You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I'm 33 and have been riding bike for 23 years of my life. I figured that this summer id finally make the trip over to France for 3/4 days. I think I've decided on Morzine, just because its easy (happy to be told other wise). Rather than get a chalet I'd like to make use of my van and find a fairly central campsite (i.e close to bars and lifts), are there any in particular I should take a look at?
I appreciate that this topic may have been done to death so if it's easier to direct me to a post that covers this that would be great. I had a quick search but could find anything relating to campsites.
There's only one campsite in Morzine (well, technically it's in Essert Romand). It's probably a 20 minute ride into town from it.
Unless you go all 50to01 & decide to live like a hobo in the Carrefour carpark in the middle of town.
Yep, its pretty limited for campsites. Most of the lower lifts have makeshift campsites at the bottom that are usually tolerated by the authorities if you don't mind roughing it a little. Some of the other villages have sites but morzine is the best central location.
Hobo settlements at the Carrefour car park in town centre, (there's a WC and a tap. Hobo-ing is tolerated if you are respectful and keep out of the way of the weekly farmer's market)
Quieter spots with better privacy but no facilities at the Nyon car park.
https://goo.gl/maps/Y3rNbvKyY8o
Campsite at Montriond is on the PDS return to town along the river valley bottom. Not a pretty campsite, but serviceable.
https://goo.gl/maps/cX3yP9c1ecy
Essert Rommand site is the best in the area, but as above, bit of a ride away, but nothing far. https://goo.gl/maps/d64vHSTttD72
Les Dereches is the pool complex in the middle of town, swimming showers etc, but you cant go in there caked in mud 😉 http://www.parc-dereches.com/en/
https://goo.gl/maps/tPGCRMZY3ww
Quieter spots with better privacy but no facilities at the Nyon car park.
There is a toilet. A space age one with buttons and stainless steel prison chic
oh, I've missed that. Is it at the lift station?
No, just a freestanding unit on the road side of the car park
aha. Is Nyon where you are usually based when out there?
There's a nice site in Les Gets Camping La Frene. It's a bit out of town and up a hill though, which is fine getting in to town rolling down, but getting back after would be a bit of a slog (I never actually pedalled up it so can't really remember what it's like).
You can get back to it after a day biking by going up the Mont Chery side.
Marking for reference.
Essert Romand is a nice place to stay if you don't mind a pedal into town. Takes about 10/15 minutes depending on how much you've had to eat & drink before heading home! Didn't camp though, so I can't comment on that but a few people seemed to be there when we rode past.
I quite liked being able to enjoy the riding during the day, and the atmosphere in Morzine early evening and then heading somewhere quiet to chill in the evening. Others would prefer to be in the town I'm sure, as there's more going on.
We're heading there at the end of the summer, went last year but didn't do much biking as only had our little bikes and were having a bit of a mixed holiday.
This year we'll have the proper bikes and probably spread our time between various car parks and a couple of campsites in the van.
I did two days in Morzine last summer (been there many times over the years) and stayed in a really nice airBnB in Montriond, which was great, cheap and I could park my van outside. Obviously more £ than camping but for 3/4 days it would be a much nicer experience.
There's a fairly central site with Power / Sewer set-up in Les Gets, which is for all intents and purposes the same place as Morzine, bar the fact it would be uphill home if you miss the last lift or they close because of weather.
It looks nice enough, but I was speaking to a Swedish geezer last summer who stayed there during some kind of 4X4 festival who described it as Hell, apparently the 4x4ers turned up filled the campsite with many times as much stuff as they should have, filled the toilets and ruined the showers.
Personally even the worst chalet has got to be better than the average camper, what with running water and all that and accommodation is dirt cheap if you're not fussy so I'd stay somewhere local.
Happy to camp in a car park if it's just me, if I bring a +1 i'll definitely explore air bnb.
The friend interested in coming doesn't have a bike at the minute. Whats the hire bike situation like out there, a bunch of nags or are they rideable?
The campsite in Les Gets is nice, but yeah it's a total pig to get back to after a day out and you can't just stroll into town for a pint on an evening. We ended up driving down and parking in town every day just so we could get back up the hill.
Honestly, just book a week with Riders Refuge and enjoy hot showers, big breakfasts and evening meals every day. Plus you can tap into their local knowledge and always have someone to ride with.
I've dirtbagged around extensively in a van and now I'm all about the comfort and simplicity of decent accommodation.