Annecy gives every car its first 30 minutes free, at the kerb and in the city car parks, once a day. After that the red zone costs €3 an hour and stops at three hours; stay past that and the meter's next step is €50.
My plan: drive straight into an underground city car park, where the grid is €1.10 for the first hour and €9.30 for 07:00–20:00, and walk to the old town. In July and August I'd leave the car at a free P+R instead.
Parking in Annecy: Thirty free minutes, then Annecy's meter bites
1. Stick on a Crit'Air before you come
Grand Annecy's low-emission zone (ZFE-m) covers the heart of the commune, 24 hours a day, every day, and its page says the Crit'Air sticker is compulsory for every motor vehicle. Only unclassified vehicles are banned today. Foreign cars order the sticker at certificat-air.gouv.fr: €5.11, by post only.
2. Spend the free half-hour once
Since 1 July 2026 the first 30 minutes are free in every paid street zone, once per car per day. A second ticket for the same plate on the same day is charged from the first minute. Enough for a bakery, not the canals.
3. Leave the red zone within three hours
The red zone (zone rouge) is €3 an hour: €6 for two, €9 for three. The city's tariff guide then jumps to €50, which is also the post-parking charge (FPS) there. Green and orange zones are €1.20 for the first hour, then €0.30 a quarter, with a seven-hour limit; I make 6 hours 45 minutes €8.10. Pay at the meter by coin or card, or with PayByPhone.
4. Go underground for anything longer
Eight city car parks share one grid: Bonlieu, Château, Courier, Gare, Hôtel de Ville, Palais de Justice, Poste and Sainte-Claire. From 6 July 2026 it's 30 minutes free, €1.10 for an hour, €3.10 for two, €6.50 for six and €9.30 for the whole 07:00–20:00 day. Nights add €0.40 for the first hour, then €0.10 a quarter, so 24 hours is €13.70 by my sum.
5. Measure the roof box first
The city doesn't print heights. A local listing gives 1.90 m at Sainte-Claire and Hôtel de Ville, and 1.95 m at Courier and under Bonlieu. Anything taller belongs at the Parc des Sports silo, listed at 2.10 m.
The classic mistake is hunting the red zone for a space: three hours there cost what a whole day underground does.
Car parks worth knowing
| Car park | Price | Height | EV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sainte-Claire (city)Edge of the old town; 344 spaces (local listing) | City grid from 6 July 2026, 7 days: first 30 min free, €1.10 for 1 h, €3.10 for 2 h, €6.50 for 6 h, €9.30 for 07:00–20:00. Night 20:00–07:00: €0.40 the first hour, then €0.10 a quarter. Passes €25 (48 h), €33 (72 h), €45 (5 days). Height 1.90 m (local listing). | 1.9 m | Not listed. |
| Hôtel de Ville (city)2 Rue du Lac, by the lake and the old town; 432 spaces (local listing) | City grid from 6 July 2026, 7 days: first 30 min free, €1.10 for 1 h, €3.10 for 2 h, €6.50 for 6 h, €9.30 for 07:00–20:00. Night 20:00–07:00: €0.40 the first hour, then €0.10 a quarter. Passes €25 (48 h), €33 (72 h), €45 (5 days). Height 1.90 m (local listing). | 1.9 m | 6 charging spaces (local listing); price not published. |
| Bonlieu (city)11 Rue Dupanloup, by the Bonlieu arts centre; 693 spaces (local listing) | City grid from 6 July 2026, 7 days: first 30 min free, €1.10 for 1 h, €3.10 for 2 h, €6.50 for 6 h, €9.30 for 07:00–20:00. Night 20:00–07:00: €0.40 the first hour, then €0.10 a quarter. Passes €25 (48 h), €33 (72 h), €45 (5 days). Height 1.95 m underground, 2.40 m on the outdoor level (local listing). | 1.95 m | 12 charging spaces (local listing); price not published. |
| Courier (city)18 Boulevard Decouz; 779 spaces, the largest (local listing) | City grid from 6 July 2026, 7 days: first 30 min free, €1.10 for 1 h, €3.10 for 2 h, €6.50 for 6 h, €9.30 for 07:00–20:00. Night 20:00–07:00: €0.40 the first hour, then €0.10 a quarter. Passes €25 (48 h), €33 (72 h), €45 (5 days). Height 1.95 m (local listing). | 1.95 m | Not listed. |
| Gare (city)Parvis de la Gare, at the station; 214 spaces (local listing) | City grid from 6 July 2026, 7 days: first 30 min free, €1.10 for 1 h, €3.10 for 2 h, €6.50 for 6 h, €9.30 for 07:00–20:00. Night 20:00–07:00: €0.40 the first hour, then €0.10 a quarter. Passes €25 (48 h), €33 (72 h), €45 (5 days). Long stay: €20 for 24–48 h, then €2 per 24 h. Height 1.95 m (local listing). | 1.95 m | Not listed. |
