5 Reasons Why You Need To Visit Morzine During Summer 2022
Situated in the pristine green French Alps and just a short drive from Geneva Airport, everyone with a passion for two wheeled shenanigans has dreamed about visiting Morzine since they first laid their feet on pedals. With Le Pleney downhill track birthing lift assisted mountain biking in Europe in 1999 there’s good reason Morzine is always the topic of conversation when discussing a European mountain biking holiday.
We’ve pulled together 5 reasons why you should visit Morzine during summer 2022. This year feels even more special, a re-birth, a return to form if you will! 2019 was the last time we enjoyed a “normal” summer in Morzine, no masks, passes and tests. Easy, hassle free travel seems like a distant memory, but the great news is that Summer 2022 is the comeback we’ve all be waiting for! We asked out partners at MTB holiday specialists Bike Morzine, to put together their top 5 reasons to visit Morzine this summer for the action packed mountain biking holiday of your dreams:
1. Worlds Biggest Lift Network
Morzine is the vibrant heart of the wider Portes du Soleil lift network and provides the perfect base for your MTB holiday. You can roll out of your central Morzine accommodation to lifts spanning off in every direction, the riding on offer here is endless and people visit for decades and are still discovering new trails to ride. The 24 MTB friendly lifts, spanning across France and Switzerland are effortlessly connected by a epic mountain bike trails and all of this is available under 1 affordable lift pass. The speed and efficiency of the lifts mean no uphill riding is required, however the amount of downhill you can achieve in a day is similar to a months riding back home, in one mammoth effort our team rode 125km of downhill in one day!
For more info see Bike Morzine’s lift pass prices and lift opening dates.
2. Variety Of Trails
Whether you’re looking for gnarly technical single track or flowing green family trails, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Morzine. The Portes du Soleil bike park literally has it all, from the fast flowy trails of Super Morzine to the infamous and down right rowdy Pleney singles, there truly is something for every type of rider to enjoy in Morzine. Most visitors to Morzine spend most of their time enjoying the main trails of the bike park… and why not right, you don’t have a chair lift to ride endless trails normally so fill your boots. However for those of you who are keen to explore a little more, then there is plenty of single track gold in them there hills too! More suited to those on enduro or e-bikes, if you’re willing to put some graft in on the pedals, there are even more options for things to ride. Some of these trails aren’t even signposted from the lifts or marked on any trail map, but if you know where to look, you’re in for a treat.
Finding your way around the bike park is relatively easy to achieve, however if you want to explore further afield then check out our Morzine MTB Guides.
3. Events
The events calendar for summer 2022 in Morzine is bursting at the seams. The pearl in the crown being the 2022 UCI Downhill World Championships being held just up the road in Les Gets. As well as that there’s also Bike festivals, firework parties, endurance races and don’t forget about the Bike Morzine Mates Races and Rip Off Worlds
June 24th-26th Passportes du Soleil – The season kicks off with the Passportes du Soleil Mountain Bike Festival which is held across the whole bike area on the 24th-26th of June and marks the official opening of the entire bike park. This event sees thousands of riders take on a huge 80km circuit encompassing some of the best trails in the area.
2nd-3rd July Spartan Race – Morzine plays host to one of Europe’s toughest endurance events with the Spartan. The race has multiple routes of varying difficulty and distance to test the toughest competitors on the planet. For one weekend a year the town is taken over by chiseled roman gods and goddesses, running, climbing, swimming and scrambling their way through the town and its excruciating assault courses.
14th-17th July Harley Days Festival – For one weekend every two years Morzine becomes the Harley Davidson capital of the World and it certainly is a spectacle. Expect a loud weekend full of huge music festivals, parties, street displays and more leather clad baby boomers than you thought possible.
6th August Fete du Lac – Imagine a pristine mountain lake set against a stunning alpine backdrop, the smell of hog roast blowing on the breeze and the sound of live music filling the air as the sun slowly sets. Then as darkness fills the valley a light show illuminates the cliff face on one side of the lake before the biggest firework display you’ve ever seen erupts across the skyline…. Well that’s Fete du Lac….. and it’s awesome!
24th-28th August UCI Downhill World Championships in Les Gets – The world’s fastest racers will descend upon the valley to race one of the best tracks on the circuit cheered on by the biggest and loudest crowd of the year. Being world champs the racing will be fast and furious, there’s no second chances for glory with this one so expect an action packed race with riders going all out for the coveted rainbow stripes. More on Les Gets World Champs here.
