AlpPacker South FLOW
A more accessible take on the ultimate alpine mountain bike trip – all the adventure of the ‘regular’ AlpPacker South with a touch more comfort at night and less hike-a-bike, which makes the trip e-bike friendly too. Traverse the Alps from North to South on the ultimate alpine adventure.
Trip Flavour
The ultimate mountain bike tour of the Alps.
The ultimate mountain biking adventure.
Why is it the ultimate?
- Because you’ll traverse the Alps entirely from North to South – the narrative of this adventure is like no other!
- Floating in the Mediterranean Sea at the end of the trip is the best feeling ever
- You’ll be traversing and exploring the Alps on amazing technical singletrack
- With full vehicle support and 1000-2500m daily uplifts with the world’s most professional guides.
- Spend unforgettable nights in premium locally owned hotels with great hosts and great local food every single day.
- Ride iconic stages from past editions of the Trans Provence and Stone King Rally. This is the heart of French enduro riding.
That’s the AlpPacker South FLOW and it’ll change your life.
At a glance
- Duration – 7 nights, 8 days
- Point-to-point uplifted traverse of the Alps
- Skill level – Intermediate+ (Blue/red and above on ITRS)
- Physical level – Intermediate (blue and above on ITRS)
- E-bike friendly? Yes! In mixed groups to keep it social
Our 2025 Trip Dates
Trip Date
7 spaces left
Sep 13-20th
Trip Date
7 spaces left
Sep 20-27th
Trip Details
- Cost – €3195
- Trip includes – Guiding, van uplifts, transport, breakfast, lunches, evening meals, drinks from the van drinks cooler
- Not included – drinks at bars/restaurants, airport transfers, final evening meal
- Start: Briançon (we help arrange car sharing)
- End: Nice
- Airport: Nice
Core memories:
- Traversing the beautiful Queyras, Haute Alpes and Maritime Alps
- Topping out over 3000m altitude
- Rides that hop from France into Italy and back
- Crossing the entire alpine mountain range by bike
- Meeting our accommodation partners – the locals who keep these valleys alive
- Finishing your adventure in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea
AlpPacker South FLOW
The Journey
This is the southern leg of an ambitious North-South Transalp mountain bike tour of the entire French Alps.
This means we journey from the shores of lake Annecy in the north, down through the Haute-Alps into the Mercantour Alps, dodging marmots, National Parks and soap all the way until our front wheels literally hit the Mediterranean Sea.
To give us the time to really make the most of all the amazing trails along the way, we have split the trip into 2 one-week segments, imaginatively named North and South.
So the idea is to do the AlpPacker North one year and then to come back and ride the AlpPacker South the year after.
As such, a two week mega-trip is theoretically possible – will you dare to be the first to complete a mountain bike traverse of the Alps in one go?!
Day 1
Having arrived on the Saturday (day 0) and all eaten together in the evening, we start Sunday with a truly epic introduction.
Day 2
An uplift to the Italian border at 2700m kicks off one of the finest days of mountain biking out there. The finale is a 16km descent into the back garden of our accommodation for the night.
Day 3
It’s a cool start as the sun hits the valley floor in patches as we ride from the door. We’ll be linking up some fun sections of trail next to the famous Ubaye river this morning before uplifting to the main challenge of the day – a trip defining adventure over a high mountain pass to Barcelonnette.
Day 4
Today is about type-1 fun – we’ve earned it! Three monster uplifts and 3 absolute classic stages from various editions of the Trans Provence stage race. That being said, we can take our time and savoir the experience slightly more.
Day 5
Today we skirt the edge of the Mercantour national park on a day that starts high above the legendary enduro spot of Valberg. We will almost certainly meet some of the huge patou sheep dogs that protect the flocks from wolves.
Day 6
To the sea! On this final victory lap of a day we use the van as much as possible so you can really soak in the enormity of your achievement. The trails are, once again, on another level as we snake our way south towards the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Floating on your back in the Mediterranean Sea, looking over your toes at the mountains through which you have journeyed for 7 magical days in order to get here.
A journey like no other. Until next year…
How do the AlpPacker South FLOW and North FLOW compare?
First things first: once you’ve done one, you’ll want to do the other.
Second things second: both these trips involve technical mountain trails, climbing and long hike-a-bike sections.
Third? Well, both are point to point trips where we move on each day, staying in a charming mix of the finest locally run hotels and auberges.
Both FLOW trips are designed to be more accessible and are built around more type 1 fun – less climbing and carrying, e-bike friendly, higher spec accommodation and some 2 night stopovers, whilst still optimising the mythical journey narrative that have made our AlpPackers world famous.
The AlpPacker North FLOW traverses what most people would consider classic ‘chocolate box’ Alpine scenery. Think snow capped peaks, blue mountain lakes and ribbons of technical trails disappearing over the horizon. This is big mountain alpine riding at its finest.
It also features A LOT of mountain summits. We start on top of one above lake Annecy and over the trip we head steadily south, hitting as many of the rideable peaks the northern alps have to offer as we can. Standing on top of an Alp, with your back wheel on the summit and your front wheel pointing towards the distant valley floor, is a magical feeling and one that will stay with you for life.
We wrap up with an epic ride into the fortified mountain city of Briançon, overlooked on all sides by historical military forts and armaments. By this point we have tipped over into the more southern Haute Alpes and there is a very different feel to the peaks and also the trails.
The AlpPacker South FLOW picks up here. Many clients who have ridden classic BikeVillage trips choose to start with the AlpPacker South, mainly because it is so different.
