Mountain bike France
E-MTB traverse of the French Alps (part 1)
From the turquoise waters of Lake Geneva to the Vanoise glaciersRef CY97
Discover the the majesty of the Northern French Alps by mountain bike the easy way. This unique e-mountain bike tour takes you right amidst the highest peaks of the French Alps. This is the first part of our Great e-mtb crossing of the French Alps, taking you from Lake Geneva to the town of Moûtiers located deep in the Tarantaise valley at the gates of the Vanoise National Park and the 3 vallées. Heading off from the vast shores of lake Geneva you discover the emerald green landscapes of the Val d'Abondance. Take a plunge into the extraordinary heritage of the Chablais mountains, the DNA behind its UNESCO Global Geopark status. Beyond the Abondance valley you will face the Mont Blanc in all its splendor, the top of Europe with its 4,810 meters. Beautiful balcony sections offer breathtaking views of some of the major peaks of the Western Alps. Further South, the mountains of the Beaufortain are a real treasure trove for mtb lovers. Riding across blooming Alpine meadows, we listen to the bells of the Tarine cows which produce the precious milk for the famous Beaufort cheese. The final descent takes place in a mountain environment at its most natural where the valleys and streams of the close Vanoise National Park meet. On this extraordinary Alpine itinerant experience, you get to enjoy both breathtaking Alpine environments and easy and smooth e-mountain biking.
Highlights
- The complete crossing of the Northern French Alps - from Lake Geneva to the Tarentaise valley
- The unique mountain landscapes of the Mont Blanc range
- Easy and smooth e-mountain biking in breathtaking Alpine environments
- A carefully designed e-mtb route with stunning tracks crossing the mountains of the Chablais and Beaufortain
Description
Comments
- This itinerary is the first part of our Great Mountain Bike Traversee of the Alps by e-mountain bike
- Special offers available for private groups. Please contact us for a quote
Great e-MTB crossing of the French Alps
This is the first part of our Great e-mountain bike crossing of the French Alps - the easy way.
The ambition of this new and unique crossing, 100 % made by France Bike Trips, is to make the exceptional panoramas and the incomparable atmosphere of the authentic Alpine landscapes accessible to electric mountain bikes.
The majority of the route is composed of fire and forest tracks (wide unpaved roads) and small mountain roads. We have also included short sections of singletrack trails without technical difficulty: not too steep, not too stony, no exposed sections. Very few hike-a-bike sections (only 3 or 4 during for this Alpine route!) are nonetheless necessary to pass the "key" sections of this crossing.
- Part 1, From Lake Geneva to the Heart of the Alps (Evian - Moûtiers)
Chablais, Mont Blanc range and Beaufortain: through coniferous forests and mountain pastures, the kingdom of abondance and tarine cows, with the enchanting sound of their bells.
- Part 2 , From the Vanoise to Val Maira (IT) (Moûtiers - Cunéo)
After the great Savoyard valleys of the Tarentaise and the Maurienne, we make our way to the Southern Alps (Queyras) and our Italian neighbours...
- Part 3, From the Piedmont to the sea on the Upper Salt Route (Cunéo - Vintimille)
A historic route and a stunning itinerary awaits us that constantly switches between the French-Italian border alonng the Ligurian border crest... until we plunge into the crystalline waters of the French Riviera!
Dates and price
Dates
| From 27/09/2026 to 03/10/2026 | 7 days | 1475 € | Available |
Costs and services guided tour
What is included:
- Fully qualified English-speaking mountain bike guide
- 6 nights in 2* and 3* hotels in double rooms with en-suite facilities
- 6 breakfasts
- 7 picnic lunches & power bars
- 6 dinners (multi-course menu)
- Daily baggage transfers
What is not included:
- International flights
- Your transfer to the meeting place (see paragraph below)
- E-bike rental
- All services mentioned in extensions
- Insurance, assistance
- Drinks at the accommodation
- Visits to museums, monuments and sites not covered by the programme
- Additional travel related to change in the programme due to bad weather
- All personal expenses
- Everything not mentioned under “what is included".
Supplementary services
Prices per person:
- Single-room supplement for 6 nights: 185 € (subject to availability)
- Supplementary nights: upon request
- Return transfer from Moûtiers to Evian including bikes: 100 € (subject to availability)
- E-MTB rental (see below for details):
- Full suspension e-MTB (150 mm travel), model Scott E-Genius or equivalent, 625Wh battery: 525 € for the week
- For the guided version, the prices include delivery to Evian and pick-up in Moûtiers
e-mountain bike rental
The following e-mountain bikes are available for rent for this tour:
- Full suspension e-mtb Scott E-Genius or equivalent (500Wh battery), Price: 525 € for the whole tour
Please specify your model and pedal choice in the booking form. Don't forget to add your height (or inseam length). You can contact us for more information about the type of bikes available for this tour.
