Introduction
Hello, fellow adventurers! Blaziker is back for the finale of my Annecy Film Festival adventure, and for this part, I am highlighting my flight back to Singapore via Singapore Airlines, my reflection on this adventure and important tips I can provide so that you can enjoy your time in Annecy, including certain places I recommend visiting while at Annecy.
With that said, let’s conclude my Annecy adventure!
Singapore Airlines Premium Economy Back to Singapore
30 June 2026 was my final day in Paris, and since my flight was at night, I took the RER train from Gare De Lyon back to Charles De Gaulle Airport, and after a well-needed lounge visit and shower inside the lounge to freshen up, it was time to board my flight back to Singapore.
This time, I used my airline miles to book a premium economy ticket back to Singapore, which allows for a comfortable flight back home, just not as comfortable as the Air France business class ticket I took to Paris. Regardless, considering I had flown on Singapore Airlines a few times, I already knew what to expect from the level of service on my country’s airline: very good.
The seat? It does not convert to a lie-flat bed, but it reclines just enough for me to sleep comfortably. The warm comfortable blanket and pillow provided are also as great as the ones on Air France’s business class, but of course there was no duvet for the flight home, not that it mattered for me because I also slept quite comfortably on the flight, surprisingly enough.
As for the food, I got two meals: grilled salmon fillet for dinner and chicken and zuuchini crepes for breakfast. Both meals are very tasty, and the portions are quite generous, though obviously not as pompous as the meals in business class, not that I mind since I personally enjoyed the food. I also got to watch another animated movie that was from last year’s Annecy Film Festival, The Last Blossom, which I covered as part of a recent 2026 Animated Movies Rundown, during the flight back to Singapore.
Eventually, after 13 hours, I finally returned to Singapore. Home sweet home! While obviously not as premium as business class, premium economy is a great middle ground if you want a comfortable long-haul flight but are either unable to get a cheap business class ticket using airline miles or unable to afford one, but you don’t want to get cramped in economy class for more than 8 hours.
Reflection
Considering this is my very first time in Europe and that it is my first time at the Annecy Film Festival, even with the heatwave, this was one of my most memorable overseas trips ever. Seeing top-tier animated movies during the festival before the rest of the world do is a big highlight, but the bigger highlight was me meeting with more friends who are genuine animation fans, and not the angry keyboard warriors who pretend to care about animation, only for them to dog pile on anything they dislike.
Not only that, but to meet up with some of my most favourite animators from familiar animation studios that I had covered on this blog, as well as new and upcoming animation directors who are providing brand new ideas and showcasing a new way forward for animation (that are definitely not generative A/I, thank you very much). Getting exposed to new animated movies also expands my knowledge and preferences about how I like my animated movies and that yes, even adults can appreciate well-crafted family-friendly animated movies that go far and beyond the usual formula.
I also learnt a lot of lessons from living independently. Sure, this is not the first time I travel abroad alone, but considering this is the furthest away from home I had been, living in the Airbnb and travelling around France, I realised I am more than capable of making my own decisions and doing things on my own, something I thought I was not capable of. In fact, I grew stronger because of this festival and the whole trip in general. In fact, because of this, I might consider doing short weekend getaways in order to cover certain animated movies I may not have access to, which was the case for Spermageddon, Another World, and Scarlet last year, plus Hoppers this year.
With that said, considering how brutal the festival can get, it is always well-advised that you prepare for this Annecy Film Festival journey early, so here are some tips and tricks I can provide you:
Tips and Tricks
Booking Flights and Accommodation
If you had an idea of when you want to head to Annecy, I highly recommend you book your flights and accommodation months in advance, more specifically more than 6 months in advance. In fact, if you know when the festival is going to be held, just book your flights and accommodation as soon as you can to get cheaper rates, but as another tip, it is best to book a flex ticket so that in case there are last-minute changes, or if you managed to find a better deal, you can cancel your initial flight/accommodation to snag a better deal elsewhere.
This was what happened on the initial leg, as because of the Iran War, I swapped out my Emirates flight to Geneva via Dubai and booked a direct Air France ticket to Paris instead. Having that flexibility makes travelling easier.
Also, for hotels, it is best advised that you book them super early, as hotels will sell out very quickly since Annecy is a small town compared to even some of the cities outside of Paris, such as Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux. If you can, you can consider Airbnb but be warned: some of the Airbnb owners might cancel your booking if the rates you book your Airbnb if the prices have not been updated to reflect the festival period, which was what happened to me, or if they are not officially licensed (check whether the accommodation has a license number).
Booking of Accreditation, Festival Screenings and Panels
Normally, you can book your accreditation starting in February, and I recommend you follow the official Annecy Festival website and social media channes for when they will open. If you know you are going, book early to get the early bird special.