The first days are spent crossing the Queyras, a gorgeous larch forested range threaded with flowing trails that sit between 1500 and 3000m altitude – you’ll be breathing hard from the start but we’re in no rush, the scenery is too beautiful.
This is Stone King Rally territory, overlooked by the looming summit of Monte Viso, the Stone King. As we journey south we continue our pilgrimage of multi-day enduro races as we enter Trans Provence country.
The trails get rockier and ever more varied – from the famous grey and red earth segments to high alpine tracks dropping into scrub oak slab bedrock dream sequence adventures.
The Maritime and Provençale Alps have it all. The grand finale sees us drop all the way to the sea, riding onto the beach and into the warm waters of the Mediterranean. Floating in the sea, looking over your toes at the mountain where you began your journey, 3000 vertical metres and some 350km away, the feeling of something truly magical and meaningful accomplished will stay with you for life.
So, toss a coin. Start with the North and keep things in order or go for the South for something totally different. Either way you’ll do them both!
FAQs
This handy collection of boxes should answer most of your questions – if not please get in touch to chat to us or even book a call back from our head guide Sam
What bike to bring?
Any modern trail/enduro bike will be great. The main thing is to make sure the bike is well serviced before you come and to fit suitable tyres. There will be specific tyre advice when you book – the Alps deserve a reinforced sidewall, so do you!
Can I rent a bike?
Absolutely. Just contact us during your booking and we’ll set a bike aside for you. When you arrive we’ll help set it up, adjust shock pressures and make double sure the brakes are the right way around depending on where you’ve come from!
What should I pack for my trip?
We made this handy video for how to pack light. You don’t need to go as far as us but it should help keep your bag size manageable for you.
Is this trip e-bike friendly?
The ‘regular’ AlpPacker North features hike-a-bike and 2 nights in mountain lodges without mains electricity so isn’t very suited to e-bikes. However, the AlpPacker North Flow IS e-bike friendly so if you’d like some power on your trip, we’ve got you covered.
Do I need insurance?
Yes, 100%. You need insurance to cover you for medical emergencies, trip cancellation and we also advise some bike cover in case of damage/loss. You can book great, cycling specific cover through Yellow Jersey and get a 10% discount using the code BVillage10
How hard is the trip?
This is designed to be an intermediate-friendly trip. On the International Trail Rating System (ITRS) you would need a physical level of blue or above and technically you should also be at blue/red level or above (except jumping – these are natural alpine trails so the aren’t really any shaped jumps). If you have any doubts then why not book in a chat with us to talk it over. A good option can be to try one of our ‘easier’ trips, like the Classic Bikevillage Tarentaise Tour, and take it from there.
What if the weather is bad?
We’ll have a ball anyway! Usual weather is sunny and warm but not too hot, mid 20°s/70°s.
This is the mountains though so we need to be prepared for the weather. Our guides monitor the weather endlessly and we’re always adapting our plans to make the most of the conditions. We’ve never missed and awesome day of riding yet.
Our packing video details the clothes that you should bring to maximise your fun on the trails.
How do I prepare for the trip?
Don’t stress! You have a job, a life and a million other commitments. Just ride your bike.
That said, a trip can be a great motivator to get out and do more. We have a video in the pipeline but, until then, here are a few tips:
- Regular and often: ride to the shops, ride to work, ride for 20 minutes. The more days in the week your bum hits a saddle, the better.
- Core strength: Zwift wont help you hike-a-bike! You can build core strength in lots of ways but our favourite is probably indoor climbing – it’s fun, sociable, winter-proof and works every muscle group we need for biking including grip strength. Get climbing!
- Enter an event: pick a fun but challenging event about a month before your trip. It’ll help motivate you and also leave you relaxed before your trip.
It could be biking but running is also fine. - Don’t stress!! We’ll say it again – you could always be fitter and stronger. That’s why you need a holiday. You’ll be fine.
How many people will be on my trip?
There’ll be a maximum of 7 riders plus your guide and driver. Sometimes we double the fun with a second set of riders + guide. This makes for a great atmosphere either way – a shared journey is best shared with good company.
Can I make this tour private?
Absolutely, just contact us to book a whole tour for your group.
What is the accommodation like?
Awesome and varied. Part of the fun is the perspective you get on life in the remote mountains. As such, we mix carefully selected hotels and guest houses (so mostly twin rooms) with mountain refuges and auberges where there are bigger rooms with more beds in.
There are some great tips in our packing video on how to get a good night’s sleep on the road.
If you’d like some more luxury our AlpPacker North Flow trip might be a better choice, along with a single room option.
How should I get to/from the trip?
When you book we’ll send arrival and departure information. You can come by plane, car or train.
By plane you’ll fly into and out of Geneva airport, where we can collect/drop you.
By car we’ll send you details of where to park and also help you to arrange car sharing with any other riders.
By train we’ll pick you up from Annecy station and drop you back there after the trip. Train pickups are free – it’s a small gesture to encourage sustainable transport methods.
We’ll send more specific details when you book.
AlpPacker North FLOW
Does it look too hard or too rustic?
Check out the AlpPacker North Flow for a bit less climbing and more luxury (also e-bike friendly)
View from the trail
How do I describe the perfect holiday? I’ve been lucky enough to do both the north and south twice. The scenery is just mind blowing, with the most spectacular scenery in the alps and it is all yours. The guiding with Sam and crew are just amazing at running a relaxed and friendly trip. The sense of adventure and the journey are just fantastic. For me, the absolute best holidays I’ve ever had.
Paul Banyagi-Mugenyi
AlpPacker North & South