The ski season ends in April. For much of the 20th century, that meant the French Alps largely went quiet until December. That is no longer the case. Mountain biking — and particularly the explosion of electric mountain bikes — has converted a growing list of French ski resorts into genuine 12-month destinations, with summer booking demand in places like Morzine and Les Gets now routinely outpacing supply for peak weeks. For property buyers, the implications are direct: a ski apartment in the right resort can generate meaningful rental income across two seasons rather than one.
This piece looks at the state of the French Alps summer bike scene in 2026, which resorts are leading it, what the e-bike shift actually means for non-athletes, and how all of this feeds into the year-round ownership and lifestyle calculus.
Why E-Bikes Changed Everything
Traditional mountain biking in the French Alps was a sport for the physically capable. Even with chairlift-assisted descents, riding at altitude on technical terrain required a reasonable baseline of fitness and skill. Electric mountain bikes have removed that barrier entirely. Full-suspension e-MTBs with pedal-assist motors now allow riders of any age and fitness level to climb passes, link resorts, and cover distances that were previously impossible — then descend the same trails that professionals race.
The commercial result has been a broadening of the summer tourism market beyond hardcore riders. Families with teenagers, couples where fitness levels differ, and older buyers who want active holidays without punishing climbs are all now viable summer guests. Resort operators have responded: dedicated e-bike charging infrastructure, e-MTB-specific rental fleets, and guided e-bike itineraries are now standard across the major summer-active resorts. According to Grand View Research, the France cycle tourism market was valued at USD 7.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 21.4 billion by 2033 — growth driven largely by e-bike accessibility converting casual holidaymakers into active cyclists.
The Leading Resorts for Summer 2026
Morzine and Les Gets — Portes du Soleil
Morzine is the benchmark. Summer 2026 bookings are already filling fast, with peak weeks in late July and August the first to sell out — a dynamic that mirrors the winter ski market. The Portes du Soleil network gives riders access to over 650km of marked trails across 12 resorts spanning France and Switzerland. Lifts in Morzine open on 5 June and run through to 13 September 2026, with extended evening opening on the Pleney telecabine on Tuesdays and Thursdays during peak summer. Les Gets sits adjacent to Morzine and has hosted UCI Downhill World Cup and Enduro World Series rounds — the trail quality is competition grade.
The official Morzine tourism site details e-MTB itineraries specifically designed to open up the mountain to riders who want the experience without the training load. This is the product that has driven summer occupancy growth in the Portes du Soleil to levels that rival winter in some property categories.
Les Deux Alpes
Les 2 Alpes operates one of the largest dedicated bike parks in the Alps, with 103km of marked trails, four uplift lifts, and four specific e-bike itineraries rated from green to black. The Mountain of Hell — a freeride downhill race that has run since 1990 — returns on 19–21 June 2026, drawing thousands of spectators to the resort at the start of the summer season. For property owners, the event creates a predictable demand spike at a shoulder period that would otherwise see lower occupancy.
Les 3 Vallées and Méribel
The Three Valleys — home to Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens — offers refuge-to-refuge e-bike itineraries that are steadily building a summer reputation to match the area's dominant winter one. The scale of the network means multi-day rides with overnight stops are possible, attracting a more adventurous guest profile and longer average stays. For property owners in Méribel or Courchevel, this is the beginning of a genuine two-season rental market rather than a winter-plus-weak-summer one.
Beyond Bikes: The Broader Summer Sports Calendar
Mountain biking is the commercial engine of the French Alps summer, but it sits within a wider calendar that strengthens the ownership case further.
Trail running has grown from niche endurance sport to mainstream tourism draw. The HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc — the world's most prestigious ultra-trail race — takes place 24–30 August 2026 in Chamonix, with more than 10,000 runners competing across seven distances from 15km to 176km. The event attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators and support crew into the Chamonix valley during a week when ski-season accommodation would otherwise be empty. Properties in central Chamonix are fully let during UTMB week months in advance, with demand outstripping supply every year. It is one of the clearest illustrations of how a world-class events calendar translates directly into rental yield.
Hiking, via ferrata, white-water rafting, paragliding and mountain wellness retreats fill out a summer programme that runs from June through September. Morzine's transition to a four-season destination has been the most studied example, but the pattern is now visible across the range — from the Tarentaise to the Haute-Savoie.
What the Summer Season Means for Property Owners
The practical implication for ski property buyers is straightforward: a resort with strong summer infrastructure produces rental income across two seasons rather than one. Winter ski weeks remain the highest-yielding rental period — peak Christmas and February half-term weeks command premium rates — but a property that also lets consistently from late June to mid-September adds a second income stream that materially improves annual yield calculations.
Not all resorts are equally positioned. A property in a resort that has invested in summer lift infrastructure, trail development, and a non-skiing activities programme will outperform one that relies entirely on winter. Morzine, Les Gets, Les 2 Alpes, Méribel, and Chamonix sit at the top of that list in 2026. Mid-altitude resorts without summer lift operations face a harder case for off-season yield, though hiking and cycling on lower-altitude trails still creates some demand.
The lifestyle argument is equally important for buyers who intend to use the property themselves. An Alpine chalet that is genuinely usable in June, July and August — with warm temperatures, active pursuits, clean air, and a lively resort village — represents a fundamentally different proposition from a pure ski lodge. This shift in how buyers think about Alpine ownership has been one of the defining trends of the mid-2020s market, and the continued growth of e-bike culture is accelerating it.
Choosing the Right Resort for a Two-Season Ownership Strategy
Buyers whose primary motivation is rental return should prioritise resorts where summer occupancy is already proven rather than speculative. The indicators to look for are: lifts operating from June, a dedicated bike park with graded trails, an e-bike rental infrastructure, proximity to a major annual sports event, and a village centre with restaurants and services open outside the ski season.
On those criteria, Morzine and Les Gets score highest in the Haute-Savoie. Les 2 Alpes leads in the Isère. Chamonix stands alone as a year-round destination driven by its international profile, the Mont Blanc environment, and the UTMB calendar. Méribel and Courchevel are building summer credentials rapidly and bear close watching as the Three Valleys summer programme matures.
For buyers weighing up two-season strategy options, the growth of active outdoor culture across the French Alps provides useful additional context on how lifestyle sport trends are shaping resort demand beyond skiing alone. For a broader view of how co-ownership models work in both seasons, visit the how it works section of this site.
The ski season may be over for 2025–26. In the resorts that have made the summer investment, the rental season is just beginning.
