Help arranging Bike holiday to Morzine

lee96

Me and a mate are thinking of going to Morzine in 2012, i know it's early but i just want to see how much it's going to cost (roughly).

I live in Devon so i would like to fly from Exeter or Bristol, as far as i know the closest airport to Morzine is in Geneva.
I think we will be going for around a week or so, i go to Morzine most winters skiiing so i know my way around and the cost of uplifts.
So i would like to know which airline to book with and what they're policies on flying bikes are, i know Easy Jet charges £18 for a bike, but there's nothing on the website about weight limits (we both have Specialized Big Hits), and if anybody could recomend a fairly cheap place to stay with Bike lockers,or somewhere for us to keep them. And transport from Geneva to Morzine.

Thanks.

The Northern Monkey

phone easy jet?

Raymondavalon

Consult a travel agent?

lee96

Most travel agents wouldn't have a clue about 'Mountain biking', i thought this site being a forum for bikers would be a better place to get information and help for a 'Mountain biking' Holiday.

cooldad

Do some googling on the area. Places that cater for bikes etc will come up.

sniper68

Quick google came up with:-
http://www.morzinelets.com/
No idea if any are bike friendly.

lee96

Thanks, Not going to be as much as i first thought.

Anonymous

Hire a van and go camping. Pretty damned affordable then. Make a road trip out of it, and you'll easily get by for under a grand each for a week, including excessive food consumption.

hoolabloom

Been out there couple of times in last few years awesome place.

Mate of mine has just bought a place over there to rent out check it out here

http://www.epicmorzine.com/

In terms of biking it really has everything and can be as cheap/expensive as you like. Some amazing DH to ride and fantastic lift accessed high mountain cross country.

Mates place has a "cave" which translate to oversized wine cellar in the building where you can store all your kit securely

Enjoy

milfredo

I used Alpine elements both time I've been but I'm not too sure I would recommend them. Bike security was pretty naff and it's expensive for what you get but it was just the easiest to organise with transfers etc but flights were not included.

Flight wise we used Sleasy Jet and paid about £30 for the bikes. The first year we did this this was all we paid but the second year leaving Geneva we had to pay an extra £25 each as our bikes were overweight. I had a fairly light Coiler and my friend had a Foes so not exactly really heavy bikes.

Also make sure you have the propper insurance. I thought I did but on refelection I didn't and I was lucky. Pretty much everyone there got hurt pretty badly and you see a lot of helicopters taking people off the mountains.

Anonymous

Ah yes, travel insurance. Not many people cover downhill mountain biking. I went with dogtag sports. One of those things you hope you never need, but it's best to have itvjust in case

sara flowmtb

The cost will depend (obviously!) on the accommodation chosen. This year we are doing a full week catered (breakfast, cake; 3 course meal with wine) in town centre chalet at 495 euros per person. Obviously being a bike company we have lock up, workshop, maps etc etc. Self catered place is cheaper.....

If you do look around for accommodation check where it is, there's a lot that is not that close to the lifts and town centre. And if you get an apartment check that the store is big enough for your bikes!

Lift pass is much cheaper than in winter. This year the 6 day pass is €84.

Lots of airlines fly to Geneva, prices vary so it's worth shopping around. Book early to get cheaper deals. Transfer will be around €70 each return.

miss notax

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Ah yes, travel insurance. Not many people cover downhill mountain biking. I went with dogtag sports. One of those things you hope you never need, but it's best to have itvjust in case

We use Dogtag too. And you never know when you might need it - my other half broke his thumb on our first morning riding in Verbier, two days later he was back in the UK for surgery!!

We are also booked with FlowMTB this summer, so i'll let you know how it goes (as in reporting back on the holiday - Notax isn't allowed to bugger off again!)

P-Jay

For your first trip I recommend going with a travel company like Flow or Alpine Elements, AE are probably about the cheapest way to go, but it's fair to say you get what you pay for with them so don't expect top quality food or accom, also they have a nasty habit of collecting lots of groups of riders from the airport at once, I've heard about people waiting for 3-4 hours for the next flght to come it, you don't need that.

We used Trail Alpine a few times, quiet a bit more than AE but excellent food, excellent accom and swift transfers.

I did a lot of research into flights, Sleazy jet offered £40 return, which translated into £135 once you added taxes, bikes, etc etc plus there are no end of horror stories of people arriiving at the airport and being rumped for loads more because the thick as shit staff don't understand their own T's & C's or prefer not too - watch 'airline' it's usually on Dave during the day, it's a non-stop stream of EJ staff being rude and arguing with customers - AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LIKE ON CAMERA!

British Airways quoted £106 and everything was included! (but I think there's a charge for bikes now)

P-Jay

P.S. used Dogtag, had a crash couple of days before the last trip and couldn't go - paid the full cost of the holiday with no drama.

ricardo_smooth

Drive there IMO. Well that's what me and a friend plan to do in 2012

Luke-Dob

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Ah yes, travel insurance. Not many people cover downhill mountain biking. I went with dogtag sports. One of those things you hope you never need, but it's best to have itvjust in case

+1 for Dogtag insurance
Very good coverage and not bad price either. Also, as the name hints, you get your own dogtag with your insurance number embedded on. Saves you having to carry insurance documents around with you.

Used BA to fly out and back, cost us £30 (each way) for the extra baggage (no weight issue) and transfers where about £160 for two including return from Morzine to Geneva.

Accommodation wise, and if its within your budget, try Riders Retreat. Very secure bike storage (double bolted garage, bars on the windows and alarmed at night). If not, camp out and sleep with your bike

Driving would be a cheaper option.

pat mcgucken

Easy Jet have always been excellent with bikes for me, bike bag containing 42lb DH bike plus my armour and shin pads and they have never asked me for any excess baggage. As a tip in case they do, if you read their T and C carefully it states a weight limit for sports equipment but then further down it says that there is no excess baggage charge for cycles (at least it used to, not sure if it still does). I printed it out and take it with me because they will argue anything if you can't prove it. As I say tho never had to whip it out and wave it at the check in desk yet...

pat mcgucken

here you go they don't make this obvious, I remembered that so I found the link. It says this "Passengers travelling with bicycles are recommended to check-in 2 hours prior to departure. Bicycles are subject to the sports equipment fee and exempt from any excess baggage charges relating to the weight of the bicycle."
here http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/regulations.html

tsenior

never had to whip it out and wave it at the check in desk yet.

fnar fnar, that would get results.

Hedgeez

From experience, Riders Refuge is a great place to stay. If you fly then use cabnine transfers or ski-lifts have good trailers to transport the bikes and are well priced!