Where to buy in Lyon, on Lake Annecy and on Lake Geneva: towns, shores and real prices
In the south-east of France, Lyon, Lake Annecy, the French shore of Lake Geneva, Lake Bourget and the Pays de Gex form a cluster of very different prestige markets: a great heritage city, lake shores where almost nothing comes up for sale, and a Swiss border that pulls prices upwards. This guide compares the towns and the shores, gives the prices of recorded sales and sets out what to check before you buy.
By Jean Mascla, founder of Home SelectUpdated · 14 min read
Lyon, the lakes or the Swiss border: which market suits your plans?
Home Select’s Rhône-Alpes area is not the former administrative region but a cluster of prestige markets with little in common. Lyon sells the grand apartment and the family house; Lake Annecy sells the shoreline and its scarcity; the French shore of Lake Geneva and the Pays de Gex live to Geneva’s rhythm; Lake Bourget remains more measured.
A major city, its schools and Paris two hours away by TGV: Lyon, the Presqu’île, the 6th arrondissement or the western suburbs.
Water, mountains across the lake and a town alive all year: Lake Annecy.
A job in Geneva or Lausanne: the French shore of Lake Geneva, from Évian to Thonon, or the Pays de Gex and Divonne-les-Bains.
A quieter lake and gentler prices: Lake Bourget, with Aix-les-Bains and Chambéry.
Everywhere, the finest properties, from a dual-aspect apartment in Ainay to a villa on Lake Annecy’s eastern shore, sell privately first. The Rhône-Alpes hub gathers the town pages; this guide explains where to buy and what to check.
Where to buy in Lyon: the Presqu’île, the 6th, the Croix-Rousse or the western suburbs?
Lyon is a collection of micro-markets. In recorded sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026, the median apartment price stands at €4,400/m² and the top decile starts at €6,000/m², the threshold for grand apartments and large family homes; houses, rare within the city, have a median of €5,300/m².
The addresses that make Lyon’s market
Ainay and the Presqu’île (2nd): grand Haussmann-era and Belle Époque apartments between Bellecour and Perrache, with parquet floors, mouldings and fireplaces. Lyon’s safe haven.
Foch and the Tête d’Or (6th): large bourgeois apartments, balconies, the park on foot. The family address, where supply never keeps up with demand.
The Croix-Rousse (1st and 4th): former silk weavers’ lofts, high ceilings, workshops and terraces; the floor and the light make the difference in value.
Vieux Lyon and Fourvière (5th): one of the largest Renaissance ensembles in Europe, with its courtyards, spiral staircases and traboules, the hidden passageways; a market for connoisseurs.
The western suburbs and the Mont d’Or: Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, Écully, Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, Charbonnières-les-Bains and the Mont d’Or villages, the house with a garden on the city’s doorstep, often sold through personal networks.
Who is it for? Families, Parisians keeping a foothold in the capital, and buyers who split their lives between Lyon and Geneva. See buying an apartment in Lyon and, for a house in the west, buying a villa in Lyon.
Where to buy around Lake Annecy: the town, the eastern shore or the western shore?
Lake Annecy concentrates exceptional demand on a tiny supply. In recorded sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026, the median stands at €5,100/m² for apartments in Annecy and €6,100/m² for houses, whose top decile starts at €10,200/m²: that is where homes with a lake view or lake access show up.
Three circles around the water
The town: the old town and its canals, the Impérial quarter on the lakefront, Annecy-le-Vieux and Albigny for families; the deepest market on the lake.
The eastern shore: Veyrier-du-Lac, Menthon-Saint-Bernard and Talloires, the top of the French lakeside market, where waterfront homes are almost never advertised. Veyrier-du-Lac recorded just 29 sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026.
The western shore and the southern end: Sevrier, Saint-Jorioz, Duingt and Doussard, the cycle path along the water, unspoilt villages; a more open market than the eastern shore.
The French shore of Lake Geneva lives under two influences: the spa-town elegance of Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains, and the pull of Geneva. In recorded sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026, the median apartment price in Évian stands at €4,700/m²; too few houses sell there for a reliable median, so Haute-Savoie as a whole serves as the benchmark, at €4,500/m².
From Yvoire to Saint-Gingolph
Central Évian and the quays: Belle Époque apartments facing the lake, the pier and its boats to Lausanne; the most liquid market on the shore.
Neuvecelle and Maxilly: the residential heights, villas with grounds and sweeping views across the lake to the Lavaux vineyards opposite.
Amphion, Publier and Thonon-les-Bains: homes near the water at gentler prices than in Évian, and a town that is busy all year.
The lakeside villages: Yvoire and Nernier west of Thonon, Meillerie and Saint-Gingolph east of Évian, where waterfront homes can be counted on one hand.
Who is it for? People working in Geneva or Lausanne, who take the Léman Express or the boat, and families who find here a setting the Swiss shore no longer offers at this price. For a house, see buying a house in Évian-les-Bains.
Should you buy on Lake Bourget, in Aix-les-Bains or in Chambéry?