Delivery and pick-up
- Guided version: included, our guide takes care of delivery and pick-up
Private groups / Custom tours
You are a group of friends, a family, a company or a cycling club and you would like to organise a private cycling tour on the dates of your choice. This option is available for guided and self-guided tours.
- If you are interested in one of the tours presented on our website, we can provide you with a detailed quote based on the number of persons in your group.
- If you are interested in a custom version of one of our tours, with specific requirements (tour duration, accommodation type, vehicle assistance, airport transfers, bike rental, etc.), we can provide you with a detailed quote based on the number of persons in the group and the group's specific requirements.
For more information or to receive a quote, please contact us by phone at +33 458 140 435 or by email at info@france-bike-trips.com.
Booking procedure / Cancellation
How to book
In order to make a booking please fill in the online booking form on the "booking" page of your chosen tour. At the end of the booking process you will be transferred to our bank's secure payment page in order to pay a 30 % deposit.
Last minute booking
All self-guided bookings made within 21 days of tour departure will incur a surcharge of 15 € per person.
Expert advice
- Unsure which tour to book?
- Interested in a custom version of one of our tours?
- Not sure if a particular tour is suitable for your riding style?
A dedicated team of travel specialists is available to offer you expert advice Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm (French time) by phone - +33 458 140 435 or by mail - info@france-bike-trips.com.
Tour confirmation
In order to confirm our guided tours, we need to reach a minimum number of participants (usually 5 persons are necessary). Therefore booking a guided tour does not necessarily mean the tour is confirmed. In the unlikely event that we are unable to confirm your chosen tour, we will offer you the opportunity (no less than 21 days before departure) of switching to another (confirmed) tour, or receiving a full refund.
Self-guided or custom tours: We confirm bookings of self-guided tours and custom tours directly after booking.
In both cases, please await our final booking confirmation before making any travel arrangements.
Balance payment
Tour balance payment must be made no less than 30 days before tour departure. Your travel documents will be sent to you once we have received your balance payment. Road books and maps will be sent to you 3 weeks before departure.
Cancellation
In the event that you are obliged to cancel your tour France Bike Trips will reimburse the entire sum paid for the tour, minus the following cancellation charges:
- More than 60 days before departure: 5 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
- Between 60 and 31 days before departure: 15 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
- Between 30 and 21 days: 30 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
- Between 20 and 14 days: 50 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
- Between 13 and 7 days: 70 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
- Less than 7 days before departure: 100 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
Full details of our sales conditions are available here
Travel insurance
It is important to be correctly insured when embarking on a cycling holiday. We recommend checking the details of your travel insurance (if you have one) and, if necessary, subscribing to our contract below. Please note that France Bike Trips is simply an intermediary between you and the insurance company.
You can choose between these travel insurance contracts while completing your booking form:
- I subscribe to the "comprehensive multi-risk" insurance cover (4.5%), minimum premium of 15 €:
This contract covers assistance, repatriation, lost or stolen luggage, holiday interruption and cancellation. To see the full contract, click here. - I purchase the "cancellation only" insurance cover (2.5%), minimum premium of 10 €:
This policy covers cancellation only. To see the full contract, click here. - I purchase the "repatriation & assistance" insurance cover (1.6%), minimum premium of 10 €:
This policy covers assistance, repatriation, lost or stolen luggage and holiday interruption. To see the full contract, click here.
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Getting there
By train: From Paris Gare de Lyon train station to Evian les Bains train station (about 5h by TGV train).
https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/
By plane:
- From Geneva airport: join the Geneva train station and head to Evian les Bains.
- From Orly or Beauvais airport: join the Paris Gare de Lyon train station and head to Evian les Bains.
- From Lyon airport: join the Lyon train station and head to Evian les Bains.
By car:
Route planner: en.mappy.com
Coming back:
You can return to Evian les Bains by taking the train from Moutiers (about 5h) : https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/
Which e-mountain bike to choose for this trip?
This circuit has been specifically designed for electric mountain bikes. We have put the emphasis on the variety and playfulness of the route: forest and fire tracks, easy singletrack trails and small rural roads. We have limited hike-a-bike sections to the minimum. Taking maximum pleasure on our tours requires appropriate equipment.
We recommend
- Crank motors
- Battery capacity of 500 Wh minimum
- Pedal assist
We do not recommend
- Hub motors
- Battery capacity lower than 500 Wh
- Throttle assist
Battery management
There are many factors that affect battery use. Elevation gain, technical difficulty of the route, type of terrain, weight of the mountain bike + biker combination, ability to ride in "eco" mode, engine power, etc. You should take into account distances and elevation gains indicated in our detailed tour programmes, your data and your experience in order to decide whether it is necessary for you to carry a spare battery in your rucksack.