| Chevêne (city, cheaper grid)South of the station; 161 spaces (local listing). Paid Mon–Sat, free Sundays and public holidays | From 6 July 2026: first 30 min free, €0.80 for 1 h, then €0.20 a quarter to 6 h (€4.80), then €0.10 a quarter; 07:00–20:00 comes to €7.60. Height 1.90 m (local listing). | 1.9 m | 2 charging spaces (local listing); price not published. |
The cheapest way to park, by how long you stay
| If you stay | Cheapest | Cost | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours in the centre | Six free P+R sites, e.g. Parc des Sports | Free | Grand Annecy lists six free P+R sites. The bus is not included: €2 a trip by app or SMS, €2.50 on board. Lines and overnight rules are not published, so I treat them as day parking. |
| …and the cheapest central garage | Chevêne (city, cheaper grid) | €1.60 | height 1.90 m · Free on Sundays and public holidays |
| …and the kerb, for comparison | Kerb, red zone | €6 | From 1 July 2026 the first 30 minutes are free once a day per car. Then €3 an hour: €6 for two, €9 for three. The next step is €50, the same as the red-zone post-parking charge. Green and orange zones are €1.20 an hour; their charge is €35. |
| A full day (10 h) | Six free P+R sites, e.g. Parc des Sports | Free | Grand Annecy lists six free P+R sites. The bus is not included: €2 a trip by app or SMS, €2.50 on board. Lines and overnight rules are not published, so I treat them as day parking. |
| …and the cheapest central garage | Chevêne (city, cheaper grid) | €6.40 | height 1.90 m · Free on Sundays and public holidays |
| 24 hours | Chevêne (city, cheaper grid) | €12 | height 1.90 m · Free on Sundays and public holidays |
Partner link Flying in and hiring a car? Compare hire cars from different rental companies at DiscoverCars. We get a commission if you book through this link.
Towed in Annecy: Annecy's pound has a price list but no address
1. Ring the police municipale first
In its 2025 tender for the pound, the city gave the police municipale's number as 04 85 46 78 30. If the car has gone and you think it was stolen, ring 17.
2. Don't trust the yard you find online
The city re-let its pound contract for 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030 and doesn't publish the new operator or the yard. Directory sites still list one on rue de la Césière, with an Isère (04 76) phone number and two sets of hours. I wouldn't drive there before the police confirm it.
3. Budget about €180 for a red-zone tow
The city's tariff guide, in force from 6 July 2026, sets €121.27 to tow a car, €15.20 if the truck is called but the tow isn't completed, and €6.42 for every 24 hours of storage. A tow and one day is €127.69; add the red zone's €50 charge and you're at €177.69.
I'd rather pay €9.30 underground than find out whose yard it is.
If your car has disappeared
- Who took it
- The police municipale orders removals; the city has let the car pound (fourrière automobile municipale) to a contractor for 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030 and does not publish who runs it
- Phone
- Police municipale (the number in the city's 2025 pound tender): +33 4 85 46 78 30
Police emergency, if you think the car was stolen: 17 - Collect it at
- Not published by the city. Directory sites list a yard on rue de la Césière with an 04 76 (Isère) phone number and conflicting hours; ask the police before going.
- Hours
- Not published by the city. Two directory sites give Mon–Fri 08:30–12:30 and 13:30–18:00, or 08:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00.
- What it costs
- City tariff from 6 July 2026: car tow €121.27, preliminary operations €15.20, storage €6.42 per 24 h, expert's fee €61 after three days. Tow plus one day: €127.69; plus the red zone's €50 charge, €177.69.
- Bring
- The city lists nothing for visitors. I would bring my driving licence, the registration document and insurance certificate, ask the police for the release form, and ring the hire company first.
EV charging in Annecy: Annecy's chargers sit under Bonlieu, prices nowhere
1. Head for Bonlieu or the Poste
A local listing counts 12 charging spaces at Bonlieu, 8 at the Poste, 6 at Hôtel de Ville, 4 at Carnot and 2 at Chevêne. The city publishes no kWh price for any of them, so read the screen before you plug in.
2. Expect eborn outside the centre
Haute-Savoie's public network is eborn, run by the SYANE energy syndicate. Its points aren't free, and I found no tariff on a page I could read.
3. Charge at Parc des Sports, then ride
The free Parc des Sports silo on boulevard du Fier has charging, according to a local listing. You leave the car on the plug and take the bus.
