AVORIAZ MTB HOLIDAYS

The terrain surrounding Avoriaz runs in every direction. The Lindarets bowl feeds you into some of the most natural terrain in the Portes du Soleil, with beginner-friendly greens and blues leading over towards the Super Morzine plateau. 

Avoriaz's position at the centre of the Portes du Soleil also makes it the perfect base for day-tripping. Chatel, Morzine, Les Gets, Morgins, and Champéry are all reachable on a single lift pass. On a full Passportes du Soleil day you can cross into Switzerland and back, covering over 80km of varied terrain with multiple lift systems.

The car-free resort atmosphere sets the tone — slower pace, more community feel, bikes leaned against every wall and a terrace beer culture that can genuinely compete with anything in Morzine town. Nights in Avoriaz are quieter, which families are generally thankful for! But, the days are as full-on as anywhere in the Alps.

Restaurants & Bars

Avoriaz has many restaurants during the day and in the evening across July and August. They are reasonably priced, the same as they would be in Morzine at the valley floor.

On the Hill:

The Seraussaix Farm restaurant is the standout, right beside the trails in the Seraussaix sector, serving hiker's platters, farm charcuterie and cheese from its own animals, with local juices, Mont-Blanc beer and cold farm milk. Le Refuge des Brochaux does homemade traditional Savoyard food and crêpes. Down in Les Lindarets, in among the goats, La Ferme des Lindarets and La Crémaillère are worth a long lunch. Le Quarante-Sept is the quick snack stop in the Lindarets sector, and Le Spot Café sits at the Prodains cable car for a burger or brunch with a view back up at the mountain.

In Town:

La Boule de Neige for raclette, fondue, tartiflette and the pizza-and-burger end of the menu, Mama Alpina for Italian, Mountain Piz'Burg for a fast and cheap pizza or burger, Le 155 Steakhouse if you've earned a big steak, Le Trainô and La Falaise for generous family cooking, and the MiL8 for a chic brasserie option that does breakfast, BBQ lunches and proper dinners. L'Épicerie in the Amara district has arguably the best terrace in the resort, doing barbecue meats with Asian flavours. For the one big night out, Les Enfants Terribles at the Hôtel des Dromonts is the bistro-chic choice. Le Fournil de Cannelle and Maison Tavernier cover bread, pastries and breakfast.

Bars: the summer scene is a terrace scene, and that suits a day in the bike park. Le Fantastic has a big sun terrace, sport on the screens and a crêpe stop between laps. Le Globe Trotter switches from café to brasserie to après bar over the course of a day. The Amara Bar is the relaxed one, with a play area for kids. Le Festival at the Dromonts is the sixties-throwback cocktail spot. Le Roc, Le Trainô and La Cachette all pour a decent beer.

Be straight with yourself about one thing: this isn't Morzine's après scene. Avoriaz in summer is terraces, sunsets and a sensible bedtime. If you want a proper session, the Super Morzine gondola drops you into Morzine and the bars there. For most riders looking at a full week of laps, the quiet is a feature.

Shops

Three supermarkets serve the resort: Sherpa Centre, Sherpa Falaise and Carrefour Montagne. Both Sherpa stores and Carrefour offer online ordering with delivery or pedestrian collection, which is the move when you're self-catering in a car-free resort. Shop online before you arrive and let it turn up rather than hauling a week's food up the hill.

Beyond food there's a bakery in the Falaise district, Le R concept store for wine, deli goods and takeaway catering, Les Délices d'Antan for regional produce and takeaway raclette and fondue kits, the Seraussaix farm shop for cheese and charcuterie straight from the source, and bike shops in the resort for spares, servicing and hire.

Bike Storage

Some of the accommodations in Avoriaz do not have specific bike storage. If your property does not have bike storage, there is a 24 hour secure storage facility at the resort entrance, manned at all times, with individually secured units, with or without power.

Avoriaz is built for families who ride. Kids can start in the Pop Corn Park with its mini downhill track, dual slalom and airbag, then move on to the greens in Seraussaix and Proclou. Once they've got the hang of it, the flowy blues on Super Morzine are waiting. Grown-ups can split off for the Lindarets tech and meet back in the village for lunch. And with no cars around, you don't need to hold anyone's hand between the lift and the apartment.

Off the bike, most of the activities below are free or discounted with the Multi Pass that comes with your accommodation.

Aquariaz

An excellent facility in the centre of Avoriaz with lazy river, outdoor jacuzzi, rope swing, half pipe slide, large pool and kids play area. While not great for swimmers looking for laps, it's amazing for the kids.

Trampoline, Outdoor Games & Water Slide

In the centre of Avoriaz is a large open green area with an MTB skills area, beach volleyball, a skate park, a trampoline area, and a slip n slide. It's a great hangout during the day and a place to let the kids run wild in the evening if they have not burned off their energy during the day.