For information purposes, a 500 Wh battery allows an average weight rider in the "eco" mode (limiting the use of other modes to only a few, particularly steep sections) to ride about 50 km and 1500 m of cumulative elevation gain on a route with a mix of terrains: road, forest tracks and singletrack. Just like on a normal mountain bike, make sure to use low gear ratios (higher pedaling frequency) in the steep parts, rather than using a high gear ratio and compensating with a higher level of electric assistance.
Car sharing
If you sign up for a guided tour, we offer you the opportunity to see if you can carpool with other participants to get to the point of departure. To do this, go to "Car sharing" in our website. By entering the complete reference and the date of departure of the tour (available on the registration confirmation that we have sent you), you have access to route details and emails of other participants who wish to carpool.
Groupe size and guiding
For guided trips we limit the size of our groups from 5 (min) to 12 (max) persons in order to ensure security and conviviality.
You will be guided by English-speaking French mountain bike guides.
No size limitation for self-guided groups.
Accommodation
We favour comfortable accommodation with warm hospitality. For more details, please see the "Costs and services" section.
For private groups and self-guided tours it is possible to choose alternative accommodation (upgrade) depending on availability.
Food
"L'art de la table"
We pay very careful attention to the quality and the variety of your meals. Fresh and local produce will be served wherever possible.
- Continental breakfasts taken at the accommodation
- Cold picnics for lunch (mixed salad, bread, cold meats, cheese and fruit). Each participant carries his picnic in his daypack
- Cereal bars and dried fruit during the day
- Hearty dinners (3 to 4 courses, with local dishes)
Baggage
During the day you carry only a daypack for additional clothing, water, food, camera, etc. The rest of your baggage is transferred each day to the following nights accommodation.
Health
We strongly recommend having a medical check-up before your holiday.
Our / Your state of mind
- A "group" tour: If you join a guided tour, you will be part of a group for several days. This is a superb opportunity to meet new people and share some magical moments. However, a group tour requires that each person show friendliness, openness and mutual respect for their fellow travellers.
- An "adventure" tour: despite the most careful preparation, adventure tours can present unforeseen events. Accepting these risks will help you enjoy your trip to the full, in the knowledge that your guide, our local partners and the entire France Bike Trips team will offer you the most suitable solutions to any given situation.
Bike and plane / train
If you decide to bring your own bike, be aware that transporting a bike by plane or train is no longer an issue. However a few simple guidelines help to optimise the transport and avoid potential damages that could occur.
Your bike must be transported in a designated bike bag (standard size 120x90cm). This maximal size allows you to travel with your bike as "hand luggage" in any TGV and SNCF trains.
It is very important that you protect your bike in the bag. After having deflated the tires, removed the wheels (by removing the quick release mechanisms), pedals and rear derailleur (which is left hanging on the chain), we recommend you wrap your bike inside the bag in a sheet of dense foam (thickness of 3 to 5 cm). A piece of cardboard or rigid plastic positioned between the foam and the inside of the cover can be beneficial to provide more rigidity.
Once folded up the bike bag will take up very little space and will be transported by the assistance vehicle during your tour.
Bike bags are available directly from France Bike Trips at a cost of 70 euros, plus postage.
Your equipment
Material provided by France Bike Trips (guided version only):
- A group first aid kit
- A repair kit and tools
Personal equipment to bring:
Luggage
All your luggage must fit in two bags: a daypack and a travel bag.
1/ Daypack
This is the bag you will keep with you each day whilst riding. This bag should not be too large (up to 30 litres).
It will contain: a picnic lunch, camera, waterproof, extra clothing, sunglasses...
Each day, your guide will advise you on what to bring in your bag according to the route and the weather.
2/ Travel bag
This is the bag that will be transported from one accommodation to the next by vehicle. It should contain all the belongings you will not use during the day.
Please note: Your luggage transported from one accommodation to the next must fit in a single bag and must not exceed 20kg maximum (or less if stated in the dates & prices tab).
List of equipment to pack:
For your head
- A cap or other head protection against the sun
- A hat or headband
- A mountain bike helmet (COMPULSORY).
For your upper body
- Two cycling jerseys (made of synthetic or natural breathable fabrics)
- A warm shirt or a sweatshirt
- A fleece
- A waterproof jacket
For your legs
- Two good quality cycling shorts with chamois
- Trousers
- Casual short
- A swimsuit
- Waterproof trousers (recommended for our alpine tours)
For your feet
- Mountain bike shoes (“multi-activity / outdoor” type with grippy soles or clipless biking shoes)
- Sports socks (+ warm wool socks for our alpine tours)
- Sandals (not compulsory, but nice during breaks...).
For your mountain bike
If you rent your MTB from France Bike Trips, this material is not necessary.
