Hi All

Just planning out what we might get up to in Summer- the chance to take almost 3 weeks off- and looks at options with the family (10 and 14 year old kids). Both like biking, the elder is very much so, so considering driving from Edinburgh to somewhere like Megeve or Chamonix.

We’d drive to Hull, get overnight ferry to Zeebrugge and then drive down to the place.

We have a Peugeot 207 hatch, but have a roofbox and towball bike rack for 3 bikes.

I can get an apartment in the above places for approx £1100 for 2 weeks.

Am I contemplating madness? Or a getaway to somewhere that is not just a beach and we are not just ‘feeders’ in a resort? Been to the Alps once before 15 years ago on a MTBing holiday, was excellent, but looking to get some of that along with the kids. I’m a confident rider, but just a little nervous about driving so far.

Is the area well set up for activities? Walking/outdoor swimming/hiking/riding etc all on the cards. Oh the other half would be there too, less as a rider, but keen to do outdoors stuff. SHe would also share the driving.

Your experiences and advice would be most useful!!

Cheers!!

Going from edinburgh to Morzine for 2 weeks start of July. Not a beach family – mountains, sun and fresh air for us. Still firming up travel options – mum and daughter will fly, I might drive as will be in SW with car week before anyway so reduces faff and means we have all bikes etc. Grandparents coming for 1 week too.

Nice. Where are you staying?

Going to b a bit of a squeeze in a 207 I would have thought. Doesn’t sound like you are going to be in a rush to get there or back though. Chamonix is great at any time of the year. Some great riding, nice town easy to get to. You’ll have a blast!

We do this every year from Leith for skiing – in fact we are just back. We’ve done it in the summer too for kayaking and walking holidays.

We have done the Hull Zebrugge route once but didn’t really rate it – you have to be there about 4 or 5pm, and it’s a fairly long drive from Edinburgh so takes most of the day. The ferry is slow so you won’t get off til 9am. It does save the drive to the channel though, good if you have kids on board. We prefer to go for the tunnel and then get a premier classe room in northern france – bogey cheap – and then head off first thing.

Driving in France is easy on the peage, far easier than the national routes and quicker. Lots of rest areas or ‘airs’ to have a break. Quite an enjoyable part of the trip for me, we take a big flask of hot water to make tea with or sometimes a little stove to brew up.

Those areas have heaps to do, heaps. Biking walking hydrospeeding rafting climbing you name it. Never had a bad holiday in the alps!

Chamonix is a lovely town winter or summer. But, if you’re going in the height of summer bear in mind that it will both be absolutely mobbed with day trippers, but also that most of the best trails are out of bounds. Personally, I’d look for somewhere a little quieter but with better range of lift serviced riding options and still a range of things to do outside of biking. If you are thinking of the Arve valley area, then Megeve is an option, but also look at St Gervais, Les Contamines or Samoens too. Samoens is a very pleasant town with some good biking but also close enough to drive to Les Gets if you want to go there for a day

If you want to save yourself a drive to hull think of driving to newcastle and catching the ferry to ijmuiden.

We drove from Exeter to Morzine at the start of the summer holidays with a 7 yr and 2yr old.

I was a bit worried about the drive as the boys have never travelled that far in the car. We treated it as bit of an adventure, loaded up the iPad with movies and off we went.

As said above, driving in France is pretty easy. We went old school and bought a map, marked out the route and treated the whole thing as a bit of an adventure. It was great. Just as it was beginning to drag the scenery begins to change and it gets really exciting.

Morzine was great for a family holiday by the way.

As mentioned above St Gervais Les Bains will be far better than Megeve and half the price , stayed in a few decent spots , been 8 times Boarding!!

We’re in Perthshire. Last time we drove to the Alps for skiing, we used the Newcastle/Ijmuiden ferry and drove down theoprough the Black Forest, then Basel and around (to Avoriaz). We felt the food wasn’t as good as the Hull ferries, but it is a lot closer. As has been said, Hull is quite a way from most of Scotland, and Dover is, perhaps, not a lot further. You’ll have a full day driving the other side either way.

When we lived in Kendal, we used Hull/Zeebrugge a few times, summer and winter, and definitely liked it more than driving to the Channel.

Most of the Alps is really good in the summer – a lot of the chairlifts and gondolas will be open for hikers and quite a few will also take bikes so you can get some spectacular high mountain scenery without the 4 hour slog uphill.

If you can pack light a 207 shouldn’t be too bad – on our honeymoon (with my wife’s 12 year old son!), we managed in a Golf GTI with a roof box, including camping in Germany before moving to a gite in France

Two years ago we did Dunblane to Clermont-Ferrand area, five of us, five bikes and two canoes on a Galaxy via Dover.

This summer we go to Les Gets. Dunblane early depart to beat Glasgow traffic, arrive tunnel for 2pm, one night accommodation via AirB&B south east of Paris. 10 days is £340 accommodation for all five of us. We take in Switzerland for one day, Paris on way home for a full day/two nights airB&B, tunnel mid-day, home before 11pm that night. Lads will be 11, 14 and 15.

Do it.

