How should travellers plan Lyon, Annecy, Chamonix and the Alps?
Lyon is a food-and-city anchor; Annecy and Chamonix are scenic commitments, not interchangeable day-trip decorations. The Alps deserve weather margin and more than a quick photo stop if they matter.
Answer
Lyon can hold a route through food, markets, old streets and strong rail links. Annecy gives lake-and-old-town prettiness, often with crowd pressure in peak times. Chamonix changes the scale entirely: mountains, lifts, hikes and weather make it a destination rather than another scenic add-on. If the trip is short, choose Lyon plus Annecy for food and lake time, or Lyon plus Chamonix when the mountains are the point. With more time, all three can work, but stay at least one night in Chamonix and leave room for bad weather instead of making the Alpine part of the trip depend on one fixed day.