Archery, Tennis, Padel, Drift Karts, Golf

For the older kids or adults, there are a few more activities on offer. A large plateau offering several tennis and padel courts, a driving range, a full sized 9 hole golf course, archery and drift karts in a lit underground car park are all on hand.

Mountain biking in Avoriaz means rolling out of your front door at 1,800m and dropping straight into the trails. No car, no shuttle bus, no queue for the first lift of the day. It's own bike park has 19 official downhill trails spread over four linked sectors: Super Morzine, Seraussaix, Proclou and Lindarets. From there, the lift network takes you into Châtel, Morzine, Les Gets and over the border to Champéry-Morgins in Switzerland, part of 650km of marked riding. It's the only resort in the area where you start the day at the top.

Ride Avoriaz Like a Local

Avoriaz is the odd one out in the Portes du Soleil, in the best way. It's a car-free village at the top of the mountain, with the bike park wrapped around it and the whole Franco-Swiss network on your doorstep. Here's your snapshot:

• Avoriaz MTB Season - Mid June to mid September, with the full bike park open from late June to the end of August
• Bike Park Sectors - Super Morzine, Seraussaix, Proclou and Lindarets, all linked by around 10 lifts
• Big-Mountain Days - Drop into Châtel via the Chaux Fleurie chair, or head to Switzerland via the Mossettes for Champéry-Morgins
• Iconic Features - Session the Grosse Bert' (aka the Widow Maker) under the Zore chair, home of the Morzine Whip Off
• Après-Ride - Terrace beers in a traffic-free village, a swim at Aquariaz, or a lap of the golf course if your legs are done
• Lift Pass Tip - We'll have yours ready in your accommodation on arrival. No queues, no hassle

If that lot doesn't get you hyped to ride, nothing will. Check out our Avoriaz Property pages for the full Atlas experience to build your trip.

Avoriaz MTB Holiday Extras

Avoriaz was built in the 1960s as a completely car-free resort, and that makes a big difference in summer. You walk or ride everywhere, the village is quiet, and the bike park starts at your front door. Most Portes du Soleil resorts sit in the valley, so your day starts with a lift ride up. In Avoriaz you're already up there, which gets you on the trails earlier. At the end of the day you roll back down to the lifts rather than waiting for a bus.

The Avoriaz Bike Park has come a long way. A dedicated crew of shapers builds and maintains every trail, and the terrain covers everything from machine-cut flow lines packed with berms and tables to rooty, rocky, hand-built tech. The trails are split into Flow and Tech categories, so you can pick your poison before you drop in. Super Morzine is the jump and berm playground, Seraussaix is the gentle progression zone, Proclou is the newest sector and the closest to the village, and Lindarets is where the rocks, roots and clay live.

Why ride Avoriaz instead of staying in the valley?

They share the same lift pass and the same trails, so it comes down to how you want your week to feel.

Pick Avoriaz if you want to start every day on the trails, you've got kids with you, or you like a quiet village and a good night's sleep before a big day. It's cooler up here, which is a gift in a July heatwave, and evenings are terraces and sunsets rather than late nights.

Pick Morzine if you want a buzzing town, bars, the Pleney on your doorstep and the shortest transfer from Geneva. It's the better base for groups of mates and riders chasing steep downhill and natural enduro.

Still not sure? Give us a call. We've ridden both for years and we'll tell you straight which suits your group.

Avoriaz Bike Park - The Facts and Figures

• 4 interconnected bike park sectors
• 19 official downhill trails, split between Flow and Tech
• 2 marked enduro / e-bike loops
• Around 10 lifts serving the bike park, with no shuttles needed
• A freestyle zone with an MTB airbag
• Pop Corn Park beginner zone and pumptrack in the village
• Direct lift access to 650km of Portes du Soleil trails across France and Switzerland
• A resort sitting at 1,800m, 100% car-free

Avoriaz trail by trail - the local's cheat sheet

Super Morzine - The most popular sector, full of berms and jumps. Tutti Frutti and Cap Canaveral are the flowy blues. Take Cap Canaveral if you're heading for the Grosse Bert'. Racine Carrée is exactly what the name says (a carpet of roots), Da Trail mixes flow with tech and has a road gap, and Hattock is the black: gaps, doubles and step-downs. Local tip: avoid the Zore chair around 10-11am in peak season and ride it over lunch instead. On Friday evenings in July and August, the Super Morzine gondola and Zore stay open until 7pm.

Seraussaix - Mellow, flowy and built for progression. Alpage and Soylent Green are the greens, and Stand High Patrol is a jumpy, freestyle blue with a red step-up variant at the bottom. Stop at the Seraussaix farm and say hi to the cows.

Proclou - The newest sector and the closest to the village. Fourmiz is the classic first green of the day, Goupil is a rooty, north-shore introduction to natural riding, and Walibi is a playful, techy red with drops in the roots.

Lindarets - The most technical corner of the park. Bleue des Brochaux is a slightly spicy blue, Dans la Forêt is a steep red that starts on the famous Lindarets slab, and Coupe de France is the rocky black for those who want to get rowdy.