alps with the family?

welshkev

can anyone reccommend me somewhere in the alps to go that is quite family friendly? as in a few of us want to go over with the girlfriends and kids but don't want to spend the whole time riding - to keep the gf's happy - anyone know of anywhere that has things to do aswell as ride?

thanks alot

Richie63

Chamonix - can't go too far wrong with this place
Nice riding
Good town centre for shopping
Great nite life
Swimming pools
Easy access to Switzerland / Italy ( via the cable car if you're up for it )
Macdonalds just down the road

trailpuppet

something like this
http://www.whiteroomchalet.com/sumresort.htm

Might be more affordable to do a package holiday to the Costas and have a couple of days biking with;
http://www.sierracycling.com/

http://www.basquemtb.com/

welshkev

trailpuppet wrote:

something like this
http://www.whiteroomchalet.com/sumresort.htm

Might be more affordable to do a package holiday to the Costas and have a couple of days biking with;
http://www.sierracycling.com/

http://www.basquemtb.com/

cheers dude,

that first link looks cool i used to live in spain and have ridden there, i want to go somewhere different thanks anyway though

stomith

Morzine.

http://www.simply-morzine.co.uk/summer/multi_sports.php

Recommend you drive, stop off at halfway points like Troyes take your own bikes and just head south and up. Troyes is like York, but x10 and comes with great food and classy shops. Something the UK lost ....well...probably never had in all honesty. You could pop into Geneva, which has a big lake. Strasbourg is nice on the way back, if you don't mind the driving....Or Reims which is worth a stop off.

In Morzine, there is "enough" to do to keep you busy (see the link) without killing anyone and the air is very good. When biking ...wear helmet,shin,knee & elbow pads...especially if you're "out with the guys", getting some fresh air. The speeds tend to be generally higher than the UK....and the "offs" tend to be more of "OFFS!"

Chamonix is busy as fek and imho only good for a day trip to go up Mont Blanc...which is INCREDIBLE!

To make it interesting...we popped into Germany, Italy (get the cable car from Chamonix), Switzerland & France. Not in that order

sara flowmtb

We get quite a few families, and non-riding girlfriends/wives coming to Morzine.

There's the pool to use, tennis, walking, plus a nice own to wander round. There is a new pass for non riders, multi pass. If you stay somewhere registered with the scheme it's €1/day to use the pool, tennis, and lifts without a bike. You could ride and they could meet you for lunch some days. If you have a car they can also get to Evian, annecy, chamonix and lot of other places easily.

welshkev

morzine looks cool, found some quite reasonable places to stay. if i went there do you need a guide for the riding or is it quite self explanitory/signposted?

sorry for my ignorance :?

sara flowmtb

Just stay with a mtb specific operator such as us (flowmtb) or Endless Ride and you'll get plenty of personal route advice, along with detailled route guides and GPS if you need them. The DH tracks are easy to find on your own, but you'll miss the best XC unless you go with a guide or stay with a mtb company who'll show you where to go!

stomith

Everything is signposted. Took us a few mins to work out the bike lifts and as long as you've got someone in your Hotel you can ask for tips, etc... you can do it on your own.

We print out and seal everything before we go.....Just search for "Morzine", "Les Gets". They are two resorts joined together but share the same website (Portes du Soleil or something like that):

http://www.lesgets.com/en/ete/index.html

'ere map 'ere

http://www.lesgets.com/fileadmin/fichie ... ne2009.bmp

Am tempted to go now myself. *sigh*

clarkson

id suggest morzine. was there for the first tinme this summer; epic place. the riding is amazing an its not fsar from chatel, which is like a big bike park, and lets gets. also has a fair amount of bars in the town.

overall, good place to go.

welshkev

cheers guys,

it looks like it'll be morzine, but can you believe this: none of my riding mates fancy it!!!!

i'm trying to persuade some of them otherwise it'll be only a couple of days riding as it'll only be me, the girlfriend and the baby. i think she's cool for agreeing to go to morzine so i don't want to pee her off by riding everyday

Richie63

When are you thinking of going?

I'm looking to get some alpine riding in maybe try to meet up for a couple of rides

welshkev

looking at going in june or july. maybe go over to catch the tour de france there which i think is on july 10th. not sure exactly when yet

who you going over with richie?

stomith

I was wondering:

What did everyone book for this coming season, in the Alps?

welshkev

was supposed to be going to switzerland in august but it's been cancelled :-( my mate usually goes out for the summer but he's decided not to go this year and we haven't booked anywhere else. i think i'll just take my bike to the missus parents in tenerife again

dodgy

We've booked a chalet in Verchaix, just down the road from Les Gets and Morzine. We'll be driving there non stop in one day :shock:

welshkev

from the wirral?! bloody hell, i hope you're taking it in turns

how long will that take you? about 18-20 hours? one of the lads i work with drove from the italian lakes to cardiff in one day on his own whilst we all flew, nutter!!

dodgy

It will take roughly 14 hours (Channel Tunnel) give or take. Of course we're largely reliant on the roads, so we knowing how crap they are in the UK, we'll be leaving Wirral at about 02:30 and through the tunnel whatever time we get there (probably about 7am). We should be in the Alps by late afternoon/early evening.

welshkev

that's not too bad then, hope you have an awsome time

dodgy

Cheers mate. I'm taking MTB and road bike, plan to ride the Col de Joux Plane and Col de la Columbiere on the road and do some offroad aroud Les Gets (wife permitting ). Also some spectating at the Tour as it passes through!

welshkev

i watched the tour a couple of years back when i came to london then i went over to belgium to stay with a mate and caught a couple more stages it was really cool. my gf's brother used to be a pretty decent road racer and they used to go to the tour every year, sher loves the mountain stages. i might get there next year when my boy is a bit older

poppit

Hinterglemm in Austria, Adidas freeride park on site and Leogang over the mountain.

More family friendly, Kitzbuhel, lots to do in town and on the mountains, everywhere linked by cycle paths along the valleys. Time it right like we did last year and the Tour of Austria finished a stage and started the next one while we were there and there was a world cup triathlon as well.