Lake Bourget, the largest natural lake lying wholly within France, offers a different balance between water and price. In recorded sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026, the median apartment price stands at €4,000/m² in Aix-les-Bains and €3,000/m² in Chambéry, and the median house price at €4,600/m² and €4,000/m² respectively.
Two towns and a lake
Aix-les-Bains: the spa town of the Grand Cercle casino and the Grand Port, a large Belle Époque stock awaiting restoration, and villas with views from the Tresserve heights and the slopes of Mont Revard.
Chambéry: the former capital of the Dukes of Savoy, its town mansions around the castle, the gardens of Les Charmettes and Montjay; a university town that lives all year round.
The shores: protected and lightly built, especially to the west below the Dent du Chat; a lake view is bought on the heights, rarely at the water’s edge.
Who is it for? Families from Lyon and Geneva who want the water without Annecy’s prices, and lovers of old stone ready to restore. See buying a villa in Aix-les-Bains.
The Pays de Gex and Divonne-les-Bains: where to live in France on Geneva’s doorstep?
Between the Jura and the border, the Pays de Gex is Geneva’s countryside: Ferney-Voltaire next to the airport, Saint-Genis-Pouilly beside CERN, and Divonne-les-Bains, a spa town turned garden town, with its lake, golf course and racecourse. In recorded sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026, the median apartment price in Divonne reaches €5,800/m², far above the Ain département as a whole, at €2,600/m².
What you buy there
The lake district of Divonne: villas on wooded plots between the lakeshore, the golf course and the racecourse; the address Geneva families compete for.
Vesancy and the heights: village houses and recent homes on the Jura foothills, with views of the lake and the Alps, and longer winters.
Ferney-Voltaire and Prévessin-Moëns: Geneva minutes away, family houses and recent apartments.
Gex, Cessy and Saint-Genis-Pouilly: a broader, more affordable market at the foot of the Jura.
Who is it for? Cross-border commuters and families working for international organisations, who want a garden, international schools and Geneva less than half an hour away. See buying a villa in Divonne-les-Bains.
Rhône-Alpes -Annecy -A jetty on the lake at dawn
What does a property cost between Lyon, Annecy and Lake Geneva?
Prices are best read town by town, then street by street. To put the table in context, the median house price by département stands at €3,600/m² in the Rhône, €4,500/m² in Haute-Savoie, €3,300/m² in Savoie and €2,500/m² in the Ain, in sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026 (DVF / DGFiP via data.gouv.fr, October 2026 release, 12 months to end of June 2026).
In euros per square metre, DVF recorded sales. A dash marks a property type sold too rarely for a reliable median.
Town
Apartments, median
Houses, median
Sales over 12 months
Life and access
Lyon
€4,400/m²
€5,300/m²
7,260
Major city, Paris two hours away by TGV
Annecy
€5,100/m²
€6,100/m²
1,705
Lakeside town lived in all year, Geneva forty-five minutes away
Veyrier-du-Lac
-
-
29
Eastern shore of Lake Annecy, villas and estates
Évian-les-Bains
€4,700/m²
-
241
Spa town, boats to Lausanne
Aix-les-Bains
€4,000/m²
€4,600/m²
744
Spa town, direct TGV to Paris
Chambéry
€3,000/m²
€4,000/m²
931
University town, Lyon one hour away
Divonne-les-Bains
€5,800/m²
€6,800/m²
206
Garden town, Geneva twenty-five minutes away
A median gives a level, not the price of a particular property. On the waterfront or on a grand floor, prices sit in the top decile, which starts at €7,300/m² for apartments in Annecy and €8,800/m² for houses in Lyon. Where sales are rare, as in Veyrier-du-Lac, a single sale can shift the benchmark.
What is daily life like: trains, airports, schools and seasons?
Lyon is two hours from Paris by TGV, and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport has its own TGV station. Annecy is about four hours from Paris by train, Aix-les-Bains and Chambéry about three. In the north of the area, Geneva airport is twenty-five minutes from Divonne-les-Bains, forty-five minutes from Annecy and an hour from Évian.
The Léman Express links Évian and Thonon to Geneva, and CGN boats put Lausanne thirty-five minutes from Évian. Between the lakes, the motorway puts Annecy half an hour from Aix-les-Bains, and Chambéry fifteen minutes from Aix.
Schools and year-round life
In Lyon, the Cité Scolaire Internationale in Gerland and the International School of Lyon in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon cater for international curricula.
Around Geneva, the Lycée International in Ferney-Voltaire and Geneva’s international schools make the Pays de Gex a natural family base.
Annecy, Chambéry, Aix-les-Bains, Évian and Thonon live all year round; the shores of Lake Annecy and Lake Geneva fill up in July and August.
Winter, the quiet season, is the time to judge the sunlight on a slope and the access to a hillside house.
Lyon, Annecy, Chambéry and the Pays de Gex are markets of main residences; the lakeside villages and the shore of Lake Geneva mix main homes and second homes.
Which rules should you check before buying on a lake or in Lyon?
None of these rules stops you buying; all of them weigh on what you will be able to build or extend, and therefore on value.
Loi Littoral: France’s coastal law applies around lakes larger than 1,000 hectares, so on Lake Annecy, Lake Geneva and Lake Bourget; outside built-up areas, the 100-metre strip along the shore cannot be built on. Our guide to buying by the sea details its effects.
