Europe MTB Hut Trip - Bike Park Info

[GoSlowGoFar]

I’m wanting to plan a mtb hut to hut trip with maybe a few extra bike park or trail riding days before or after. The Google is a bit overwhelming with all of the companies offering these sort of trips so I thought I’d drop in to see if anyone has any first hand experience? I was looking in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy but haven’t been to the continent so it’s all new to me.

I’m not looking for a guide, just looking to enjoy the hut amenities each night after a ride. I don’t mind a little hike a bike, overall just want a long day in the saddle, good views, and fun singletrack. Any recommendations are hugely appreciated, cheers!

[toast2266]

Based on my Europe experience, Italy has the best food and is generally cheaper. Austria and Switzerland are more expensive and the food is worse, but the beer is better. France is somewhere in between. Really cool mountains and trails to be found in any of those locations. No experience with huts in Austria or Switzerland, but there's tons of them in Italy and France.

[GoSlowGoFar]

Based on my Europe experience, Italy has the best food and is generally cheaper. Austria and Switzerland are more expensive and the food is worse, but the beer is better. France is somewhere in between. Really cool mountains and trails to be found in any of those locations. No experience with huts in Austria or Switzerland, but there's tons of them in Italy and France.

Thanks for the perspective man! Have you done any summer trips/mtbing to them or all ski related?

[toast2266]

Thanks for the perspective man! Have you done any summer trips/mtbing to them or all ski related?

I've actually only done summer trips - I still need to get over there to ski. Did a bike trip in Aosta and Chamonix area, and then another trip down towards the Med; Molini, Sospel, Finale Ligure, etc. Then I've done another couple trips that were non-bike related, just traveling around the Italy / France / Austria / Switzerland / Germany area.

We're doing another bike trip this summer to the Bourg Saint Maurice area. We're not doing any overnights at huts on this trip, but that area has *lots* of huts and it looks like you could link some together for a sweet trip. I bet you could start in Albertville / Beaufort and work your way south, mostly riding with maybe an occasional lift bump to cut out a few thousand vert of climbing. I've seen some cool looking trip reports around Mont Thabor (which has the Refuge Du Mont Thabor), which is a couple valleys south of Beaufort. I bet you could do a 5-6 day traverse to ride from Beaufort down through the Mont Thabor area.

[t.odd]

going to agree with toast, re. Italy...great culture, food, and general friendliness especially as compared to France, imo. But the riding in the Haute/Maritime Alps in either/both countries is really good. Can't really comment on specific things, have only been to Morzine/Portes du Soleil and Les Duex Alpes in 2010, Trans-Provence Route and Finale in 2017.

[alpinevibes]

I've followed Aosta Valley Freeride for a few years and the biking/hut-to-hut options around the Aosta look pretty sweet. We've skied around there and stayed at a great rifugio but haven't biked, yet:

https://www.aostavalleyfreeride.com/hut-to-hut/ Might be some good info to scope from their social media, etc.

[alpinevibes]

I've followed Aosta Valley Freeride for a few years and the biking/hut-to-hut options around the Aosta look pretty sweet. We've skied around there and stayed at a great rifugio but haven't biked, yet:

https://www.aostavalleyfreeride.com/hut-to-hut/ Might be some good info to scope from their social media, etc.

[GoSlowGoFar]

Awesome, thanks all. This is some solid info to get started.

[fool]

I’m not looking for a guide, just looking to enjoy the hut amenities each night after a ride. I don’t mind a little hike a bike, overall just want a long day in the saddle, good views, and fun singletrack. Any recommendations are hugely appreciated, cheers!

I can't comment on bike-specific stuff, but if you do enough digging, you can likely figure out how to book huts on your own and map it out appropriately. I ran the Tour du Mont Blanc over a few days years ago - near Chamonix, just north of Aosta Valley - and booked the huts myself. There was a useful website for booking huts for the TMB and I imagine that might be the case for more popular refuges throughout Western Europe.

[jm2e]

Awesome, thanks all. This is some solid info to get started.

Anxiously awaiting the TR