[Closed] Any recommendations for Verbier and Crans Montana campsites?

I did lots of research into Verbier last year as we wanted to do a week in Chamonix then Verbier, however it appeared the Swiss don't do campsites. The best way to do it was to ride with www.bikeverbier.com I looked a booking own basic accomodation and hiring a guide (as everyone I spoke to said Verbier is hard to self navigate) but it was best to do a trip with Lucy and Phil. Having just got back from a week with them today I can honestly say it was the most fantastic holiday and defiantely worth every penny. On the face of it it looks expensive, versus SC in Morzine, hwoever the chalet is top quality, the riding is phenomenal, the food at the end of the day is endless as is the wine and is is brilliant. I cannot recomend them enough.

cheers Munqe-chick. I would love to go with the chalet option, but it will just cost too much after Morzine. I have read a few of your comments in recent threads and it certainly looks like an incredible place and you speak very highly of it. We are only going for a couples day though. Going to visit a few resorts in the Valais region before we have a wind down few days in Interlaken...

I have been out to Verbier to do Cristalp a few times and there is no campsite up the mountain, i have camped in the sports centre car park, which is tolerated for the race but i suspect not most of the time.

i believe there may be something in the Le Chable area, which is only a cable car trip to the resort.

There are a couple in crans montana, we stayed at one by the lake near town which was pretty nice. The riding in crans is more bike park/dh focused than that in verbier though and the drive between the 2 is about 45mins so I'd try and find one based on where you wish to be.

If they have space Bike Verbier will do a few days, whilst we were there 5 lads did 2 nights with 1 day of guided riding. We were originally going 2011 but only for 4 days guiding/accommodation so worth dropping them a line. They are based in Etiez which is just down from Le Chable.

Have you considered Chamonix? Bike friendly, dont need a guide, camping galore and not too far from Morzine?

There are no campsites in Verbier, there is one right at the bottom of the valley, but it's an absolute sh*t hole. It's also a bloody long way to the lower lift station.

There used to be a place called The Bunker in Verbier, which was a backpackers hostel in the sports centre, with 4 big multi occupancy dorms which wasn't bad for a few days.

There is a site in Crans, which was ok, somewhere down by the sports centre/lake from memory. There is only a day or two's riding in Crans though, Verbier I think unless you just want to ride the park you need a guide.

Ahh, thats a bit disappointing regards the campsites in Verbier. Or lack there of. I had found the one in Cran down by the lake so will probably go there. After morzine we have 5 nights when we plan to camp somewhere before Interlaken. So if spending a couple nights in Crans, where else do you all recommend? Chamonix is a possibility. Ideally though we will, from Morzine, go via Martigny along the valley and up n round to Interlaken.

There is no camping in Verbier, but you can find cheap accomidation in the summer staying with people.
Some of us rent apartments all year around and rent out a room in the winter to pay towads the rent.

Hence the rooms are empty in the summer. Put an add on the Verbier.ch web site for a room.

When ae you thinking of coming?

[url= http://www.kartingextremeverbier.com ]Verbier Kev[/url]

Bit harsh to say "the swiss" don't do campsites, the STW guys stayed in Arosa and you get a free lift pass with a campsite spot. Verbier itself certainly isn't a campsite type resort for sure.

On the resrot website I found this - seems to be just below the main resort but up the mountain (ignore map) [url= http://www.verbier.ch/en/your-trip/camping-group-lodgings/221540-camping-de-champsec ]Campsec Link[/url]

@finners I wouldn't miss out on riding in Verbier just because there isn't a campsite, as noted you can stay in the valley (Le Chable) or one of the smaller resorts. Your idea of a road trip is an excellent one, Verbier, Zermatt etc (I read that Bike Verbier do decent amount of riding other than in the Verbier bowl like in Bruson the other side of the Valley). I'd give them a call anyway as I think they were booked up last week but are quite free this week (as I was considering this week) before being booked up next. As a minimum paying for a days guiding would make sense.

We must have done 30plus resorts (including Crans Montana last year) and not once have we paid to camp anywhere. Just find a lift station that isnt being used and camp under it. No one minds so long as you pack up in the morning and leave it as you found it.

In crans we camped a bit further up than the main lift, basically drive through town climb a bit then hang a right down a smaller track to the lift station.

Take a pop up tent so you dont need grass and you are sorted.

The only place we have ever had problems was Les Gets when we rolled into town at midnight leathered, fell into boomerang to heckle then spun some moves in Igloo before collapsing in a pile on the car park by the lake. The poilce made it clear we werent to stay which wasnt a problem as the riding is easily the worst there compared to any of the other 30+ resorts we have sampled.

Generally speaking the smaller the resort the better the riding, the camping options are better and the further south you go the better the weather (try Vars, Pra Loup, Pila, etc)

We are never inconspicuous either, 10 of us in an old LDV plus followers in cars!

In, so the Campsite in Crans for 2 nights is settled then. Is there enough lift access for 2 nights worth in Verbier?. Without guides. Basically we are free from the Sunday to Thursday night inclusive. So we are open to ideas for anywhere in the Valais region or close to. What's a must do??

Cheers for you feedback folks 😀

As mentioned, www.bikeverbier.com are the people to talk to - I'd do whatever you can to hook up with them, even if you can only manage a couple of days. Much of the riding they do is now well away from the resort, but it's ridiculously good and pretty much completely empty in terms of walkers and other bikers. If that's really not an option, head for the Verbier bowl and keep an eagle eye open for trail heads. Mint place.

There is some wickidly smile inducing stuff available around Crans.

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For cheap accomodation around Verbier, try this:
http://www.maaevalais.ch/gspage.php?id_langue=1&menu=500&stph=0&nbo=0

Basic B&B run by a woman who doesn't speak much english but its compfortable and does the job for 50chf a night. Others are right in that to get the best out of Verbier, you need a guide (i.e. Bike Verbier) unless you are willing to spend hours pouring over maps and risk going along a trail that turns out to be unrideable.

As for Crans Montana, there is a lot of riding in that area and only 1 or 2 dedicated DH tracks. The best stuff is the enduro/all mountain between CM and Sierre (use the train to take you up) and lots in the valley to the west of CM. Be prepared for some super technical stuff with extreme exposure.

the tourist office in Verbier used to sell MTB route maps for the Val de Bagnes, it may not be the most technical of singletrack but depends on what you want to ride. There is the [url= http://www.tdmf.ch/en/main/index.php ]tour du Mont Fort[/url] as well, so if your there a couple of days plenty of riding to do with or without the lifts.