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Mars, Pons - Vendes
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
65Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: Wind 10 kn gusting 21, Air 18 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 4.2 mm
Thu 5 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 1.5 mm
Fri 6 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Sat 7 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Mon 9 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 258, fair
- Tue 356, fair
- Wed 456, fair
- Thu 563, good
- Fri 662, good
- Sat 763, good
- Sun 866, good
- Mon 975, good
- Tue 1075, good
- Wed 1150, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IVat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jun–Aug7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 58, fair | 8 kn | 19kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 56, fair | 2 kn | 9kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 56, fair | 4 kn | 11kn | 9°C | 4.2 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 63, good | 10 kn | 19kn | 12°C | 1.5 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 62, good | 3 kn | 7kn | 11°C | 0.9 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 63, good | 2 kn | 7kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 66, good | 9 kn | 24kn | 13°C | 0.3 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 75, good | 10 kn | 21kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 75, good | 6 kn | 17kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 50, fair | 9 kn | 20kn | 10°C | 13.2 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
best Jun–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 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
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Mars, Pons - Vendes on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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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
1 place
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Mars, Pons - Vendes
A river section on the Mars, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III to IV, on the international scale. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 21 km away. For expert paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is St Bonnet de Salers. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River Mars
- Grade Grade III to IV, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 21 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$1,410–US$2,640 each
about US$1,410–US$2,640 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 CFE, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$476–US$992 |
| 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$1,410–US$2,640 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: St Bonnet de Salers
about 15 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About St Bonnet de Salers 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 18h 20m
About 18h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CFE, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 1h 45m by road
Flights ORD → CFE on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in St Bonnet de Salers · GetYourGuideKayak hire in St Bonnet de Salers · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
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