Readers' favourite early spring trips to southern Europe

Saint-Jorioz on the shore of Lake Annecy is a springtime lift: a short bus ride from Annecy, it is quieter and offers superior lake and mountain views. Hike towards the lesser-known Col de l’Arpettaz, cycle the excellent greenways and relax by the cool blue alpine water.

Behind you lies the underrated Les Bauges Unesco Geopark; the department only joined France in 1860 and carries an Italian-influenced regional cuisine. Naples comes into its own in early spring. Not the most traditionally beautiful Italian city, it is a fascinating, lived-in place with a long history and a rich culinary tradition.

Walk the Spaccanapoli, visit nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum, and use the city as a base for Mount Vesuvius, Sorrento and the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida; you can reach Naples by train from London via Paris and Turin or Milan in about 15 hours.

saint-jorioz, annecy, col arpettaz, les bauges, unesco geopark, italian cuisine, naples, spaccanapoli, pompeii, vesuvius