However, the tougher part is booking for the festival sessions, as they can get fully booked very quickly. Keep an eye out for when the booking slots will open, so that you are prepared to book your sessions. Use the schedule once it is fully released to plan your bookings in advance and open the tabs for your sessions a few minutes before the slots open. Once it opens, do not hesitate, as some of the popular screenings will get fully booked almost immediately (which was exactly what happened when I was unsuccessful in booking for the Aardman Animations showcase and for my preferred screening for Julian).
Even if you don’t get your desired reservations, do not panic, and go for the alternative sessions that you can make it into, because sometimes, they may be worth your time. In fact, I recommend you use reservations for your most anticipated screenings and panels, and use the non-reservation queue for the movies with less demand (more on that later).
The Festival Itself
Considering the Annecy Festival can be brutal, especially when I covered the festival in the middle of a heatwave ravaging most of Western Europe, here are some essential tips I can provide:
- Collect your accreditation pass immediately on the morning of the first day, as the queues to get your passes will be significantly shorter at that time. The lines can get longer as more people began to arrive later in the morning and afternoon
- Use the map provided by the festival staff when you collect your pass (and Google Maps or any alternative map navigation app you use) to navigate around the festival
- Allocate enough time to travel to certain areas outside of the city centre and within in order to get into your screenings/panels early
- Sunscreen and water are your two best friends. A portable fan, a cap, and refreshing wet wipes to wipe off sweat are your next best friends
- Speaking of water, there are many water refill stations across Annecy, use them if you are running out of water. Bottled water at certain places can be expensive, and the tap water in Annecy is generally very safe
- Prepare walking shoes (whether trainers or sandals) because you will walk between festival venues and other Annecy attractions. A LOT
- For non-reserved screenings, for high-demand or popular screenings/panels, queue up around two to three hours before the start of the screening/panel. For low-demand ones, 90 minutes before should be fine
- Be flexible and patient with your schedule because you might be able to sneak into certain screenings or panels
Food and Drink
I have a separate section for food and drinks, since there is a lot I can talk about:
- Skip the hotel breakfast and instead head to the nearest boulangeries for breakfast. They serve up amazing baked goods and drinks at unbeatable prices. Here are two boulangeries near two major festival sites I can recommend:
- Boulangerie Campagne (Nearest boulangerie to Bonlieu)
6 Rue Président Favre, 74000 Annecy, France
(No seats and tables inside, but you can enjoy your pastries and coffee at the benches just outside of the boulangerie) - Pain et Copains (Nearest boulangerie to Pathe Annecy)
42 Rue Vaugelas, 74000 Annecy, France
(Seats and tables available inside and outside the boulangerie, also closest boulangerie to the train station for last minute takeaways before your train trip back, whether to Paris or somewhere else)
- Speaking of boulangeries, you can also order lunch sets, which comes with either a sandwich, quiche, salad, pasta or croque monsieur, plus a cold drink and a dessert (usually an eclair, a cookie or even a flan), also at very good prices
- As for ordering coffee at boulangeries and coffee shops in general, if you order a “cafe”, it will be a single espresso shot served in a tiny cup. For regular coffee you are familiar with, order “cafe allonge”, which is basically how you would say an “Americano” in French
- Use the supermarkets for some ready-made meals if you are not feeling like heading to the restaurant for lunch or dinner. The Monoprix supermarkets are your best bet
- On weekdays, you can consider having lunch sets (formulae déjeuner) or the dish of the day (plat du jour) at restaurants, normally at cheaper prices than having regular menu items at those restaurants
- If you are having lunch or dinner and your next session is at Bonlieu, there is a Burger King if you want something quick. For Pathe Annecy, there are numerous eateries inside the shopping complex attached to Pathe Annecy for lunch, but most of them close at around 7pm, but for dinner, there is an Italian spot just outside of the mall for pasta or pizza, if you fancy Italian food
- Enjoy the food and drink at Annecy; there are loads of restaurants you can find. Oh, and the ice-cream, ah yes, the ice-cream and gelato there hits the spot
Conclusion
So, there you have it, my entire Annecy Film Festival adventure in a nutshell, and to say this was the most memorable adventure I had ever taken is an understatement. This has been a dream bucket list vacation I had been planning for some time now, and I had a whale of a time in France during my first ever trip outside of Asia, covering certain animated movies that would be otherwise be difficult for me to cover them back in Singapore.
Thank you so much for joining me on this Annecy adventure. Well, after all of it, we have more animated movies to cover, so shall we continue our adventure? Tune in next time where I cover the first animated movies of the 2nd half of 2026! Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
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