
La Dranse
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
56Fair out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 47 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 51 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 54 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 55 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sat 7 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sun 8 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 141, poor
- Mon 247, fair
- Tue 351, fair
- Wed 454, fair
- Thu 558, fair
- Fri 655, fair
- Sat 757, fair
- Sun 858, fair
- Mon 959, fair
- Tue 1057, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIIat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- 1.8 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 41, poor | 9 kn | 19kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 47, fair | 6 kn | 13kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 51, fair | 4 kn | 11kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 54, fair | 2 kn | 8kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 58, fair | 2 kn | 10kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 55, fair | 3 kn | 8kn | 8°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 57, fair | 3 kn | 9kn | 9°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 58, fair | 4 kn | 10kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 59, fair | 3 kn | 8kn | 10°C | 0.6 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 57, fair | 3 kn | 11kn | 12°C | 9.6 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
La Dranse on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says. Days past the forecast count as they usually are.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- La Dranse 1.6 km away
- La Dranse 2.2 km away
- La Dranse 2.3 km away
- La Dranse 4 km away
- Alpo Vive Rafting 7.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About La Dranse
A river section on the La Dranse, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III, on the international scale. It runs 1.8 km along the river. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. 5 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 2.7 km away. The town to stay in is Thonon-les-Bains. Within 5 km we also list 8 kayak spots, 1 climbing area and 1 mountain bike area.
- River La Dranse
- Grade Grade III, on the international scale.
- Length 1.8 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 5 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 2.7 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,430–US$2,670 each
about US$1,430–US$2,670 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to ZRH, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$489–US$1,020 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$328–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$288 |
| Total | about US$1,430–US$2,670 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Thonon-les-Bains
13 min by car · 21 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Thonon-les-Bains its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 10m
About 17h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ZRH, direct, then 3h 40m by road
Flights ORD → ZRH on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Thonon-les-Bains · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Thonon-les-Bains · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
AN Rafting 2.7 km
Frogs Rafting 3.8 km
Alpo Vive Rafting 7.7 km
Base Nautique de Sciez 13 km
Passion Kayak 19 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits