The Portes du Soleil is the largest linked mountain bike resort area on earth. 14 resorts spread across the French-Swiss border from Les Gets in the south to Champéry in Switzerland to the north, connected by a lift network and trail system that collectively offers over 600km of marked trails. You can ride from France into Switzerland and back again in a single day. The scale is simply incomprehensible until you're standing on the Avoriaz plateau looking across at the Swiss mountains and calculating which gondola to take next.
The heart of all of this — the basecamp most riders choose — is Les Gets and Morzine. Two villages five kilometres apart, connected by multiple lifts, and together forming the most complete mountain bike destination in Europe. This is the davidmtb guide to making your trip here everything it should be.
Les Gets vs Morzine — Where to Base Yourself
Les Gets is the smaller, quieter village — a proper ski resort in character with chalets, good restaurants, and the Les Gets Bike Park using the Mont Chéry and Ranfoilly mountains. The bike park here is immaculately maintained, well-signed, and has excellent progression trails for all levels. Les Gets is the slightly calmer choice — better for families or riders who want a more relaxed atmosphere.
Morzine is larger, noisier, and more heavily concentrated around bikes in summer. Every street has hire shops, shuttle services, and riders in full kit. The Morzine Bike Park uses the Pleney mountain above the town and the gondola to Avoriaz opens access to the highest trails in the PdS area. Morzine is the buzz, the culture, the scene. If you want to be immersed in the European enduro community, base here.
Many riders split their time — accommodation in Morzine for the atmosphere, rides that include Les Gets terrain and the wider PdS network. The Morzine-Les Gets telecabine connection makes this easy.
The Trails — What to Ride
Les Gets Bike Park
The Les Gets Bike Park is arguably the best-balanced bike park in France — excellent at every level. The Ranfoilly gondola gives access to the main trail network with blue, red, and black runs that cover the full mountain. The progression trails here are genuinely brilliant — not "easy-but-boring," but properly engaging and flow-oriented. The DH and black trails on the upper Ranfoilly are legitimate technical challenges.
The Morzine DH Track
The classic Morzine downhill from the Pleney summit is a trail with decades of history. Fast, rooty in places, with the town spreading out below you as you descend. Not the most technically extreme trail in the PdS but one of the most atmospheric and frequently ridden. Do multiple laps on your first day — you'll feel the rhythm building quickly.
Avoriaz Plateau
The SuperMorzine gondola hauls you to the car-free resort of Avoriaz at 1,800m — France's highest purpose-built resort. From here you can access the highest PdS trails with views in every direction. The trail from Avoriaz toward Châtel and the Swiss border is one of the great intermediate enduro experiences in the Alps — long, varied, and scenic beyond any reasonable expectation.
The Swiss Connection
The most memorable PdS ride: take lifts from Morzine to Avoriaz, cross into Switzerland via the Les Lindarets valley, ride to Champéry in the Swiss canton of Valais, have lunch in Switzerland, and ride/lift back to France by the end of the afternoon. The border crossing on a mountain bike, with no formalities and extraordinary scenery, is one of the genuinely magical experiences that mountain biking uniquely allows. Don't skip it.
Practical Planning
Getting There
Geneva Airport (GVA) is 90 minutes from both Les Gets and Morzine and is the standard gateway. Ryanair, easyJet, and British Airways all fly direct from UK and Irish airports. Book a shared shuttle (Ben's Bus, Altibus, and similar services) from the airport — significantly cheaper than a taxi and just as convenient for most arrival times. Alternatively rent a car in Geneva (£80–100/day) if you want flexibility to combine multiple destinations.
When to Go
The bike park opens mid-June and runs through to mid-September. July and August are peak season — crowds, prices, and the best weather reliability. Early July and early September offer the best compromise: trails are in condition, lifts are running, but the peak crowds have thinned. Accommodation prices in June are significantly lower than August for the same quality of room.
Late June can still have snow on the highest trails — check conditions before booking. August has the best chance of consistent sun and dry trails across the full network.
Lift Passes
- Les Gets Bike Park day pass: ~€35
- Portes du Soleil area pass: ~€45/day — covers Les Gets, Morzine, Avoriaz, Châtel and more. Worth it for any multi-day trip where you want to explore the network
- Multi-day PdS passes: progressive discount per day — calculate your trip total and decide
- Half-day passes: useful for arrival/departure days or rest day afternoons
Where to Stay
Morzine: The centre of town has good hostel-style accommodation (Camp du Dru, The Den) for budget riders. Chalet accommodation is widely available and makes for an excellent group trip — shared catering and a comfortable base from around £100/person/night in peak season. Book anything for July–August by January — the best places sell out completely.
Les Gets: Slightly more refined, slightly fewer party vibes, excellent value for families. The village has quality restaurants and genuinely good cheese (the Reblochon from this valley is exceptional).
Bike Hire
Both villages have excellent hire options. Forerunner, Ride In Style, Evo Bike, and numerous others in Morzine. Les Gets has several quality shops including Le Spot. Book in advance for July–August. Expect to pay €70–100/day for a quality enduro hire bike. Bring your own if you're flying — airline bike fees are usually less than 3–4 days of hire costs.
The lifts in PdS can be chaotic on peak season weekends. Plan your route the night before using the Portes du Soleil app — know which gondolas you need and when they run. The Telecabine du Pleney in Morzine fills first in the morning; use the Nauchets or alternate entry points if there's a queue. Tuesday and Wednesday are typically the quietest days. Get your last lift 30 minutes before official closing — the lifts fill fast at close-of-business on busy days. And the best après-ski (post-ride beer) in Morzine is at Bar Robinson — find it, trust us.
See the full France trails guide: davidmtb's Top 20 MTB Trails in France →