All Season Long – Bike Morzine Mates Races – Throughout the peak summer season we at Bike Morzine will be running out mates races series and the prestigour Rip Off Worlds. After a brief 2 year hiatus due to Covid we will be back in 2022 hosting these free and fun events and we can’t wait. More info on Bike Morzine mates races here
9th/10th September Rallye du Mont Blanc – Morzine hosts a stage of the Mont Blanc rally so if you’re into fast cars going sideways round alpine hairpins then this is the place to be. The rally is for cars of all ages and you’re guaranteed to see some of the fastest current cars as well as some incredibly cool classics tackling the Morzine course.
4. More Than Just Biking
If you’re reading this then we know the main reason you’ll be thinking about coming to Morzine this summer will be to ride bikes, however there is so much more to Morzine than just riding. If you’re into having a good time then there’s almost unlimited options for you in Morzine. There is a huge array of non-bike related activities to enjoy too including epic nightlife, a plethora of shops plus some amazing restaurants.
Water Sports – As well as the iconic open air swimming pool in the centre of town, there’s also white water rafting, SUP’ing, kayaking, the Wibit (inflatable assault course on the lake in Les gets) and for the really adventurous among you, the canyoning trip down the Nyon gorge is well worth a go. The trip begins with a huge abseil from a bridge down into the gorge and ends with a natural water slide into the waterfall basin. These water based activities are also a great way to make the most of your time in Morzine.
High Altitude – If you like heights then the high ropes course by the Nyon waterfall is a great option. There is also the Fantasticable, a]a high speed, high altitude zip line where you lie head first in a harness whilst soaring high above the valley floor. The cable traverses the valley twice and you can get a unique birds eye view of the Chatel trails. The Fantasticable can be found above the Chatel bike park at the top of the Chaux Fleurie chairlift out of Les Lindarets. Closer to home in Morzine Paraponting is also a great option. There are multiple companies offering tandem flights where you’ll ride the thermals with an instructor high above the village. Taking off from the top of Super Morzine you’ll be treated to incredible views and a unique perspective of our little mountain town.
Hiking -If you like getting out into the wilderness, the hiking options in Morzine are almost inexhaustible. You are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to hikes, from gentle flat strolls along the river Dranse to high altitude mountain summits where the views are unforgettable, Morzine has got the lot. Hiking maps are widely available from the tourist office and the main routes are well signposted. Our favourite hikes out of Morzine include Col de Cou (an old world war II smuggling route to the Swiss border), Tete de Bostan and Pointe de Ressachaux.
Lac de Montriond – If relaxing in the sun is on your holiday agenda, then you have to spend a day at Lac de Montriond. This stunning alpine lake is the perfect spot to get some R & R. The clear waters are perfect for swimming and the spacious grassy banks are ideal for a spot of sunbathing or grab a cocktail at Hotel Du Lac. However, if sitting still doesn’t come easy to you, kayaks, canoes and SUP boards are available to hire.
5. Ease of Travel
With the worst of Covid-19 hopefully behind us now, travel to Morzine this summer should be as easy as it’s ever been. The regulations for travel in and out of France are constantly changing for the better and we expect to see a reduction in the restrictions as we move towards the warmer weather and the increase in vaccinated travellers.
Morzine is easily accessible by road or by air and both are great options. If flying is your preferred method of transport then the closest airport is Geneva International which is just over an hour away from Morzine. Most airlines offer bike transport and we can organise bike friendly airport transfers for you making flying a super simple option. If you’re travelling from the UK and you prefer to drive then the Eurotunnel or the multiple ferry operators offer quick and easy access across the channel. The drive from Calais to Morzine takes around 8 hours and is toll road for most of the way making for a nice easy drive.
More Morzine travel information can be found here.
6. Bike Morzine Holidays
Ok, Ok we know we said 5 reasons but heck, we have put so much work into our holidays that we think they are worth shouting about! For Summer 2022 we have added some incredible new Morzine accommodation to our portfolio that we are really excited about. We have added some awesome new hotels offering great value options in incredible locations and are especially great for shorter stays. Our new apartments offer a great option for groups of all sizes looking for a self catered option and our new chalets provide a great option for larger groups. All of our accommodation options come fully equipped with everything you could need for your mountain bike holiday of a lifetime including secure bike storage, bike washes, tools and pumps. We can also arrange your lift passes, airport transfers and bike hire too, Check out our epic Morzine MTB Holidays here.
