I’m going for a few weeks holiday with the caravan in Europe from June and was looking for advice for places to mountain bike. Preferably places with an uplift but not necessary for every place, just some of them. Does anyone have any recommendations?

How far do you want to go and what kind of riding?

I guess what would now be called Enduro riding? I live in Scotland, and while I’m far from a superhero, I ride fairly steep and technical trails and the odd decent trail centre such as Comrie Croft and Laggan. So hopefully I could cope with at least the easier to midway downhill trails. I’ve been to Kaprun before and have ridden Madeira’s trails too.

Happy to go to most places but northern Italy is probably the furthest I want to go.

In that case be flexible around the alps, head where the weather is good 🙂 https://www.trailforks.com/bikeparks/

Thanks! I’m a freak for the weather already, don’t make me worse – I’ll travel miles just to glimpse the sun! I think I need to learn how to use this trail forks app!

Thanks for this link, I’m thinking Innsbruck and Livigno so far thanks to this.

Another option is the Pyrenees. Some great riding dotted around and quite a few resorts with lifts. Did it last year and barely scratched the surface.

We drove down the west coast over a couple of days. A while in the Pyrenees then met up with friends in the Alps on the way back. Quite a bit of driving but actually not too bad on French motorways. Fantastic weather.

I can highly recommend heading a touch further east than Innsbruck and going to Saalbach. Fantastic riding, full on downhill rigs not needed. Can also ride Leogang if you want to.

Saalbach is a good shout but you can have crap weather in Austria. If you want more gaurunteed sunshine then Italy is a safer bet. Garda Lake has some very good riding with the North part of the lake all geared up (sorry) for mountain biking with lots of guided tours/uplifts on offer. For dedicated DH/enduring riding Finale Ligura is supposed to be really good with the trails ending on the beach.

Morzine/Les Gets (ride Samoens too) over to Chamoinx thrn Verbier – each place about an hours drive. Maybe add in Annecy/Semnoz and Megeve (some new tracks there I tink), day in Zermatt and above Montreux (Roche de Naye) bit of riding around Metabief in Jura ?

Mix of natural and bike park options

Soooo many options

Some ideas here, it’s a big place!

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/jun/18/top-10-mountain-bike-rides-alps-france-italy-switzerland

WOW WOW WOW, thank you very much! I’m going through all of this now. Finale Ligure had been a very real option, as had Austria (to practise my German and because I adore Austria). Maybe I should just come back via Austria. Lake Garda had already been contemplated as my mate has been there and rates it and he will hopefully be able to join me at some point. Thanks again.

another vote for the Pyrenees here. There is also a great bike park in Northern Spain with shedloads of trails. Sure there was a feature in one of the mags or it was a columnists top choice.

Livigno is a long way from anywhere! I wouldn’t fancy towing a caravan over there. It is ok once you get there but there is a lot of great riding without eating up your time driving.

Garda would suit as it’s not hugely high so likely snowfree, and loads of campsites too. Instead of Innsbruck I’d say Solden in the Otztal with a fantastic campsite. Davos in Switzerland is ace for riding with near free lift access and a campsite a few kms south, but snow might be lingering up top then.

Solden gets my vote too, amazing riding! Did a very similar thing in a car with a friend, but did the Pyrenees for a week (Bagneres de Luchon, Ainsa then Saint Lary-Soulan), followed by two weeks in Morzine, then through Chamonix to Austria, Czech Republic and back via the Nurburgring and some bits of Northern France.

We’ve done Maurienne Valley to Lake Garda and on to Wagrain in Austria. We didn’t ride in Lake Garda though. Wagrain bike park is good fun but quite small.

You could do a full on German, Austrian, Slovenian road trip and get one of these lift passes… http://www.gravity-card.com/ Then do Lake Garda on the way home 🙂

You might not get the full benefit of heading to Saalbach in a caravan. If you stay in certain accommodation you get a “Joker Card” which gives you free access to all the lifts, leisure facilities and discounts at loads of others things. Last year we paid €600 for an apartment for a week and got 3 x Joker cards. A 7 day pass is €183.50 anyway.

Definitely do Solden over IBK, has some stunning natural trails. Could do it as you head over the Timmelsjoch pass into Italy and drop down towards Garda or Como. Should be open by June.

Solden is uplift, 2 different gondolas, a mix of a couple flow lines and then lots different shared walking trails.

As yu are starting the trip in June check lift opening schedules – main season in many places is July/Aug. Morzine/Les Gets Chamonix and Verbier will all be running most lifts (although not all).

If you want to practice German you could look at (say) Lenzerheide/Klosters/Davos on way out or back. Not sure how that fits with mountain passes. Could also use German autobahn to save French tolls.

If you want to practice your German, yet want good weather, don’t want to pay extortionate prices for a coffee, but still want decent coffee….. Have a look at South Tyrol.

You’re on the southern side of the main Alpen ridge, ie protected to the north by a large ~3000m high chain of mountains. The crap weather tends to come from the north and doesn’t make it over the ridge. Italy was given the German speaking province south of the watershed after the WWI, yet the region remains staunchly German in culture. If you like wines, Applestrudel, hearty food and big mountains, you’ll like South Tyrol.

Have a look at….

Vinschgau, big valley with lots of way-marked Enduro style riding. Not many lifts, but awesome climbs with the option to take a shuttle bus (or public bus). Must do’s: Stilfser Joch/Passo dello Stelvio and the Goldsee Trail (Google it); Propain trail; 3 Länder Enduro; Holy Hansen; Monte Sole…. The whole valley is covered in trails. Perfect if going with a camper van, although lots of accommodation available and you can use the train to get about.
I go there every month or so, only 3 hours from Munich.

Bozen, beautiful old city with lots of AirB’n’B options, great pizzerias, lively bars and nightlife. Three lifts leave town and there is a vast network of trails up in the hills. Riding tends to be a little more nadgery, steeper and not as flowy as elsewhere, but still great natural riding.

Kronplatz, lift assisted riding near to Brixen, again lots of options for accommodation. This place is a ski resort in winter and looks more like your average bike park. Lots of shaped trails as well as natural stuff.
This is one I need to spend more time this year.
(decent article on Enduro-mtb magazine website).

If you are in South Tyrol then Lago di Garda is not far away (although I find the area to be over hyped for riding…. Beautiful setting and scenery, but few flow trails with views of the lake. The decent riding tends to be steep and technical, which I like, but if you’ve anyone with you who is not so confident then they may struggle).

Also not far away is Val di Sol…

Finale Ligura is supposed to be really good with the trails ending on the beach.

A few trails do, but most of them are in the hinterland and you’ll be rolling back down the main road which does then bring you to the beach.

That said, the riding there is great. You can use the various uplift/Guiding companies or you can easily ride up yourself. Climbs tend to be no more than 1000m.
If you have a camper then you can be really flexible and overnight at either the trailhead or nearby. Lots of spots to wild camp and pick up fresh water.

Solden over IBK, has some stunning natural trails. Could do it as you head over the Timmelsjoch pass into Italy and drop down towards Garda or Como

Not with a caravan (although I can’t see the op having said anything about a caravan).

Sölden is also a good bet. Better riding than Innsbruck, too, imo.
It you go into Italy via Timmelsjoch then you are heading past Vinschgau and onto Bozen…. 😉