One key bit of information – our timing coincides with the week leading up to the Mega, which we are not taking part in. Am I right in thinking this pretty much writes off Alpe D’Huez as a worthwhile destination?

That aside – first timers in the area yes. Some very limited experience of DH (Forest of Dean and Antur Stiniog), but we’re not exactly XC riders either. Probably looking for what seems to be getting called “Enduro” then? I dunno, fun trails and stuff, but not huge gap jumps quite yet thanks. The non-biking partners are also coming so a resort with some other stuff to do would be nice.

At the moment I’m thinking Morzine (albeit it sounds a bit “Ibiza” sometimes? We’re getting on a bit for that!) or Chamonix but I’m not far off choosing at random here.

If that isn’t all too vague I’d welcome any advice.

I’m going to les arcs with single track safari boys went last yr and loved it

Deux alpes

Steer clear of morzine. I’ve been twice and it’s lost it’s magic for me. The trials are battered and its crap when it rains.

I much preferred les arcs and alpedhuez. Both good options for enduro style riding.

Alpdheuz will be fine the week before the mega, you can ride the whole mega track as practice which is awesome. You have the oz downhill track which is one of my all time favourites. Plus cool trails below alpduhuez down to heuz.

Les arcs is best with a guide for a day or 2 as the natural unmarked stuff is top drawer.

Les Arcs with White Room if they have space. Best 10 days in the alps for me in over 8 years of trying.
Selection of riding there

Thanks guys that’s really helpful.

We went all over last summer Chatel was fun for big riding and also linked well with other resorts. We worked down to Le Deux alpes for crankworx which was an epic week of riding with lots of good stuff to watch! Great trails out there!

If your keen Sauze d oulx and Bardoneccia arent to far away and provide some awesome dusty trail riding with great scenery!

Chatel +1

Quiet yet if you want a night out its there, partners will appreciate its quaintness
plus great riding bike park and further afield

Riding at/near Les Arcs is phenomenal… Though none of the best riding we did was actually at Les Arcs. Another recommend for White Room (though Trailaddiction and Bike Village are also in the area and also have a fantastic rep)

White Room. Three awesome trips I’ve had with them. Can’t recommend them high enough.

Meribel in “Les 3 Vallees” is great for the sort of riding you describe.

Been the last two years and both lived it !

Nothing like the “Ibiza” vibe of Morzine. You can ride all day and hardly see anyone else if you want to.

Loads of really long routes that have lifts when needed to get the big “ups” out of the way. And most of the routes are not “storm trooper” DH runs that people do over and over again. It’s more like skiing where you go on a large route for the day, made up of smaller “runs” and a few different lifts.

Les Deux Alpes is good.
Lots of tracks in an easy to get around compact resort, bit like a mini Whistler.
Great views and the campsite at the bottom of Venosc is nice.

Venosc DH to Leffe on tap = holiday win.

I hated les arcs last year.

I did a DH week in Morzine and loved it, then a week in Les arcs with bike village. I not get my head round the tight walkers trails switch backs in les arcs.

Bike village- lovely accomdation, great folk, great guides, the other 11 folk who were there loved it, half had been previously and returned several times. It was just me who didn’t like the riding.

I’m fairly sure I rode both the trails in the pictures up above and they were ace, but I won’t be going back.

Alp D’Huez has some fantastic view, at least in the winter. Yet to bike there, only been on skis but liked it there. Likewise Avoriaz which is above Morzine. Morzine as a resort to stay is a bit of a Brit town, or that’s the impression I get. Not stayed there. Avoriaz is nice, at least in the winter.

Meribel… cheap chalet town. Also a bit Brit run in the winter but most people are hanging out in their self catered chalets. Can see it would probably be quiet in summer months. 3 Valleys area is huge, though no idea what the riding is like. Not a major fan of it for skiing.

Anyway, currently looking to go for Passports Du Soleil weekend, even if I’m not entering (no entries left). Opens up a large area with lift access across French and Swiss border.

p.s. Trolls in that photo above?

Deux Alps / Alps D’Huez are very close together, you could stay at one (or at Bourg D’Oisans) and ride at both. Big range of trails or all grades and types, bars, shops etc, even a beach.

And you can find more natural feeling trails in the tree line if that is what you are interested in.

Having said that, I prefer the twisty footpath type riding you get off the back of Les Arcs, Chamonix, Verbier etc.

Couple of other options; Lake Garda (very good if you are taking the family) or someone in the Maritime Alps like Rivierabikes.

Have fun.

I think White Room are pretty much sold out, I checked in Feb and that’s what I recall. I went skiing with them and the setup is excellent.

I did Trail Addiction Destiation X last year which was excellent, I think we saw 4 or 5 othe riders all week (aside from warm up day at La Saises bike park – excuse spelling). We stayed in a wonderful small unspoilt village.

What I would say is you will definitely get the most riding out of a guided holiday and when you add up everything you are getting I think they are very good value, typically I’ve spent more when doing trips DIY and you have no guides/van uplifts.

As for Morzine, yes it’s popular with Brits but its still pretty quiet and actually the PdS is a great mtb area it’s popular for a reason. Les Gets and Chatel make good bases and there is quite a lot of trail riding away from formal mtb trails. So I wouldn’t count it out, the benefit of going to PdS is you can get lots of good route advice off of here.

For first timers to Alps I think Chamonix might be a bit full on, it is however truely spectacular.

Chamonix’s awesome, but other than the bike park at Le Tour it’s pretty intense. Great place for doing stuff other than riding though, although it’s pretty expensive.

@deadkenny I think Avoriaz in the summer is pretty deserted, also without the snow cover on the ground it’s pretty grim.

OP to add my first 4 trips to Alps were all self organised 3 of them to PdS with the event being the central focus, last trip was best as we rode mostly trails we found on here like Les Gets to Samoens via Les Bourgoise. What I would say is that the Trail Addiction Dest X holiday was on another higher level in terms of the riding, van uplifts, support etc etc.

tall_martin: I’d put a reasonable-sized bet on you not riding either of the trails in those pics! 😉 (1st one maybe, definitely not the second!).

Thanks for all the recommendations guys. We (The White Room) were pretty-much sold-out as of the end of January, so we have actually moved to a bigger chalet for this summer and added some extra availability since then. Still be max of 12 clients for 3 guides.