Biking in the Alps – advice/options please

Went to Morzine/Les Gets a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, I wouldn’t mind going back but it would be on my own for the first time (mates can’t commit due to financial/family commitments).
Although I like it in Morzine I have been looking at TrailAddiction as they seem to cater for solo riders, however I am on a bit of a budget and this comes to nearly £800 including flights, transfer and lift pass! I have heard the riding is good but has anyone else any other suggestions, recommendations?
I would be happy to drive (zafira) and have plenty of space for another person/bike/gear and would help spread the cost.
Failing that is anybody trying to fill a place looking at 19th August for 7 days.

£800 seems steep. Off the top of my head our trip last year was

£200 for flights with BA
£150 for accomodation (apartment shared by three of us)
£45 for transfer
£70 for lift pass

We stayed here: http://www.alptitude.com/index.php?page=prop_2_tel1&season=summer&lang=en&hist=

dint he say this was with TA a guided holiday? thats why it comes to £800

Yes TA is guided, and I would prefer this to be honest…..also includes breakfast,lunch,dinner too.

http://www.bikeverbier.com – their holidays are superb, for solo travellers or groups. Think their prices are very good this year too – you get a hell of a lot for your money, proper quality and a totally no-hassle week with maximum riding time. Plenty of delighted, regular BV guests on this forum, myself included. Oh, and the out-of-the-way singletrack BV take their guests on is just incredible. Drop Phil or Lucy a line.

wl, great thanks for that it’s another option to TA

Did trailaddiction last year… doing destination-x with them this year.

It is worth it. FACT.

Dave

No worries. I’m staying with BV 18th Aug to 1st Sept, so I might even see you there. On my own for the first week of those two, then 3 friends are joining me on the 25th. I’m sure if you post a thread with Verbier in the title, you’ll get a load more positive feedback from other satisfied BV customers. Singlespeedstu’s a regular out there – he’s got some nice vids on either youtube or vimeo – can’t remember which.

BV rock. been twice – must go back again one day…. 😀

GWl, thanks for the input, fired off an email to BV re 18th August , are you flying?

Bike Verbier are ace!

I’ve enjoyed a trip with Bike Verbier 4 times, superb everything.

No probs re input. And yes, I’m flying from Manchester – booked with easyjet a couple of months ago. I did drive out there one year with a mate – it’s not a difficult route.

Go somewhere like Deux alpes, you don’t need a guide. The campsite at Venosc is a good place to meet other riders if you wanted to ride with others. Plenty of riding for a week if combined with Alpe d’huez. Save yourself a load of money.

Wl, great just picked up another post from a few weeks ago!

@SBrock – fwiw I’m looking at TrailAddiction (Dest-X) BikeVerbier and Bike Riviera for a solo trip. All 3 I’ve heard very good things about and I road with Jo from BR whilst she was in the UK and she was delightful as well as being a good rider. The only reason I haven’t booked as originally I was hoping to do all 3 as I’d have a lot of spare time but that’s looking unlikely now 🙁

Edit: @SB – re your other question, yes all of the above are lift assisted, this can mean ski lifts or custom van uplift. This is one of the real benefits of these companies (and others) is they take you upto places not readily accessible on ski lifts. If you add in a bit of pedalling that’s where you get to the really “out of the way” stuff we all crave

Went several times to the Alps non guided when a poor impoverished student 😉 and I’d agree that the Alp D’Huez/Les Deux Alpes has plenty to keep you entertained without a guide. I’d be nervous riding out some of the big hills on my own though…

That said if you can stretch to it guided is well worth it as you get so much more out of it, been with TA myself and would highly recommend them, you get so much more out of the Les Arcs area that way.

Another massive advantage of going guided/fully catered is you aren’t wasting riding time shopping and cooking which doesn’t half eat into your holiday time!

I think £800 is a bargain personally. I’m going with The White Room again this year and I reckon all in it’ll be £750-800. And for that you get a week that has you picked up at the airport, an ace place to stay, guided round utterly amazing trails, all gorgeous food cooked for you, top notch cake, free beer and wine and then dropped off back at the airport. Superb!

@coogan, free cake, beer and wine sounds good

Went snowboarding to les deux alpes last June, all year round boarding on the glacier at the top, then spent two days on the trials as well, one hell of a place to ride.

Getting a new bike in a few weeks so may look at another biking holiday later in the year

I guess it depends what you want, £800 for a guided trip around Morzine sounds steep to me but that’s only becuase I have been there so many years and know how reasonable you can do it, you don’t need a guide, food (ie breakfast and supermarket lunches) are cheap with good food in the evening.

We are doing a week in BV this June which will be around £650-700 I think (cant’ remember) but when I did loads of research into it, you can’t get “cheap” accommodation in Switzerland, it isn’t sign posted like PdS so it’s value for money.

But it’s horses for courses

£800 for a guided trip around Morzine sounds steep to me

TA is Les Arcs not Morzine

I once did a DIY holiday in Verbier with some mates who didn’t want to pay for a holiday company – worked out costing around the same as it would have been with BV, but we had to cook, we ate basic food, we wasted tons of riding time and had the hassle of trains/bus to and from Geneva. On top of that we missed out on much of the (IMO) best riding – I know because I’ve done plenty of time with BV on other occasions, and the sweetest singletrack is only accessible with van/trailer access, weird local lifts and massive amounts of local and regional knowledge. Can’t go wrong with Bike Verbier.

Wl, I’ve just worked it out BV are significantly more expensive than TA, not sure if it’s something to do with the fact you have to pay in Swiss Francs…. The rate at Asda’s today was 1.38 chf so holiday cost is £721 TA is £599

I’m going of on a TA hol in july. First time in france

flights, Hol, transfer, getting to manchester airport istotalling 800 for me too.

SB – Don’t know anything about TA to be honest. All I can say is you get what you pay for – quality at BV is fantastic, and that goes for every aspect of the holiday. Lots of folk on here will say BV are worth every penny and as good as it gets. Plus the riding is phenomenal. Depends on your priorities I guess. Have a good trip whatever you decide.

Swiss franc is the killer…

back in the day BV used to charge in pounds.