Our riding group has been talking about a trip to the Alps. I’ve only ever been there snowboarding so I have no idea which resort will suit us. Some guys are looking for downhill trails and others All Mountain trails suitable for a Trek Fuel Ex or Specialized Camber.

As we’ll probably go in the vans it would preferably be the near side of the Alps. Or even another region e.g. Norway?

Any suggestions? Any good places to stay?

We went to the Alps by van for almost three weeks this year. Morzine, Verbier, Pila (for a day) and Bourg St Maurice/Les Arcs.

It was amazing. We hired an apartment in Morzine, hostels in the other places (and a few days with a bikeholiday company).

The great thing about driving down is that you can visit a few places – and you can take the entire contents of your garage with you of course.

But from the places I’ve been Les Arcs might suit you best because it has a massive variety of trails accessed by a very extensive lift system. Guiding would be a big advantage – and I got the impression it wouldn’t be too hard to sort that out independently.

Verbier is also amazing, as long as you’re not put off by steepness.

Get that Mountain Biking Europe book published by Footprint.

Les Arcs looks great but the bikepark says it’s not open until July. Has anybody gone in June? What’s open then?

I can thoroughly recommend what I did with the missus this summer – probably my best holiday ever. Road trip to the Pyrenees – there’s uplift DH and all-mountain type stuff in Luchon, and bike park action (quite a bit of which isn’t too extreme) in Andorra.

I can also thoroughly recommend biking in Blond on the way down with stratobiker off here.

Garda ?
http://www.lagobiker.it/homepage

( slightly cheesy german / italian website) but the area is well bike friendly.
If you want an easy drive about 960miles from Calais; go via Aachen / Koln / Frankfurt/ Brenner Pass / Rovereto Sud.

Or slightly closer through France / Switzerland / Gotthard Tunnel / Milan.

Been several times now to windsurf / holiday with the other (non biking) half. Really want to go and ride and hope to next summer. Stunning scenery,generally great weather when we’ve been in june, spoken to loads of folk who love the trails. Torbole or north end makes great base. Cable car up at Malcesine.