Alpe d'Huez, long weekend.

iPete

Putting the jigsaw together for a long weekend in France to tackle Alpe d'Huez but there is only so much I can get from Google, some real world knowledge much appreciated!

I've read on here that Bourg d'Oisans would be the best place to settle in.

Bourg d'Oisans is good, you can ride the Galibier from the south, Alpe d'huez and The Col de Sarenne, The Glandon/Croix de Fer and of course the Whole Marmotte route if you're up for it.

Avoiding taking cars, is a train from London > Paris > Grenoble > bus/taxi/cycle(?) to Bourg d'Oisans the best method for getting 4-6 people down complete with bikes?

Is June too early to head down, could you go earlier? I was in the Swiss Alps in May last year trying to cross and some passes were shut.

Camping; recommendations appreciated, somewhere near a nice pub preferable

I have Le Château de Rochetaillée on the short list so far.
http://www.camping-castels.co.uk/campin ... ing43.html

If you know of any bargain apartments/chalets etc. please share

durhamwasp

Im heading down to the Alpe in April, gonna stay in the resort in a camping aire and drop down to Bourg and back up, then do it again. I realise at this time of year none of the other mountains will be passable.

iPete

Cool, be great to hear how you get along with camping etc!

eiger30

http://www.champ-du-moulin.com/en/welcome.html

Stayed here last year and going back again this summer. 8km from the Alpe's start.

I picked up a guide with about 30 graded rides in all based around Bourg. If you are feeling brave you could ride the Marmote route and do all the classics of the area in one day.

Fantastic cycling country, you will have fun

daviegb

Try this link for a great selection of rides - stayed in Bourg d'Oisans last year & it was an ideal base.

http://www.bikes-oisans.com/IMG/pdf_186 ... 06-web.pdf

We stayed with an English couple - Phil & Helen (here's their website). Phil is a very keen cyclist & can also recommend rides in the local area.

http://www.tourdoisans.com/contact.asp

Good luck - have a great time!

durhamwasp

Does anybody know if there is a cycling themed bar up in the Alpe? I was speaking to somebody at work who told me of a place he was in a few years back, decked out in cycling jerseys, photos and posters etc. A quick search around the net and i cant find anything though!

greasedscotsman

Not sure about bars, but there is quite a good bike shop in Bourg d'Osions that's decked out with tour photos. Very good for getting team kit, if that's what your into.

durhamwasp

cheers, think ive been on their website...tho cant find the link now. Is it easy to find?

rc856

The centre of Bourg isn't the biggest. I remember being at the main cafes in the centre and the bike shop only being a few mins away, not hard to find when I was there.
My mate broke a spoke up the Galibier and got it fixed really quickly.

greasedscotsman

There's two entrances, one is off the main road through Bourg, the other one is off the "Rue de General de Gaulle", next to a Patisserie! Cakes and bikes, can't go wrong!

ecrinslodge

You might be thinking about the hotel just around the corner from ours Le Bon Accueil. Dutch owned cycling hotel with fun bar out back which has a TV shed (they call the museum) with newspaper clippings, cycling jerseys and posters. Nice stop off after the ride up to La Berarde in the Ecrins National Park.

durhamwasp

Just got back from The Alpe - cracking weeked and fantastic +20c weather! Man is the Alpe a tough one, way harder than Ventuox IMO. Got 1h24m on my first ascent, pretty happy with that.

greasedscotsman

ecrinslodge wrote:

You might be thinking about the hotel just around the corner from ours Le Bon Accueil. Dutch owned cycling hotel with fun bar out back which has a TV shed (they call the museum) with newspaper clippings, cycling jerseys and posters. Nice stop off after the ride up to La Berarde in the Ecrins National Park.

That's the one by the "Col de la Nostalgie"