Loi Montagne: many communes in Savoie and Haute-Savoie are also subject to France’s mountain law, which requires new building to adjoin existing hamlets.
Public waters: a jetty, buoy or boathouse needs a temporary occupation permit, which the buyer must apply for in turn; the shore of a state-owned lake may also carry a public footpath easement.
Heritage: in Vieux Lyon and near listed monuments, the state heritage architect has a say on façades and roofs.
Natural risks: flood zones, Lyon’s balmes, rockfalls on some hillsides; read the natural-risks report before making an offer.
Drainage: a hillside or hamlet house may rely on a private septic system, whose inspection report, less than three years old, is attached to the sale.
Older co-ownerships: service charges, voted works and energy ratings show up in the minutes of the co-owners’ meetings.
Second homes: much of the area is classed as a high-demand housing zone (zone tendue), where the commune may raise the local tax on second homes; check the rate commune by commune.
When to buy between Lyon and the lakes: what does the calendar look like?
Lyon follows the family calendar: properties come up mostly in spring, ahead of the September school year, and autumn revives the market. On the lakes, many owners sell in spring or after the summer season; a visit in July or August also shows the traffic and the crowds along the shore.
Around Geneva, the market follows employment contracts and the school year. Winter is the right time to judge a slope, a snowy access road or a heating system, and demand is less pressing.
After signing the preliminary contract, the buyer has a ten-day cooling-off period.
The final deed follows a few months later: conditions precedent, financing, clearance of pre-emption rights.
Allow 7 to 8% in notary fees on an older property.
How Home Select searches between Lyon, Annecy and Lake Geneva
Home Select, a buyer’s agent since 2011, works exclusively for the buyer and is paid only on success. Here, most of the work happens before any listing: many of the finest addresses surface through the network, notaires and direct approaches to owners; these are off-market properties.
The brief: shore, neighbourhood, aspect, water access, schools, commute to Geneva, Lausanne or the station.
The daily watch: new listings, properties coming back onto the market and those circulating between professionals.
Off-market: notaires, local agencies, a network of 15,000 agents and partners, direct approaches to owners.
Pre-viewings: each property is vetted on documents and on video; you travel only for the decisive viewings, grouped into a single trip.
Negotiation and completion: a price argued from recorded sales, then support through to the final deed, whether you live in Lyon, Geneva or London.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I buy on Lake Annecy: the eastern or the western shore?
The eastern shore, from Veyrier-du-Lac to Talloires, is the most sought after and the scarcest: villas perched above the water, waterfront homes almost never advertised. The western shore, from Sevrier to Duingt, offers more properties, the lakeside cycle path and gentler prices. The right choice depends on how you will live there: the water, the view, the commute.
What is the price per square metre in Lyon, Annecy and Évian-les-Bains?
In recorded sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026, the median apartment price stands at €4,400/m² in Lyon, €5,100/m² in Annecy and €4,700/m² in Évian-les-Bains (DVF / DGFiP via data.gouv.fr, October 2026 release, 12 months to end of June 2026). The finest properties sit in the top decile, which starts at €6,000/m² in Lyon and €6,300/m² in Évian.
Where should I live in France if I work in Geneva?
Three options stand out: the Pays de Gex and Divonne-les-Bains, less than half an hour from Geneva, for villas and international schools; the French shore of Lake Geneva, from Évian to Thonon, linked to Geneva by the Léman Express; and the Annecy area, forty-five minutes away by motorway, for the town and the lake. Test the commute at rush hour before making an offer.
Can you still buy a waterfront house on Lake Annecy or Lake Geneva?
Yes, but it is the most closed segment of the market: the Loi Littoral limits building on the shores of the large lakes, and lakeside properties pass down within families or sell privately, often before any listing. The jetty permit is personal and does not pass with the sale. A network and direct approaches to owners are what open the door.
What are the best neighbourhoods in Lyon for a family?
The 6th arrondissement, around the Parc de la Tête d’Or, remains Lyon’s family address; Ainay and the Presqu’île offer the grand apartments. For a house with a garden, look at the western suburbs, from Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon to Écully and Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, and the Mont d’Or villages. The Croix-Rousse appeals to those who want a village feel.
Can a foreigner freely buy property on the French side of Lake Geneva?
Yes. France places no restriction on foreign buyers, resident or not, whereas Switzerland restricts second-home purchases by non-residents (the Lex Koller). The purchase follows the French process: preliminary contract, ten-day cooling-off period, final deed signed before a notaire, and notary fees of 7 to 8% on an older property.
Aix-les-Bains or Annecy: which lake should I buy on?
Annecy sells scarcity: a highly sought-after town and a tiny supply at the water’s edge. Aix-les-Bains, on Lake Bourget, offers lake and mountains at more measured levels: in recorded sales over the 12 months to end of June 2026, the median house price stands at €4,600/m², against €6,100/m² in Annecy (DVF / DGFiP via data.gouv.fr, October 2026 release, 12 months to end of June 2026). Its Belle Époque stock, however, calls for a careful look at co-ownerships.
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