Avoriaz Mountain Biking

Avoriaz mountain biking sits high in the French Alps within the Portes du Soleil, one of the largest joined-up mountain bike networks in Europe. This quiet, car-free clifftop resort gives lift-served access to a bike park of around 19 downhill trails across four linked sectors, alongside enduro and e-bike loops, a pump track, a freestyle zone, and cross-country style routes out into the wider valley.

The Trails

• The bike park is split across four lift-served sectors, Seraussaix, Lindarets, Proclou and Super Morzine, linked by around a dozen lifts with no shuttle needed. The resort sits at 1800m and the bike park climbs to around 2200m, a vertical drop of roughly 400m.
• The bike park runs from mid-June to mid-September, with the fullest lift and trail opening from late June to the end of August.
• There are around 19 downhill trails (roughly 10 flow, 9 more technical), plus dedicated enduro and e-bike loops, the Lil'Stash freestyle zone in the Proclou forest, an airbag for practising jumps, and the beginner-friendly Pop Corn Bikeyard with its own easy track and pump track.
• The black graded Coupe de France run in the Lindarets sector hosted a round of the French National Series downhill in 2007 and remains one of the toughest lines in the bike park.
• Riding up under your own power is free. A lift pass is only needed for the chairs and gondolas, and covers the whole Portes du Soleil area, from around 39 euros for an adult day ticket up to 449 euros for the season (2026 rates).

Prices were correct at the time of writing but are subject to change, so check current rates before you visit.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

The lifts are the uplift here: around a dozen chairlifts and gondolas serve the four bike park sectors and link into the rest of the Portes du Soleil, so you don't need a van shuttle to ride the bike park. Bike hire, lessons and guided rides are all available inside the resort, a short ride from the lifts.

• Avoriaz Sports: downhill, enduro and electric bike hire with protective gear and accessories, plus repairs, a bike wash and secure bike storage, based at Le Fangle on the route de l'Alpage, between the mini-golf and the tennis courts.
• Évolution 2 Avoriaz: downhill and enduro group sessions and private guided rides with state-qualified instructors for riders aged 10 and over, with bikes and protective gear available, based in Avoriaz. A three-hour downhill group session costs EUR 90 for adults and EUR 65 for children, and a half-day private guide costs EUR 180 for up to three riders.
• MCF Bike Center: the Moniteurs Cyclistes Français school and hire shop, with hardtail, enduro, downhill, electric and road bike hire, protective gear, repairs, and group and private lessons for all levels and ages, based at Résidence Cap Neige in Avoriaz, with a second base in Morzine.
• Rustine Bike School: guided rides and bike park courses with state-qualified instructors, from family rides to expert sessions, plus bike hire, based at the Chalet VTT Mag behind the tennis courts at the resort entrance.

Some of these operators publish little online, so contact them before you travel to check they're running.

Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates with the operator.

Getting There from the UK

Geneva is the nearest airport, around 85km away, or roughly an hour and a half by road, and has the widest choice of flights from the UK. Annecy is a similar distance, and Lyon Saint-Exupéry is around two hours and 40 minutes away. Shared and private transfers run from Geneva to Morzine and Avoriaz, and Altibus and SAT coaches connect Geneva airport and station with the foot of the Prodains Express cable car or the resort itself, though summer timetables are thinner than in winter, so check before you book.

By rail, take the Eurostar to Paris and a TGV towards Geneva or Haute-Savoie. The nearest stations are Thonon-les-Bains, around 45km away, and Cluses, around 41km away, both linked to Geneva by the Léman Express regional trains, with coaches on to Morzine, Les Prodains and Avoriaz. Bikes need planning on the high-speed legs: Eurostar and TGV each have limited bike spaces or require the bike to be bagged, so reserve a space or pack your bike before you travel. Regional trains take bikes free, space permitting, but check whether the onward coach carries them.

Driving from Calais or the Channel Tunnel is around 900km, roughly nine to ten hours on toll motorways via Reims and Dijon towards Geneva. Leave the A40 at Cluses, climb via Taninges and Les Gets to Morzine, then follow the D338 up to Avoriaz. Having a car makes it easy to bring your own bikes and kit, and to reach the other resorts in the Portes du Soleil.

Avoriaz itself is car-free. You can drive the D338 all the way up to 1800m and leave the car in the covered car parks or the outdoor car park at the resort entrance, which are worth booking ahead in busy weeks. Alternatively, park at Les Prodains on the Morzine side, where parking is free in summer, and ride up on the Prodains Express cable car, which carries bikes during the bike park season. Free summer buses link Les Prodains with the centre of Morzine, and small shuttles run around the resort.

When to Go

The lift-served season usually runs from mid-June to mid-September. At each end only some lifts and trails are open, and the full lift network runs from late June to the end of August. The exact dates vary each year, so check the resort's timetable before you book. Late June and early September are usually quieter, while the peak weeks from mid-July to mid-August, around the French public holidays of 14 July and 15 August, bring the busiest lifts and trails in the middle of the French school summer holidays.

Each June the Pass'Portes du Soleil brings big crowds to the region for a weekend, and Avoriaz hosts a big mountain bike show alongside it, with brands offering test bikes on marked trails. It is a great weekend to be here, but expect busy lifts.

The resort sits at 1800m and the top lifts reach well over 2,000m, so it can be cool and windy up high even on a hot day in the valley, and conditions change quickly. Summer thunderstorms tend to build through the afternoon and can close lifts temporarily, so start early, carry a waterproof layer and check the forecast each morning. The Lindarets sector's clay, roots and rocks get slippery in the wet.

Where to Stay

Staying in Avoriaz puts you on the plateau at 1800m, with the Proclou sector easy to reach from the village and the Pop Corn Bikeyard and Lil'Stash zone a short ride away, so you can ride straight from your accommodation. The resort is car-free and quiet in the evenings. Morzine, down in the valley, has more restaurants, bars and shops, and reaches Avoriaz by the Super Morzine gondola or the Prodains Express cable car, while Les Gets, Châtel and Champéry are other bases on the same lift pass.

Most accommodation in Avoriaz is apartments and apartment residences, with some hotels and chalets, and Morzine adds more catered and self-catered chalets, bike-focused chalets, hotels and campsites nearby. The Portes du Soleil Multi Pass covers pedestrian lifts and dozens of activities across the region, which suits non-riding family members, but it cannot be used on the lifts with a bike, so riders still need an MTB lift pass.

Beyond Avoriaz

• The Lindarets sector links directly into Chatel's bike park via the Chaux Fleurie chairlift, and the Super Morzine sector runs straight into Morzine's own trails.
• A waymarked route also drops from Lindarets past Lac de Montriond, along the Parchets piste, then follows the river back into Avoriaz, a pleasant way to round off a day out.
• Confident riders can head across to the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil, taking the Mossettes chairlift up and dropping down the fire roads towards Les Crosets.
• Each June the Pass'Portes du Soleil brings MTB, e-MTB and gravel formats together across the whole region.

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