Mate I met in St Gervais couple of week back drove 833 miles solo from Chester and was in St G. 16hr 10 mins after departing his house.

we’ve had 13 years of driving from Edinburgh to southern France/northern Italy (in general the line of the alps that gets the weather off the atlantic: Chamonix through to the Bernise Oberland gets worse weather than south side of the alps).
We used to take the Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry but now take the Newcastle-Ijmuden one. We don’t cope with driving through the night and personally I’d rather pull al my toenails out than drive the extra 800 miles to Dover through all the traffic. You can’t get a night’s kip on the Dover ferry so you might as well be sleeping on a moving vessel than stationary in a Travelodge somewhere on the M6.
Amsterdam/Luxembourg/Nancy/Mulhouse avoids most of the tolls too.

Sounds like a long way in a 207….
Have you checked flights Edinburgh to Geneva? You might even get more luggage also as above Cham is great but will be crowded and the bike bans take in loads of stuff.

I’ve been going abroad on the motorbike for years. Rosyth was handy but now I go from Newcastle. If you’ve got Tesco club card points you can use them with DFDS, you get 3 times the value to a max of 70 quid in vouchers / 210 quid towards your ferry fare.

St Gervais Les Bains

Or les contamines further up the valley. It’s one of my favourite places in France. Perfect for am outdoor family holiday I think. it’s got:

Swimming lakes
Archery, horse riding, tennis
Fabulous walking accessed from ski lift
Purpose built mountain bike trails and other trails back down to the valley

The mountain biking is probably easier than other parts of France (I managed OK), but good fit introducing kids and nervous spouses.

You can also do loops then meet family for lunch

It’s also on the utmb route and the torch lit ascent up the Roman road is great to watch

Great place.

We stay here

http://lescontamineschalets.com

We drove back from Flaine in the Alps on Thursday and will be driving back out in 10 days. The easy part of the drive is the French side. We live in Essex so did the Tunnel then drove all the way down in 1 go, tiring but doable. French peage are great and it took us 8 hours with 2 stops to get from Flaine to Calais.

I’ve been to Chamonix in the summer and had a great time, stacks to do. Remember to take Speedos for boys and swimming caps for the girls for the public pool. They have a 50 m outdoor pool which gives you a great view of Mont Blanc as you clock up the lengths. Wherever you go if there is hydroglissing then give it a try, I enjoyed it much more than white water rafting.

Have a great time, you won’t regret it

Three weeks off, definitely do it. Maybe stop on the way down, at least once. Can make some suggestions for French stop-overs (eg near Abbey de Fontenay in Chablis – B&B Carpe Diem).

Chamonix is a summer playground, so many adventure sport type things to do (biking is a bit full on for a 10yo). Chamonix is relatively busy in the summer but not crowded by any means imo. Megeve is much quieter. If you have 2.5 weeks in the area (assuming some stops to/from) then explore, Annecy town and lake / La Clusaz, the Les Gets/Morzine PdS area and Verbier are all an hours drive away too. Do a hike / hut trip etc.

For example: Verbier lift tickets are a bit pricey but if Mrs didn’t mind driving she could drop you at small mountain restaurant of Croix de Cour and you can ride the Endruo trails to the valley floor (scenic pedal round past Ruinettes / Les Chaux to Red 7 (?) and ride to Louturier on valley floor) 1000m + descent for “free”

^^ have stayed in Les Contamines, very nice and if Chamonix itself is thought to be too busy its a good option as is Megeve. Frankly no where in the Alps is that busy in the summer.

Sounds like a long way in a 207….

MTFU.

But in 1953, as the nation celebrated Hunt’s team climbing Everest, Brown and Whillans were on their way to the Alps for the first time, tying their tent and gear on the back of Don’s Enfield motorbike for the long ride through France.

We’re staying here http://www.ridersrefuge.co.uk/summer/chalets/chalet-eterle/

Just checked and I won’t be in London actually so need to think about whether I do the strop to tunnel and beyond or hull or newcastle ferry. Not bothered about one long drive day, less inclined to do 2. Have spreadsheeted it up – Hull/Zebrugge and Newcastle/Amsterdam come in much of a muchness timewise for driving both ends, newcastle ferry more expensive though.

Did Edinburgh to Morzine last summer. Took about 25 hrs door to door

Biggest mistake we made was thinking we could sleep on a reclining seat on the ferry. Either get a cabin or camping mat and sleeping bag on the floor. Everyone did this.

We are staying here by the way – bike storage + cleaning, really helpful so far….

http://www.chalets-lesgets.com/summer/index.php

Do it! You won’t regret it, unless something goes wrong with the car en-route! I have no idea what 207’s are like, but to put in perspective last time we used a 40+ year old car and 4 days before the engine wasn’t in the car and we didn’t have an MOT. The car made it, starter motor bolts disappeared and handbrake disappeared so the return journey was done canonball style. I have to say due to the problems, the car and the weather it was the best roadtrip we have done.

Get a toll tag for the tolls, saves a lot of time and means the passenger/co-pilot/2nd driver doesn’t need to woken up for every toll booth.

I’ve done the Ferry once and never again, you’ll be lucky to get one seat. I would much rather be sat in the car sleeping! If you do the Ferry a cabin is a must for some sleep.

Cheers for all the replies!!

Newcastle seems the way forward and thanks for all the pointers on location to stay and routes.

Will update with our options and report back!

Worth looking at Tignes Val d’lsere for the Free up-lifts . Not as busy as Morzine etc and with two kids a lot cheaper 😀 .