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When going on holiday, we all like to know that we are getting a good deal.  What are the three different things that you want to see in your holiday destination?

As someone who really enjoys mountain biking, I want three clear things to be on offer:

Choice of prices

I have always been a strong believer in the idea of getting at least three quotes, and then going for the middle one, counting on the principle that the most expensive is overpriced, and the cheaper option is going to be too near ‘budget’ for my personal tastes.  That said, sometime the rough option is great fun, and it does somewhat add to the whole feeling of mountain biking – the idea of adventure!  So camping is definitely an option.

Choice of accommodation

So which would I choose?  Would I go for an all-in hotel, with a Jacuzzi for the end of the day’s exertions?  Or should I instead choose something which is going to have a cold stream?  At the very least I want to have the options.  Some years I might be able to afford the more luxury items, but there are others – seemingly more these days – when it is really hard to bring the cash together.  In which case I don’t want to find that the choice of a limited and expensive accommodation means that I can’t go where I want to.  Besides which, there’s something rather fun about sitting at a roadside café, knowing that I have spent a lot less than the person on the next table, and getting just as much out of my holiday!

But perhaps my most favourite option is self-catering.  That means I can come and go as I please, eat out, or get an early night.  And if I can find a villa or an apartment off the beaten track then it means I can avoid some of the noisy revellers that might otherwise invade the more popular hotels!

Choice of challenges

Sometimes it’s great to take on the hardest mountain biking routes.  In fact, there is nothing to beat the thrill of succeeding and beating your own personal limitations, it opens up another world.  But the day after, you pay for it!  Big time.  DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is the payback that you almost certainly will pay unless you have a sports masseur on hand, and I have yet to train up my wife to do the honours.  So the following day I want to be able to ride a shorter recovery ride, perhaps on the flat.  And I don’t want to have to travel a long way from where I am staying to appreciate those easier routes.

I know that for many of my friends who have families they would certainly like a range of challenges, especially if the kids are going to be in tow.  You know the kind of thing, forests, quiet roads.  Not everyone wants the lonely roads!

Morzine Mountain biking holidays fulfil many of these fine points, and you can read about them in detail on my blog about road bike cycling to lose weight.