A battery car is Crit'Air 0, so the ZFE never touches you; the price does.
Where to charge
- eborn, Haute-Savoie's public network — Public chargers across the department, run by the SYANE energy syndicate. Usable with or without a subscription and not free, per tourist listings; I found no tariff on a page I could read
- Parking Bonlieu — 12 spaces — Parking Bonlieu, central. The most points in the centre, per a local listing; the city publishes no kWh price
- Parking de la Poste — 8 spaces — Parking de la Poste, central. Count from a local listing; price not published
- Parc des Sports silo (free P+R) — Parc des Sports, boulevard du Fier. A local listing says it has charging; number and price not published
Free parking in Annecy: Six free P+R sites around Annecy, and the bus sum
1. Leave the car at a free P+R
Grand Annecy lists six free P+R sites: Alby, Barral, Coubertin, Cap Periaz, Parc des Sports and Le Météore. Parking is free; the bus ticket isn't included. The page names no bus lines, so check the stop.
2. Do the bus sum before you choose
A Sibra bus trip is €2 by app or SMS, €2.50 on board. Two people going in and back pay €8, against €9.30 for a city car park all day. The Tribu ticket takes four people for €6 a trip. Alone, the P+R wins; as a couple you save €1.30.
3. Park free on Sundays, if the meter agrees
Grand Annecy says the kerb is free on Sundays and public holidays. The city's 2026 tariff guide says its rates apply every day, and a fines site says the red zone charges on summer Sundays. If the meter takes money, pay.
4. Don't count on a hotel space
I found no Annecy hotel whose own site says parking is free. Budget the city's visitor pass instead: €25 for 48 hours, €45 for five days.
Every price on this page was checked on 12 October 2026; the kerb and car-park rates are the ones in force since July.
Free or nearly-free spots
P+R Alby: free
Route des Prés Chardons, Alby-sur-Chéran, south of Annecy. Free parking per Grand Annecy; the bus ticket is not included (€2 by app or SMS). Lines not listed on the official page.
P+R Barral: free
Rue de l'Orme, Annecy. Free parking per Grand Annecy; the bus ticket is not included (€2 by app or SMS). Lines not listed on the official page.
P+R Coubertin: free
Rue du Maréchal Leclerc, Annecy. Free parking per Grand Annecy; the bus ticket is not included (€2 by app or SMS). Lines not listed on the official page.
P+R Cap Periaz: free
Rond-Point de la Mouette, Seynod side of Annecy. Free parking per Grand Annecy; the bus ticket is not included (€2 by app or SMS). Lines not listed on the official page.
P+R Parc des Sports: free
Boulevard du Fier; the 340-space silo, height listed at 2.10 m. Free parking per Grand Annecy; the bus ticket is not included (€2 by app or SMS). Lines not listed on the official page.
P+R Le Météore: free
Boulevard du Fier, Meythet. Free parking per Grand Annecy; the bus ticket is not included (€2 by app or SMS). Lines not listed on the official page.
The first 30 minutes
Free at every paid street zone and in the city car parks, once per car per day, since July 2026.
Sundays at Chevêne and Artisans
These two city car parks charge Monday to Saturday only; Sundays and public holidays are free.
⚠ The small print on 'free' parking
- Grand Annecy's ZFE-m runs 24/7 over the heart of the commune and requires a Crit'Air sticker on every motor vehicle. Only unclassified vehicles are banned now; Crit'Air 5 from 1 January 2028, 4 from 2029, 3 from 2030. A foreign car orders the sticker at certificat-air.gouv.fr (€5.11 posted abroad). The fine is not stated on Grand Annecy's pages.
- The east-shore road RD909A at Talloires-Montmin is closed 24/7 from 14 September to 18 December 2026 for rockfall work, and the RD16 through Alex is closed for about 12 weeks from 14 September. Use the west shore or the boat.
- The free half-hour is once per car per day; a second ticket the same day is charged from the first minute.
- Sundays: Grand Annecy's mobility page says the kerb is free on Sundays and holidays, but the city's 2026 tariff guide says the rates apply every calendar day with hours set by order, and a fine-tracking site says the red zone charges on July and August Sundays. The meter wins.
- The lakeside street zone stops at 7 hours 45 minutes; past that it is a €35 charge.
- Heights are not published by the city; a local listing gives 1.90 m at Sainte-Claire, Hôtel de Ville and Chevêne and 1.95 m at Courier, Bonlieu and the Gare.
- The city re-let its pound contract from 1 January 2026; pound addresses and phone numbers on directory sites may belong to the previous operator.
Take these places with you
Every place on this page as a file you can keep — car parks with their prices, the free and park-and-ride spots, the chargers and the pound.