Annecy or Milan?

Neither city has a sea, but Annecy has its lake right on the doorstep. From late June you can walk from the old town to the grassy lawns of Albigny or the Marquisats and swim in some of the clearest water in Europe, or pick one of the small village beaches at Talloires or Sevrier.

Swimming in Milan takes more effort. In town it means the Idroscalo basin or public pools, and the proper lake lidos on Como and Maggiore are an hour away by train, which makes them a day out rather than a daily habit.

Milan has the bigger and more varied table. Saffron risotto, ossobuco and cotoletta sit alongside excellent food from every other Italian region and a serious fine-dining tier, and the aperitivo ritual in Brera, Isola and along the Navigli is half the reason to come.

Annecy's cooking is narrower and mostly Savoyard: fondue, tartiflette and raclette, plus lake féra and char with Savoie whites. Its best food moments are the old-town market mornings and the gastronomic tables in lakeside villages, while the canal-side terraces can be hit and miss.

This is one of the widest gaps between the two. Milan holds world-class works in a handful of places: the Last Supper, the Brera's Italian painting, Michelangelo's Rondanini Pietà at the Castello Sforzesco, and the Duomo with its marble spires. Even with its modern business districts, several days of serious sightseeing are easy to fill.

Annecy's appeal is its setting more than its collections. The canals, the Palais de l'Isle and the château museum make a lovely day, but that is roughly the extent of it.

Milan's evenings have much more range. Aperitivo turns into a night out on the Navigli towpaths, Porta Venezia has the city's gay scene, and clubs run from dressy places around Corso Como to warehouse parties on the edges of the city.

Annecy is about a glass of wine by the water and a few late bars kept alive by students. It is pleasant in summer and quiet by midnight the rest of the year, and for a real night out locals head to Geneva or Lyon.

Annecy is the stronger of the two by a long way. You can hike Mont Veyrier or the Semnoz straight from town, paddle or sail on the lake, cycle the flat shore path and watch paragliders launch above Talloires. The Aravis ski resorts are under an hour away.

Milan sits on the flat, hazy Po plain, so its nature starts at the station. Como, Maggiore and the Grigne ridges give fine hiking and water sports, but each needs a train ride first.

Both make good bases, but Milan's high-speed rail puts more within reach. Verona, Turin, Bergamo and Lake Como are each about an hour away, and Mantua, Cremona, Pavia's Certosa and the Borromean Islands add a long list of second choices.

Annecy's outings mix mountains and lakes: Geneva in under an hour, Chamonix under Mont Blanc, Chambéry, Aix-les-Bains and Yvoire. The range is good, though several of these are much easier with a car.

Both work about equally well with children, but in different ways. Annecy is a summer playground of lake beaches, pedal boats, toboggan runs and treetop courses, with no zoo or theme park and little to do once the lake gets cold.

Milan is the better bet in poor weather, with the science and technology museum's submarine and trains, and Leolandia and Gardaland within reach for older children. Its humid summers and adult-focused sights are the downside.

Milan is the easier place to get around without a car. The compact centre is walkable, five clear metro lines and the old orange trams cover the rest, and trains from Centrale or Cadorna go straight to the lakes.

Annecy's centre is just as easy on foot or by bike, and summer lake boats link the shore villages. The trouble starts at the mountains, where trailheads, passes and Chamonix really call for a hire car and summer traffic around the lake can be slow.

Milan is a destination in its own right for shopping. The Quadrilatero della Moda holds the flagships of the great Italian fashion houses, the Galleria and La Rinascente have long histories, and Brera, Porta Ticinese and the Navigli antique markets add independent and vintage finds.

Annecy is about edible souvenirs: Savoyard cheese, sausage and honey from the market, plus kitchenware and outdoor gear around Rue Sainte-Claire. For anything more ambitious, people go to Geneva.

Neither is a cheap trip, and they are roughly equal on cost. Annecy's prices are set by summer resort demand and the wealth of nearby Geneva, but its main pleasures, the lake beaches, trails and cycle path, cost nothing, and self-catering in the shoulder season helps.

In Milan the pressure comes from hotels, especially during trade fairs and fashion weeks. Office-worker lunch menus, aperitivo as a light supper and staying near a metro stop outside the centre are the ways to save.

Milan is in a different league here. La Scala's opera and ballet season opens each December on the feast of Sant'Ambrogio, the Piccolo Teatro remains a leading stage, and a symphony orchestra, jazz rooms and big summer concerts at San Siro fill out the calendar.

Annecy relies on Bonlieu by the lake for theatre, dance and circus, plus a summer classical festival and the Fête du Lac fireworks in August. For opera, the nearest options are Geneva or Lyon.

Annecy is slightly better for unwinding, mostly thanks to its pace: slow lunches in lake villages and calm hotel spas around Talloires. Proper thermal baths are a short trip away at Aix-les-Bains or Saint-Gervais.

Milan has more to offer within the city itself, with a well-known thermal spa complex with outdoor pools and the 1930s Bagni Misteriosi in summer, but the busy working city around them is not restful. Real calm means taking a train to the lakes.