Right was mentioned this weekend to go to the Alps for the 5 year in a row… would be Les Arcs or something not Les Gets so would be new. However am toying with the idea of a UK based road trip, Wales or Scotland.

Anyone have any views? Which would work out the cheapest? If its UK based can leave it till at least a week before going to decide to go so can play it by ear on the weather.

In France I’d be forced to take my DH bike (due to the people i’d go with) booo! But if its UK I could take my XC/do it all bike which I’d rather…

Anyone have any words of wisdom/suggestions?

Spent a week in Scotland over Xmas, Dalbeattie area, it was excellent near 3 or 4 great trail centres all diffrent from each other.

We are planning to head back to Scotland before we head to the Alps in the summer Mrs F loved Scotland and enjoyed the “lighter” trails so want’s to go back 🙂

If I had not booked my Alps trip before I’d been to Scotland, I’d probably have gone back there in the summer and rested the Alps for a year. But I need to hammer my Big-T down the Pleny so need to get an Alps fix this year 🙂

I would go for the scottish option. I am a big fan of the smaller centres a bit further north, so Fort Bill, Laggan, Golspie, Balblair etc. You can even pick off a couple of the seven stanes on the way up and back.

I suggest May or September though so as to miss the worst of the midges.

Alps, definitely Alps. 😉

Round Les Arcs/Tarentaise area (where we are) you’ll get as much use out of an all-rounder as from a big DH bike. Les Arcs itself only has one DH track, most of the riding is natural(ish) singletrack. Over here in Sainte Foy, it’s all about natural trails. Tignes has a bunch of DH tracks. I ride a Heckler, perfect for round here. The whole area is all about long, flowing, singletrack descents, rather than big, bumpy DH tracks like Morzine/Les Gets.

Bike Holidays in the Tarentaise

Slight highjack but How far from Les Gets is Les Arcs?

google maps

Did a the 7 Stanes last year, and “sort of” camped in a cabin, it was loads of fun, trails were grand, scenery was suitably intrepid, there were laughs a plenty (the most important thing after all) and it was was cheap. There were no airports, or bike packing to take care off, All in was less than £200/head, whereas France often costs me £400+ for a week.

I’d go back

xc-steve – think it’s safe to assume I won’t be popping there when I am in the Alps 🙂 thanks for posing the route

nickc – did you stay in one of those pods at Mabie House Hotel?

erm thats not the right Les Arcs i.e. next to La PLagne in the Tarentaise

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Les+Arcs,+France&geocode=&dirflg=&daddr=Les+Gets&f=d&sll=43.46405,6.479128&sspn=0.144776,0.242386&ie=UTF8&ll=43.857307,6.560211&spn=0.575322,0.969543&t=h&z=10

Nah, at Barnsoul farm. Here Ok, pretty basic, but slept 4 of us in comfort, bit too warm if anything. Little patio for eating on, fridge inside, with a couple of sockets.

£150 for a week, IIRC

I went to Scotland last year, twice. Everybody said to me “you are an idiot, Scotland blows goats”. I took no notice. How they laughed later.

🙂

Have a look at our stuff if you want to come to Scotland.

http://www.scottishmountainbikeguides.com

Good value Custom Trips (guided or self-guided0 are available if nothing on the regular menu takes your fancy!

Phil

Just google mapped Les Gets to Les Arcs,(well Peisey-Nancroix to be exact),& its coming in at 136km,2.5 hours drive.

Gary_C – sounds about right, even less to just drive to Bourg Saint Maurice (Peisey-Nancroix is up a pretty long, windy road from the valley).

stevomcd – YGM

Scotland is rubbish. Stay away. Have you thought about Wrexham?

This is weird it’s as if you are reading my mind! I posted on the bike forum on the weekend “MTBing in Scotland” have a look!!
Exactly my thoughts the last 5 years I have been to Morzine not looking like it’s going to happen. we have now decided that we probably going to do a week in Scotland. have a look at all the suggestions on the previous thread! I don’t think Scotland will end up much cheaper (depending on where you stay) however it’s a great experience which we often put off for what people deem “more exotic holidays” abroad or “a holiday isn’t a holiday until you have been abroad” but I disagree.

In this climate support the UK services go to Scotland. We will be there for a week hopefully at some point in the summer!