounts. American Express cards are usable abroad as well, however much less available than here. We recommend having a bit of cash on hand while traveling.

5. EU outlet converts. Amazon offers inexpensive options. We recommend against the “Universal Many Country” converters as they are more expensive and typically low build quality. Simple US to EU converters will work just fine and are inexpensive.

6. Physical copy of tickets and itinerary in case wifi and cellular are inaccessible .

7. An ETIAS visa - A quick and easy visa you apply for online for $8 starting May 2025.

Airports

Geneva is a mid-sized city on the Western point of Switzerland and is the closer of the two airports we are recommending. While Geneva is a large city, the airport is quite small.

Geneva is 50 minutes by bus, 1.5 hours by train, and 30 minutes by car to Annecy, France.

English is one of the national languages of Switzerland, thus you will be able to communicate in English with nearly everyone you encounter.

By train: Geneva Airport -> Geneva Cornavin Train Station -> Annecy

By bus: Gare routière de Genève (5 min walk from airport) -> Gare routière de Annecy

This routes are subject to change, so we recommend you do some research and not purchase domestic travel too far in advance.

Option 2: Lyon-Saint-Exupéry (LYS)

Common Questions

• What Visa Do I Need? Starting in May 2025, US citizens will need to apply for an $8 doller ETIAS Visa. This is the only visa you will need. You can learn more here, and please include your email on your RSVP so that we can send you updates.

• Where should I buy bus/train tickets? Download the SNCF Connect App. This will allow you to find, purchase, and track your train or bus tickets. Please remember to download or take a screenshot of your ticket while on airport wifi just in case you lose connection. You can also buy tickets directly at the train station or the FlixBus or BlaBlaCar apps.

• Are aggregators such as Trainline or Google Maps any good? We have found that they can be helpful, however often don’t account certain stations and travel times. We recommend starting with SNCF Connect as it is the official app of the SNCF French national train system. It works just fine in Geneva as well.

• Is BlaBlaCar Bus or FlixBus any good? Yes! They are typically clean, reliable, and inexpensive. They are used all over Europe.

• Are ride shares available? Yes, Uber is well established in European cities.

• What Apps should I use if traveling in surrounding countries? SBB for Switzerland, DB for Germany, ÖBB for Austria, and TrenItalia for Italy.