- If you have tires with tubes: 2 spare tubes + puncture repair kit
- If you have tubeless tires: sealant, a tube with presta valve (just in case), a spare tire
- If you have V-brakes: 2 sets of replacement brake pads
- If you have disc brakes: 2 sets of replacement pads
- A rear derailleur cable + 1 rear brake cable
- Chain lube
- A pump
- A high pressure pump for your suspension (optional, your guide will have one).
- VERY IMPORTANT: A spare derailleur hanger (only if your rear derailleur is not integral to the frame).
Various
- A pair of MTB gloves (+ warm waterproof gloves for our alpine tours)
- A bike lock
- A head torch with batteries
- A pair of spare laces
- A toiletry kit and towel
- 2 bike bottles 75 cl (or camelbak)
- A pocket knife
- Some plastic bags to protect your equipment
- A needle and thread
- A small individual pharmacy: sunscreen (face and lips); band aids + double skin; Immodium; pain killers, earplugs, other personal medication.
Dates
Can be booked any time from beginning of June to mid-October.
Costs and services self-guided tour
Price per person for a group of:
Single-room supplement will be automatically charged in the case of odd-numbered groups.
What is included:
- 6 nights in 2* and 3* hotels in double rooms (DR) with en-suite facilities
- 6 breakfasts
- 6 dinners (multi-course menu)
- Daily baggage transfers
- Detailed travel documents, highlighted maps and GPS tracks
What is not included:
- Lunch meals
- International flights
- Your transfer to the meeting place (see paragraph below)
- E-bike rental
- All services mentioned in extensions
- Insurance, assistance
- Drinks at the accommodation
- Visits to museums, monuments and sites not covered by the programme
- Additional travel related to change in the programme due to bad weather
- All personal expenses
- Everything not mentioned under “what is included"
GPS tracks
If you choose to book a self-guided tour, we provide the GPS tracks of the route. You will be able to download the GPX type files from your France Bike Trips user account once you receive our travel documents by email. They are compatible with all current GPS software applications and editors.
Accuracy
These tracks have been created using professional mapping software. There may be slight differences between the GPS track and the reality on the terrain. The GPS tracks should thus be considered a "plus" to help you find your way. However, they are by no means a substitute for orientation with the help of the highlighted map material.
The distances and altitude gain in the tour's programme remain the reference. Indeed, real-world altitude and mileages can be different and vary significantly from the data shown in GPS software applications.
Data privacy
We ask you not to publish these GPS tracks on any website, social network or anywhere else. Their elaboration required many hours of hard work, both to create the track in the field, but also in our software applications. The non-respect of this ethic would force us to remove these valuable tool from our offer.
Supplementary services
Prices per person:
- Picnic lunches: 15 € per day
- Single-room supplement for 6 nights: 185 € (subject to availability)
- Extra nights: upon request
- Return transfer from Moûtiers to Evian including bikes: 100 € (subject to availability)
- E-MTB rental (see below for details):
- Full suspension e-MTB (150 mm travel), model Scott E-Genius or equivalent, 625Wh battery: 525 € for the week
- Self-guided version: the bikes need to be collected and returned to our office in Chambéry
Option analogue maps
We offer digital map material with highlighted tracks for our self-guided tours by default. These are printable (A4, pdf format).
On request, we can provide you with analogue maps containing the highlighted itinerary and route infos (official French maps at a scale of 1:25,000). Shipment will be made to the accommodation of your extra night before the tour.
Price of this option incl. shipping within France: see supplementary services
Please let us know in the booking form if you would like this option. Please also give us an accommodation address for shipping if you do not book an extra night through us before the tour.
Self-guided tour user guide
Active autonomy: what you need to know for our self-guided tours
In order to achieve the planned tour programme, you must:
- Guide yourself with the highlighted maps and road book;
- Choose suitable start times adapted to the lengths of the daily stages as well as your own riding pace, and leave an adequate safety margin of time;
- Obtain daily weather forecasts from your hosts, and take into account the weather conditions when planning journey times;
- Arrive at the booked guest houses and hotels listed in the programme on the given dates;
- Bring the necessary personal equipment to carry out the tour. France Bike Trips equipment list constitutes the necessary minimum;
- Carry insurance policies and emergency telephone numbers with you at all times;
- Be familiar with basic first-aid steps;
- In the event of any problems during your trip, contact France Bike Trips (contact information in your travel documents). Possession of a mobile phone that works in France is strongly recommended.
Self-guided tours are undertaken without a guide and at your own risk. France Bike Trips cannot be held liable for any route error, misconduct, personal imprudence, inadequate planning or inappropriate reactions in the event of incidents.
Any programme change of your own initiative is under your responsibility and at your expense.
Having said this, with our advice and good preparation, you should be able to look forward to a wonderful, trouble free holiday. Enjoy your trip!
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