Hi, This is my first post on the forum. I've only been biking for a
couple of years, mainly singletrack but a little DH in Derbyshire and Wales.
Looking to experience the French Alps this summer with a group of mates. There's a lot of talk about Morzine/Les Gets and Les Arcs, which one should i visit this year ?

Anyone know of any decent accommodation out there. Do I need a guide ?

BF

Morzine fan here, but not been elsewhere..

How many, when, how long for, self catering/catered?

Hey bike face,

Les Arcs has got to be the way to go, huge area but practically empty compared to Les Gets. Awesome singletrack and downhill with a great lift system. A mate of mine set up there a couple of years ago http://www.themountainbikechalet.com – great accommodation and great food plus he can sort you out with guiding if you need it. I'm pretty sure they'll do you a really good deal for groups. Won't hurt to ask.

Midvale

I think perhaps it depends on what you're after. I've been to Morzine/Les Gets, and I'm going to Les Arcs this summer. Morzine/LG is mainly about the big DH parks. Great fun & atmosphere, and probably also a load of natural trails somewhere but I never found them! Les Arcs on the other hand strikes me as being a little less busy, more "natural" singletrack descents & longer days in the saddle type stuff. Lifts still available during peak season.

Anywhere in the Tarentaise, which includes Les Arcs, Tignes, Val d'Isere, Ste Foy less crowded that the Prte du Soleil.

Second themountainbikechalet – stayed with Dave and Caz in winter and they were great – if Dave is anywhere near as good a guide on a bike as he is on a board he will be awesome to ride with, and caz does amazing food.

Les Arcs

Trailaddicition.com

Been to both. Les arcs for me. if you want rugged, technical mounatin singletrack then it has to be les arcs. If you prefer man made DH tracks and play areas then Morzine/Les Gets is the place to go, thats not to say that Morzine doesn't have mounatin singletrack as it does, just not the same quality that is found in Les Arcs IMO. Le varda is a must trail in Les Arcs, 45 mins of rock infested, swithback laden, steep, technical mountain singletrack.

Les Arcs is much quieter as well, no crowded lifts and the trails mostly to yourself (at least thats how it feels). Morzine has a better nightlife though if thats what your after.

To get the best out of Les Arcs you'll probably need a guide though. Trail Addiction are very good.

Which ever you choose you'll have fun.

Les Arcs.

We can sort you out with accommodation, food and properly qualified guiding. The White Room. Running some DH weeks this summer as well if that's your thing – mix of DH tracks and technical singletrack, zero climbing!

thumbs up for morzine, good night life, instant access to amazing trails

Morzine / Les Gets is more DH stuff and there are some good runs there.

Personally I found some of it a bit too much but loved the Plenny DH run into Morzine and the one that runs into Les Gets, Le Chavannes. You can nail the both of them and they're no worse / scary / better/ unridable than some of the better stuff in Scotland. a bit steeper perhaps but built for it.

We found a nice link between the two to make big loops to keep us entertained.

We took a good run up to Avoriaz & Lindaretes but the run back wasn't great a choice of near vertical DH with 5 ft drops with no run off but trees to slow you down that went straight down the mountain side more like a water fall / stream route for when snow melts or road.

Into Les Gets from the Mont Chery side there were a couple of decent runs but nowt special.

We're off the Les Arcs this year as we feel its a bit less full on, won't be crowded, won't be ruined by braking bumps and a bit less up then down up then down up then down, lunch, up then down up then down back to chalet to get p155ed cos I'm bored now.

Forget Morzine get yourself over to Chatel and Morgins most people end up here even if they are staying in Morzine.

Great Bike parks/Downhill and plenty of hidden single track!! We tend to ride on the swiss side where there's loads of beautifull single track and you can still use the Rail network to cut out the big climbs, but i'm biased as i live there 😉

All depends what your up for?

Oi! – Disco!

keep it quiet, don't tell everyone…

No No promote away we need the summer business 😉

Come on global warming drive the snows away and fill our village with Bikers and not skiers!!!

Come on global warming drive the snows away and fill our village with Bikers and not skiers!!!

It's been doing that pretty well over the past week or so, eh? Been over your way for a few days, back in Sainte Foy now. At least it's finally started snowing after the early summer!

Can't comment on Les Arcs, but I've been to Les Gets/Morzine a few times.

I don't know where the myth came from that it's all full on DH stuff. It caters for all styles and abilities – though why anyone wants to go to the Alps and pedal uphill I've no idea.

You don't need a guide There is a guide book available and so many riders to point stuff out to you. We always camp in Morzine.

Hth
Marko

I had a couple of great riding holidays based aroud Les Vigneaux, staying with Alpsun. But then I like quiet, quality, natural sigletrack, only ride a hardtail, don't mind climbing and my idea of a great night is a comfy sofa, a decent glass of wine and some local goats cheese and to shoot the breeze with my riding pals – so I recognise that it might not suit everyone 🙂

http://www.alpsun.com

Morzine is great, you can lift hop such a wide area (over to morgins, chatel, les lindarets, avoriaz, morzine, les gets) all doable in a day – see passportes du soleil.

However, the black under the funicular at Les Arcs is sublime, and there are some awesome fast wooded trails that are not man made there as well that will make you smile from ear to ear.

For your first time in the alps though, I would recommend basing in Chatel coz you get the bike park, and you can go as far afield as you like.
Its all well mapped and easy to get around – Les Arcs needs some local knowledge IMHO

Hey!

We've set up a brand new hostel in Bourg Saint Maurice, just a 7min funi ride to Les Arcs. Loads of really cool facilities including safe bike storage and cleaning/maintenance area.

Beds only 25€ a night. Website coming soon http://www.loftbourg.com

For more info email us hello@loftbourg.com

Charley

Our Uni club goes to Morzine and get a chalet for 16 with our own Jacuzzi, sauna and en suite bathrooms, locked garage for bike storgage with hose for cleaning. It also has a big kitchen and dining room/ living room with balconies and huuuuge windows with amazing views for £55 for the week. Pisses all over these b&b hostel afairs.

Trail Addiction will sort you out with what you are looking for & Ash is a good guy who doesn't spend all his time on here self advertising.

+1 for The White Room….you get to ride Les Arc as well as loads of other trails in the Tarentaise valley.