Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
The spot in two facts
- Grade III+at its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. See it for grade III paddlers.
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.
Map
the spot and its town
Rhône, Vague de Sault Brénaz on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Rhône, Vague de Sault Brénaz
A launch on the Rhône. Grade III+, on the international scale. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 0.3 km away. The town to stay in is Sault Brenaz. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot and 1 climbing area.
- River Rhône
- Grade Grade III+, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 0.3 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$1,350–US$2,530 each
about US$1,350–US$2,530 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 LYS, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$482–US$1,000 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$67–US$107 |
| 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$1,350–US$2,530 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Sault Brenaz
2 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Sault Brenaz 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 25m
About 17h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LYS, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 50 min by road
Flights ORD → LYS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Sault Brenaz · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Sault Brenaz · GetYourGuide
River level
River level at Le Rhône à Lagnieu - Station partenaire CNR: its gauge has sent no reading in the last day, so check it before you go.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River flow in France: Hub'Eau (hubeau.eaufrance.fr), data from the hydrometric services (SCHAPI, DREAL), Licence Ouverte 2.0. Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Canoë l'Esquimaude 22 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