Weekend 1 of 2 · via Lyon

Savoie Lakes: Aiguebelette · Bourget · Annecy

Thu evening out, Tue back, remote-work Fri & Mon from Lyon. Bikes on a hitch rack, free wild-camping spots as the default, swimming at three of the cleanest lakes in France.

2
Lake overnights
~1,250 km
Total driving
€235–280
Total budget
~75 km
Cycling on the lakes

What changed from the original plan

🚲 Bikes & Range Impact

How you carry the bikes matters a lot more than people expect on an EV:

Rack typeReal-world range/energy impact
Aero roof bars alone (no bikes)Negligible — 2–3%
Roof-mounted bike rack, 2 bikesUp to ~47% more energy at highway speed — a real range killer
Hitch-mounted bike rack, 1–2 bikesUnder 20% extra consumption — far better, since the bikes sit in the car's wake instead of catching full airflow on the roof
Recommendation: if your Model Y has a tow hitch, use a hitch-mounted rack, not a roof rack. I've built the charging budget below around a +15% consumption hitch-rack estimate. If you only have a roof option, budget for meaningfully more charging cost and stops — realistically add another €25–35 and one extra Supercharger stop on the Meudon↔Lyon legs.
Source: InsideEVs — Tesla Model Y roof rack efficiency test, Tesla Motors Club — roof vs hitch rack drag.

Day-by-Day

Thu evening

Meudon-la-Forêt → Lyon

~470 km · low-toll route (A6 to Beaune, ~€22 toll, then free N6) · Beaune Supercharger stop

Load the bikes onto the hitch rack before you leave. Arrive Lyon ~12:30–1am, free night at your friend's.

Fri (remote)

Lyon — no driving

Full remote workday from your friend's place. No drive today — this is the night you save versus the original plan. Free night again.

Sat

Lyon → Lac d'Aiguebelette

104 km, ~1h10–1h20 with the rack · no charging needed

Morning drive out. Aiguebelette is the warmest natural lake in France and motorboat-free. Ride the lakeside Voie Verte du Lac d'Aiguebelette (paved, family-friendly, links Le Sougey–Saint-Alban-de-Montbel–La Combe), then swim.

Free overnight: a free parking area on the D921D near the beach (picnic tables, lake access) hosts car/van camping — arrive before 10am or in the evening for a spot. Sleep in the car or a low-profile tent nearby. Paid fallback: Camping des Chavannes or GCU, ~€21–22/night, if you want a shower.

  • Grocery stop in Chambéry on the way in — better selection than the lakeside village shops.
Sun

Aiguebelette → Aix-les-Bains (pass-through) → Annecy

~30 km + ~35 km · no charging needed

Morning swim at Aiguebelette, then a short stop at Lac du Bourget — France's largest natural lake. Boat or drive to Abbaye Hautecombe, quick swim at the Aix-les-Bains beaches, no overnight here today. Continue to Annecy by early afternoon: old town, then ride part of the Tour du Lac d'Annecy greenway (full loop is ~40 km / 300m elevation, mostly flat and paved — do a shorter out-and-back if you'd rather save legs for swimming). Savoyard dinner splurge tonight (fondue/tartiflette, ~€23.50–26pp).

Free overnight: the aire in Talloires is the only free overnight parking spot on the whole lake — sleep in the car there. Paid fallback: Camping La Nublière or Les Fontaines in Doussard/Talloires, ~€28–35/night — worth it after two days without a shower.

Mon (remote)

Annecy → back to Lyon

137 km, ~1h20 with the rack · no charging needed

Work remotely from Annecy in the morning (excellent connectivity, plenty of lakeside cafés), one more swim at lunch, then drive back to Lyon after logging off. Free night at your friend's.

Tue

Lyon → Meudon-la-Forêt

~470 km · free N6 to Beaune, Supercharger stop, then A6 (toll ~€22)

Home in time for Wednesday.

💰 Budget Breakdown

CategoryHow it's calculatedCost
TollsMeudon↔Lyon round trip, low-toll A6/N6 mix, ~€22/leg≈ €44
Charging~1,250 km × 0.17 kWh/km × 1.15 (hitch-rack penalty) ≈ 244 kWh × ~€0.40/kWh≈ €98
Lodging1 free night (Aiguebelette) + 1 paid Annecy-area campsite for a shower (~€30)≈ €30
Groceries + 1 Savoyard dinner4 self-cooked days (~€10–12/day) + fondue/tartiflette (~€25)≈ €69
MiscHautecombe boat, parking, tourist tax≈ €25
Total (mixed free/paid lodging)€266
Fully free camping: if you skip both paid campsites entirely and sleep in the car both nights, subtract ~€30 → total drops to ~€236. You lose showers both nights, which is a real trade-off after biking and swimming.