Morzine has become one of the most iconic MTB destinations out there; not only is it home to the world’s largest lift accessed trail network, it’s also home to one of the most incredible MTB communities anywhere on earth- quite literally everyone here is just stoked on bikes.

The Bike Park

The Portes du Soleil is the largest connected bike park in the world, with 600km of multi-use trails, 22 MTB accessible chairlifts and 6 dedicated bike parks, it is truly an MTB paradise.

You can practise all disciplines of cycling here, even enjoying some of the toughest road stages on the Tour de France; but it’s the mountain biking that truly makes this area special.

There are trails ranging from gorgeous, scenic greens that can teach you all you need to know about the mountain, to the steepest most technical descents in the world, with a few jumps, drops and single track masterpieces in between.

There are 2 main lifts that service the Morzine trails:

• Le Pleney Gondola

Part of the reason Morzine is so famous amongst mountain bikers all over the world is thanks to the Pleney Steeps.

Pleney is one of two gondolas that leaves Morzine town centre, and it connects riders not only to the fantastic Les Gets Bike Park, but also opens up the famous Pleney Forest.

This forest is full of incredibly steep, loamy and technical downhill trails that are beloved by locals, visitors and professional riders in equal measure; now this may sound intimidating, but it’s often overlooked that Pleney is also home to several kilometres of superb blue and red trails that are amongst the very best in the bike park, as well as the famous black ‘Mainline’ DH track that is a great challenge to work towards riding.

• Super Morzine & Zore

On the other side of the steep valley in which Morzine is nestled, is the incredible Super Morzine that connects with Avoriaz and further over into Chatel and Switzerland (although this connection to Switzerland and Chatel will not be open during our trips!).

Super Morzine services the Zore Chairlift which is essentially the gateway to some of the world’s very best flow trails. Tutti Frutti is the most famous of the trails up there, with hundreds of perfectly sculpted berms and perfectly built table top jumps.

There is also a new set of trails that are serviced by the Seraussaix chairlift, with ‘Stand High Patrol’ (blue) and ‘Chill Con Carne’ (red) being true masterpieces in flow trail construction; this is the perfect place to progress.

Connecting all these together are superb green trails that are the absolute perfect place to warm up and get your eye in.

The Town

There are countless restaurants, coffee shops, bike shops, souvenir shops and bakeries in the pedestrianised town centre of Morzine and it’s surrounded by dramatic Alpine peaks and thick, lush forests.

Enjoy incredible food ranging from Japanese sushi to traditional Savoie dishes.

Activities

MTB might be the initial draw for most but there is so much more to experience in Morzine. You can enjoy horseback adventures along the river, find bliss paddle boarding on the stunning Lac du Montriond, hike along mountainous ridges, climb challenging rock faces, and even fly amongst the mountain peaks on a parapent adventure. Many come for the mountain biking and fall in love with Morzine’s stunning Alpine charm.

Lift Passes

*NOT INCLUDED- you will need to buy your own lift pass to access the bike park*

Morzine is a lift-accessed bike park so you’ll need a lift pass to ride the chairs and gondolas, allowing you to get up the mountain and access the trails.

• One pass for 5 bike parks

The Portes du Soleil is so large that you may think you need multiple passes; thankfully, it’s a unified bike park, so one pass will grant you access to the whole area.

That’s 5 bike parks in one pass:

1. Les Gets

2. Morzine

3. Avoriaz

4. Chatel

5. Dents du Midi Region (Switzerland).

You’ll be staying in the French side, which is all connected, but it’s good to know if you fancy organising yourself a day trip to Chatel or Morgins!

• Price

A lift pass for an adult, 26-64 years, is €34 per day or €137 for 4 days (as per the online prices at the time of writing). There are different price options for different age categories and some special offers, so always check online in advance. These are guideline prices only, real prices may vary.

Check out this link for more information:

https://www.ski-morzine.com/en/summer/

Bikes

*NOT INCLUDED- you’ll need to bring your own bike or hire locally*

• What Type of Bike Will I Need?

Since Morzine is a lift-accessed bike park you don’t need to do an ounce of uphill pedalling if you don’t want to (apart from maybe a bit of undulation on the trails). Downhill bikes are most suited to the more technical trails, but there is so much variety it would probably be hard to bring the wrong bike.

Enduro bikes and trail bikes will be absolute fine on all the trails here, and an XC bike would be okay on the easier trails and single track routes, but we would not recommend XC bikes for the bike park flow and tech trails.

Heather has a trail bike that she brings just to give you an indication, or if you’re unsure whether yours is up to it, take a look at your hire options:

• Bike Hire

Don’t want to bring your bike? Hiring a bike in Morzine can range from anywhere between €60 and €150 per day with a huge variety of bikes and specs on offer. There are also deals and offers that run throughout the summer, so it’s worth noting that this is a guideline price.

The fastest way to travel to Morzine is to fly, but it’s not the only way:

Arriving by Plane

Geneva Airport (GVA) is only an hours’ drive away from Morzine, and there are multiple flights throughout the day to and from airports all over the UK.

• Getting From the Airport to Resort:

The best and quickest way to get to Morzine from Geneva is to drive. There are multiple transfer companies that operate all summer long. To find these companies just google ‘Morzine transfers’ and you’ll be able to find endless options.

You could hire a car and self drive your way to resort - we’ve plenty of parking at the chalet! You can hire a car from the airport or in Geneva (there’s a train from the airport to the city centre).

You can also catch the train from Geneva airport to Thonon-les-Bains and then catch the bus from Thonon to Morzine- but please check the schedules and times of both before you choose this as an option; France does not have the best public transport reliability scores!

There are more budget friendly options like buses and ride-sharing, but these are not always the most reliable options.

UK to France by Car

Driving from the UK is a great way to travel and can be turned into an adventure in its own right. We would recommend breaking the journey up with an overnight stay somewhere around the Dijon or Reims area, but for the hardcore drivers out there, it absolutely can be done in one hit - just try and time it so you arrive in time for dinner!

There is free parking directly outside the chalet.

UK to France By Train

From the UK, you can take the Eurostar to France. From your French stop (usually Paris or Lille Europe) you can get the train all the way to Thonon-les-Bains (not direct), which is about 45 minutes outside of Morzine. This is a great option for those looking to travel in an eco-friendly way and can be combined with stays in new places for a fun adventure. From Thonon there is a bus to Morzine- but please check the schedules and times of both before you choose this as an option.