Day 3: Dijon to Turin via Annecy and the

EuroTour 2025 – Day 3: From Dijon to Turin, via the Alps and Annecy

We left Dijon behind and headed south, winding our way through the Alps and eventually into the mighty Fréjus Tunnel—€70 for the privilege, and a staggering 12 kilometres long. According to Gill, it’s been around since 1871, which made the engineering feat all the more impressive. On the other side, the landscape levelled out, giving way to flatter country as we neared Turin.

En route, we detoured to Annecy—the so-called Venice of the Alps. At first, we found ourselves wandering a little too far uphill, nearly missing the charm entirely, but eventually stumbled upon the picturesque canals and the heart of the old town. It was well worth the diversion—cool, vibrant, and full of character.

Our stop for the night was Camping Bella Torino on the outskirts of the city, which was perfectly adequate. After a rapid change, we drove across Turin (not the most relaxing of drives in the pouring rain) to the flat of our evening hosts—Sarah and her husband Alessio. We were half an hour late, but they’d kindly waited, and the welcome was warm. We spent a delightful evening in their company, making fresh pasta, sipping vermouth, and nibbling served with a sausage and tomato sauce and Alessio’s homecured pork and beef, chicken salad, eggs with tuna and finishing with homemade biscuits, with their inquisitive cat keeping an eye on proceedings.

Later that night, back at the campsite, we were treated to a thunderous storm—so loud it was dubbed a ‘water bomb’—but despite the dramatic end, it had been a full, rich and memorable day.Read more