When it rains in Annecy, the simplest option is an indoor venue: museums, animated film, swimming pools, an ice rink or the covered market halls. This guide sorts them by how long the rain lasts and by who is visiting, each with its official source, to check on the day of your visit.
In short. For a rainy day in Annecy: the Musée-Château and the Palais de l’Île (closed on Tuesdays), the animation film museum, a swimming pool or the ice rink, or the Halles du Haras market hall. Opening times, closing days and prices change: each venue links to its official source, checked on 2 October 2026. The radar and the forecast help you spot a dry spell.
A dry spell is sometimes enough to cross the old town or get back to a car park. The radar shows rain that has just fallen; the forecast for the next two hours tells you what is expected. Both are on the radar page, kept separate. The lake webcam shows the sky right now.
Annecy rain radarThe Musée-Château and the Palais de l’Île, in the old town, are run by the Annecy museums (musées d’Annecy). Winter opening hours (1 October to 31 May): 10 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 5.30 pm, closed on Tuesdays and some public holidays, last entry 45 minutes before closing. Under-12s go free. The Palais de l’Île, a former prison in the middle of the Thiou, is a small medieval monument; the Musée-Château has a lot of steps.
Annecy museums: opening times and pricesAt the Musée-Château, a bag of games is offered free of charge to children aged 3 and over. The animation film museum (musée du cinéma d’animation), at the Cité du cinéma d’animation, says it has areas suited to children aged 6 and over, and opens Tuesday to Sunday. La Turbine sciences runs an exhibition that must be booked. The Paccard bell museum (musée Paccard de la Cloche), in Sévrier, takes about an hour and a half to visit and requires booking on Thursdays. Le Mikado cinema has screenings for young audiences, and the Atelier des Énigmes escape game is open to children from 10 with an adult.
Animation film museumThe Île Bleue aquatic centre (Seynod) and the Jean Régis swimming pool, in Annecy, have heated pools; a swimming cap is compulsory. The Jean-Régis ice rink runs public sessions that vary by period, with an ice garden (jardin de glace) for children up to 8. Indoor climbing is possible at CortiGrimpe, in Metz-Tessy, with an area for 4 to 7-year-olds under their parents’ supervision. Times vary with the period and the school holidays: check each page.
Île Bleue swimming poolThe Halles du Haras, open since June 2026, bring together a covered market and restaurants; they are closed on Mondays. The old town has arcaded streets where you can walk sheltered from light rain. The tourist office publishes a page of rainy-day ideas.
What to do at Lake Annecy when it rains (tourist office)The tourist office says cruises can run even in poor weather, but the decision to sail is the captain’s: if a cruise is cancelled, the company’s terms apply. On 2 October 2026, the company reported that its sightseeing cruises were leaving from the Sévrier landing stage because of the low lake level: check the boarding point on the day.
Compagnie des bateaux du lac d’Annecy (lake cruises)The covered car parks in the town centre (Bonlieu, Hôtel de Ville, Courier, Sainte-Claire) save you walking in the rain; only Gare and Chevêne are open 24 hours a day. Sibra buses serve the centre, but diversions can change timetables: check the network’s website.
Parking in AnnecyVisit an indoor venue: the Musée-Château and the Palais de l’Île (closed on Tuesdays), the animation film museum, a swimming pool or the ice rink, or the Halles du Haras. Check each venue’s opening times on its official page before you go.
The Musée-Château games bag (free, from age 3), the animation film museum (areas suited to children from 6), a swimming pool or the ice rink, or a young-audience screening at the cinema. Each venue gives its minimum age on its official page.
No. According to the Annecy museums, it is closed on Tuesdays and some public holidays; winter opening hours, from 1 October to 31 May, are 10 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 5.30 pm. Check the opening-times page, as it may change.
The tourist office says it is possible in poor weather, but the captain decides whether to sail, and cancellations follow the company’s terms. Also check the boarding point, which can change with the lake level.
In a covered car park in the centre (Bonlieu, Hôtel de Ville, Courier, Sainte-Claire, Château). Only Gare and Chevêne are open 24 hours a day. Prices are on the town council’s page.
Not always. Under-12s go free at the Annecy museums, and some Sundays are free, but don’t assume entry is free: check each venue’s prices on its official website.
Text of this page last revised on . This date says nothing about how recent the images or data are: the webcams are supplied by the credited operators and their timestamp shows when the image was taken; model forecasts and official reports are separate pieces of information, each with its own time.