Yes yes yes it's winter but I need to plan my summer trip
Based on the advice of STW (thaaaaanks) we went to Samoëns last summer. Nice little town with nice buildings, variety of activities and amazing scenery. However the riding isn't exactly compatible with beginners.
Looking to repeat that but somewhere we can ride easy peasy trails out the back door. Yes Samoëns has Les Carroz (or Morzine, if that's your thing), but they both involve a drive.
So, any suggestions please?
Saalbach? I’ve not ridden there but there are lots of trails and it’s more ‘alpine meadow’ than consequency descents and the town is very lovely. It’s just over the hill from Leogang, too.
Tignes might also be an option. Not the ‘nice little town’ but ticks all the other boxes.
Whoa tiger. Pretty much the only alps places I've ridden with the family are tignes and Saalbach.....
Saalbach has ( or had when we went 4 years ago) around 8 downhill routes. We did about 3 of them endlessly with a the kids on 20" and 24" islabike. Had a great time but were fully aware of the limitations of the place. There are supposedly about 500km of xc runs, BUT THEY ARE DIRE FIRE ROADS FROM HELL. I can't emphasise enough how shockingly bad they were. I remember arguing with some bloke about how the fire road with concrete delivery trucks zooming up it could not possibly be the classic red xc route. But it was.
I did a few of the other downhill runs sans kids, but not really my thing. Basically the only choice was full suss gnarl or fire road hell. Nothing in between.
Tignes on the other hand rocked completely. Just amazing. Fair enough, the kids were now on 24" and 26" wheels but even discounting that it wad brilliant. Amazing routes from green to red, and beyond. And then the amazing enduro routes.
No idea if you're looking for family riding, or how good they are, but if they are half decent then go to Tignes.
I hadn't thought about Tignes, but it's a good idea...
It's not exactly pretty, but don't they do free lift passes in summer?
Saalbach...errrr, thanks but sounds not best!
Just read your OP again. You mention beginners and easy peasy.
Even the greens at tignes weren't really easy peasy. So perhaps not best. Where are we talking in the following list..... which of the following do they/ you enjoy?
Halton blue.
Minortaur.
Afon at Cyb
Llandegla blue
Llandegla red
Glentress blue
TNF at grisedale
Llandegla Black
Glentress red
Etc
Glentress blue is the winner out of that lot for 'the others'
Otherwise somewhere between Llangdegla blue and red (not that the red is difficult, just a bit long and dull, but that's another story)
Or to give you another yardstick, Morzine blues were considered OK
AHA, got there eventually. This is the top of the Milka Line at Saalbach. Lovely for a seven year old.
And this is the bottom of the other easy one, all good...
and this is the Hacklberg
which is happy days:
but is accessed up this hill. Which isn't that much fun
The problem is that once you've done them, there aint much else easy
Tignes got easy stuff:
courcheval area is great for family riding. 3 valleys area is big and has ace lift access all year.
and slightly less easy jumpy stuff
Why not Morzine? It’s the perfect summer base, riding for all standards plus the pool/ice rink/shops/walks for non-riding days when the kids are tired.
I first went in the early 2000s with the lads. Since then the family have fallen in love with the place too.
I rode Tignes for a day, it was nice but I only did the top end stuff, no idea of stuff for kids.
You could base yourselves in Bourg St Maurice and ride all the open resorts that are a short drive away: Tignes, Val d’Isere, La Rosiere?
Tignes isn’t free anymore, sadly, but it’s still excellent value.
Not France but Livigno? More laid back and cheaper, similar drive, and the Flow trails are designed for all.
That’s a shame about Saalbach - I’m going to strike it off my list!
If you have kids then Tignes is tip top in my opinion.
My 10 year old is nagging to go back.
You can ride in the morning and then get a paddleboard and go for a paddle on the lake.
I believe you still get "free" activities and lifts if you are staying in certain accomodation but check the website.
That’s a shame about Saalbach – I’m going to strike it off my list!
Someone on here, colp?, has a place nearby, Mariaalm? And is more positive about the place. Perhaps he can give some balance.
Another reason I’ve always favoured France over Austria is the legalities of riding off-piste - not relevant to the OP of course, but I hear it’s frowned upon in Austria so it would be good to hear from someone with more knowledge.
Off to Saalbach tomorrow though - can’t wait!
Cheers for all the advice
Yup, off road riding on anything other than for roads in Austria, or at least Tyrol, is verboten except in areas where it's not.
Lots of no bike signs.
Montgenevre is really fun with serre Che down the road. Quiet, fun,etc.... We often make it our warm up day/2 of alpine road trips. I think it would suit all you have said
I am just about to book Tignes, having spent three summers with the family in Morzine we wanted a change. Fingers crossed that it works out. My youngest is on a 26" hard tail, but she managed one of the easier reds in Les Gets last year, so I hope she'll be fine in Tignes. Does anyone have a recommendation for bike schools?
The green/blue runs on Palafour side will be absolutely fine, as will the long Val Blue down to Val D’Isere.
Hopefully you already know this but worth mentioning before you book accommodation. The Tignes lifts are no longer free to everyone. You have to be staying in accommodation that's part of the free lift pass scheme (and then join the big queue at the sports office next to the lake to get your lift pass activated).
Like.someone above said. Stuff france. Go italy, livigno and tutti frutti. Flow trails you can ride on a hardtail. Hans Reay was banging on about it on tuesday.
A lot of the blues are smoother than the greens at Tignes or they were when i was there as they don't get classes of 30 kids on hire bikes brake dragging down them.