It's time to nail some plans for the summer holidays. I'm curious about driving to the Alps (from Scotland) but don't know where.
Ideally the boy would like to do some biking that is probably too gnar for me, so would need a guided group (he'll be 15). Not every day, but maybe for 3 or 4 days - I might do a couple of easier days with him.
Mrs OTS would like to do some walking (probably lift assisted if possible), and me and the girl would like a lake to swim in. I've heard that bits of Austria are good, or maybe Morzine?
What you got?
TIA
This came up about the same time last year
Austria - Carinthia/Kärnten or Salzburg area
France - Vosges & Jura
Germany - Southern Black Forest or Chiemgau Alps or Bechtesgarden
Always get mentioned (usually by me)
Morzine would do it. There's a couple of lakes. Great walking with and without lifts. Plenty more to do in town and beyond. The riding is nicely laid out that you can ride together then do different runs for bits of the ride, or use the chicken runs, or just ride a little slower/not hit the jumps. Also many of loops take you past lakes, waterfalls, and hang out spots so you don't need to be apart all day. You can just sit one or two runs out and grab a coffee, even meet up with non-riders. That works well for us with a mixed ability group
I'd avoid Morzine with family (personally) in favour of Samoens, which is lovely
Austria - Zell Am See area (including Leogang, Saalbach Hinteglemm) ticks all of those boxes.
+1 for Samoens. Been there twice, there's tons to do and it's very family oriented.
We had a week in Samoens and a week on Lake Annecy, camping, last summer and it was great. would highly recommend it.
The downhill riding at Samoens is harder than Morzine with fewer alternative options if you find it too hard.
Tignes has all the family activities, and the ever-present bike school, but being higher is colder for swimming.
Les Saises is smaller but also puts on an attempt to attract young families.
Thanks for the ideas so far - very useful.
Are these places as famously expensive in the summer as in the ski season?
Are these places as famously expensive in the summer as in the ski season?
No. Way cheaper. Apartments are about 1/2 the price of the cheapest winter week, often even less. We pay around £100 per person, per week for a chalet. Sometimes a bit more to get a massive chalet and under occupy it. Lift pass is a lot cheaper. You can also often access other things like swimming pools for a fraction of the winter price. Beer is still the same price.
Austria and Germany are very good value for money. Slovenia even better
Morzine or Les Gets would be my pick closey followed by Samoens.
If you get Superpass accredited accom you get a pass for 2 euro per day pp that accesses lifts, pool etc - well worth it. Lots of decent non-bike park riding aroud the area and you can also nip down to the big lake as well easily if you have a car or go for a day out to Cham etc. We go every summer now and love it.
Morzine and Samoens are not exactly far from each other/ the other side of some honjagged col....At best 1/2 hour in the car!
Northern alps get the worst of the weather when it's bad.
Pralognan en Vanoise would be good for the lift assisted walking. The Jura is great but more rolling than lift assisted walking.
Les Saisies is a good shout and the undeveloped Beaufortain is just down the hill and across the river. Drop down form Les Saisies the other way and you have St. Gervais and then Chamonix etc.
Annecy and its lake is very popular. Understandably so.
Briancon area? Lot better weather generally. Lakes aroun, vallouise stations, Serre Chevalier station, lakes, undeveloped Ecrin national park... Barcelonnette: beginning to get in the south....real beautiful alpine mediterranean scenery...
Dan. Near Grenoble. An Ecrins, Chartreuse, Vercors, Belledonne and southern alps generally fan boy and aspirant international mountain leader.
Torbole / Riva del Garda area would tick the boxes. swimming in lake garda is fine (we had a dip every afternoon, campsite was right by the lake), but largo di Ledro has a really nice sandy beach. MTB mecca
In terms of riding in samoens, the DH at samoems itself is pretty steep amd techy but over in les carroz there are some great trails that are good for kids as well.
Up the GME and Chariande lifts from Samoens, have a look at mont blanc, then ride over to les carroz, few runs over there, green/blue trails, then ride back to samoens from the top of carroz via morillon, marvel trail and either the blue trail or down the road (lovely road decent with virtually no traffic) to the valley bottom, then a dip in lac blue and a nice ride along the river back to samoens.
Did that with my 10 year old last August. Great day out.
Embrun - Les Orres.
You would not want swim in the lake at Tignes Le Lac unless you like like having your testicles retreat up inside your body...
It's fed by a glacier, so even on a 30C day it's properly cold.
watching this thread with great interest.
worth driving down if you were to stop on route for some mouse based theme park action?
Mugsys_m8 I know but quite different in summer on many levels, I’ve got a house there.