We are heading off to the Alps for the last 2 weeks of August and need some advice for a good family location – I want to ride quality singletrack / DH / all mountain type terrain (160mm travel bike) but need something accessible for the wife and kids (5yr old boy has skills but 10yr old girl and mum are not so confident). We also need good range of activities off piste e.g. waterpark, as they weren’t too keen on riding for 14 days back-to-back (fickle!). Have looked at Les Gets, Les Arcs and La Rosiere as potential bases but me and the better half are not quite seeing eye to eye on which location will best suit our needs.

Any advice would be welcome

ps. also plan to watch the WC DH at Meribel too 🙂

We spent two weeks in Tignes last year (boys 6 & 9) – couldn’t recommend it highly enough. If you stay in Tignes, you get an activities pass which gives you free entry to pretty much everything there, and Tignes is a year-round resort. Loads to do if you’re not riding (watersports, football, leisure centre, tennis, glacier skiing, archery, horse stuff, skatepark, golf, all sorts) and if you are, the pass gives free access to the lifts with your bike. Not quite as much lift-served terrain as, say, Les Gets or Morzine, but less busy as a result and it does join the Val d’Isere system.

Thanks for the recommendation. La Rosiere offers an activities pass too, with lift access and 5 x other activities included for @30euros per week i.e. looks like a bargain. Will look at Tignes too to compare the two. Les Arcs looked good but the family lift pass for 312 euros for 2 weeks seemed a bit OTT compared with other venues, though I would still look to that area for day trips, or 1 week pass.

Friends with families always seem to head to Tignes or Morzine.

I’ve done Morzine with my gang. Good pool and cheap accommodation. Riding is a tad DH/power ranger these days but there are some good trails if you know where to look.

I was thinking Morzine would be a bit more DH focused and blown out at end of season. Just looked at Tignes and that looks spot on for the kids, plus I’ll get to ride Les Arcs, La Rosiere whilst I’m there. Any other areas worth exploring for a day trip e.g. Pila, Sainte Foy, La Thuile?

Mrs Tyred complained the road riding was “too hilly” up around Tignes 🙂 so we had a couple of day trips down the valley at Bourg – there’s a nice riverside path from Bourg to Aime which went down well, plus a load of child-friendly singletrack in the woods around Bourg which Tyred Jr the younger liked more. Tignes is high altitude, not many trees up there.

Saw le Tour on the Madeleine, went over to La Thuile but mostly we hung around at Tignes, there was loads to do, especially on the lake, me and Tyred Jr the elder did a bunch of road riding too, the wee roads between la Rosiere and Sainte Foy were great for him.

FWIW, look at using Bourg St Maurice as a base if you’re looking at moving around, the valley floor is the route you have to take to go anywhere!
Also, you’re on the funicular and if you have a closer look at the rates for Les Arcs, you’ll notice that -10’s get free lift passes.

The answer has been staring you in the face all along.

try la clusaz/ grand bornand
down hill course and quite a few green runs and singletrack
1 mile long metal bobsled thingy
zip line
cinema
lovely swimming pool
and the scary via ferrata,

nearby is lake annecy which is a great place to hang out
and a great place to try canyoning
nearby in Thones there is also the tree walking with 4 different levels
and go carting.
cant think of a better place for an active type family

I was thinking Morzine would be a bit more DH focused and blown out at end of season. Just looked at Tignes and that looks spot on for the kids, plus I’ll get to ride Les Arcs, La Rosiere whilst I’m there. Any other areas worth exploring for a day trip e.g. Pila, Sainte Foy, La Thuile?

We normally spend two weeks in Bourg St Maurice, with much of our riding in Les Arcs and day trips done with the car to other resorts.

La Thuile, La Rosiere, Pila are all worth a day trip. I’m sure St Foy is too, but I’ve not been there (yet – off to White Room in 2 weeks!).

You don’t see many families holidaying in Bourg though. Lots stay in Arcs 1800 as there is a pool there, but BSM is a town, first and foremost, not a holiday destination.

Bourg is quite a pleasant place and has a pool with indoor and outdoor sections.

Looking to head to Alps next summer and still undecided where to go, tempted to head to southern side for more reliable weather.

Is there much family entertainment at Les 2 Alpes?

Thanks for all of the replies. The kids are sold on Tignes, having seen the activities available and agenda for August (Jetboarding!?). Does anyone know how long it takes to shuttle between these venues e.g. driving from Tignes to BSM or Tignes to Les Arcs?