Annecy or Arles?

Annecy swims in a lake and Arles in the sea, and only Annecy has the water on its doorstep. Lake Annecy is clear and fresh, and the Albigny and Marquisats beaches in town are grassy lawns with jetties and a strip of shingle, a short walk from the old town. Sevrier, Talloires and Doussard add small village beaches around the shore. The swimming season is short, and on hot weekends the lawns fill early.

Arles has no beach of its own. The Mediterranean is about 40km away across the Camargue, where Saintes-Maries, Piémanson and Beauduc have long, flat sand with room to spread out even in August, and shallow water that is easy for swimming. There is little shade, though, and you have to put up with the mosquitoes and the mistral. Annecy suits a swim fitted around other plans, and Arles a whole day of sand and salt water.

Both kitchens are firmly regional, and both towns are at their best on market mornings, so the difference is on the plate. Annecy cooks for the mountains, with Reblochon in tartiflette, fondue and lake fish such as féra, and its best tables are out in Talloires and Veyrier.

Arles looks south, with gardiane bull stew, Camargue rice, tellines and olive oil from the Alpilles, eaten over long lunches with rosé. Its Saturday market on the Boulevard des Lices is the bigger event, and its lighter food suits July far better than Annecy's melted cheese.

Arles is far ahead here. The Roman arena, antique theatre, cryptoporticus and Alyscamps, together with the cloister of Saint-Trophime, form a UNESCO-listed group within a short walk of each other. The Museum of Ancient Arles, the Van Gogh foundation and the Luma tower add depth.

Annecy's appeal lies in how it looks: canals, arcades and the Palais de l'Isle, with the château museum above. It is lovely, but one unhurried day covers it, where Arles deserves two.

Neither town is the place for a big night out, and both send serious party-goers to a larger city: Geneva or Lyon from Annecy, Montpellier or Marseille from Arles.

Annecy has a slightly larger bar scene through the year, thanks to its students and a couple of small clubs, and the lakefront stays busy on summer nights. Arles goes quiet after dinner on the Place du Forum, except during the Easter and September ferias, when bodegas in the streets keep the town up for days.

This is Annecy's strongest suit. Mountains rise from the lake shore, with hikes up the Tournette and the Parmelan, paragliding from the Col de la Forclaz, water sports on the lake and Alpine passes for road cyclists, and then skiing in the Aravis in winter.

Arles offers something flatter and wilder: the lagoons, flamingos, white horses and reed beds of the Camargue, best seen on horseback or by bike, with the Alpilles for walks among olive groves. It is superb for birdwatchers in spring and autumn, but it offers less variety for active days and is hard going in the summer heat.

Arles has the richer choice of outings. Avignon and Nîmes are short train rides away, and the Pont du Gard, Les Baux, Saint-Rémy, Aigues-Mortes, Marseille and Aix are all within a day's reach, enough for a week of Roman, medieval and Provençal sights.

Annecy does well too, with Geneva under an hour away, Chambéry and Aix-les-Bains by train, and Chamonix under Mont Blanc for a day in the mountains. Annecy's outings lean towards lakes and peaks, while those from Arles lean towards history.

Annecy makes family days simpler. The old town is flat enough for pushchairs, the lakefront parks have room to run, and pedal boats, lake cruises, treetop courses and toboggan runs fill a summer week without much driving.

In Arles the best moments, such as pony rides at Camargue ranches and the flamingo park, are outside town and need a car, while cobbles, heat and mosquitoes add effort. Children who like climbing the arena towers will enjoy it, but younger ones are better off by the lake.

Both towns are compact and both get harder to manage once you leave them, so a car helps in either. Annecy has the edge: besides short walks and local buses, it has a flat cycle path along the shore and summer lake boats to the villages, though mountain trailheads still call for a car and summer traffic builds.

The centre of Arles can be crossed on foot in fifteen minutes, there is a free shuttle, and trains reach Avignon, Nîmes and Marseille easily. The Camargue and the Alpilles villages, though, rely on infrequent buses, so most visitors staying several days hire a car.

Neither town is a shopping destination, and people looking for fashion go to Geneva from Annecy, or to Aix and Marseille from Arles. What you bring home differs: Savoyard cheese, génépi, honey and kitchen knives from Annecy, or olive oil, Camargue salt, Provençal cottons, santons and photography books from Arles, which also has the better bookshops.

Arles is easier on the wallet. Meals and mid-range hotels cost what they do in any provincial French town, though July and the festival weeks push up room rates, and a hire car adds to the total.

Annecy charges resort rates in summer and stays expensive all year because Geneva is so close. What saves it is that its lake beaches, parks and trails are free, and a shoulder-season stay in a self-catering apartment narrows the gap.

Both are modest, and for opera or a major orchestra you have to travel: to Geneva or Lyon from Annecy, and to Avignon, Nîmes or Marseille from Arles.

The real difference is the season. Annecy's Bonlieu stage runs theatre, dance and circus through the year, with a summer music festival and fireworks over the lake in August. Arles comes alive outdoors in summer, with concerts in the Roman theatre and arena, the Les Suds world music week, and the ferias with their brass bands.

Annecy is the more restful choice. It has lakeside hotel spas around Talloires and Veyrier and slow mornings by the water, and the thermal baths at Aix-les-Bains and Saint-Gervais are within easy reach, though the crowds of July and August take the edge off.

Arles has no thermal tradition and only a few hotel spas. Its calm comes from shaded squares, siestas and quiet farmhouse retreats with pools in the Camargue and the Alpilles.