Tinée, La Gorge Rouge (St.Sauveur - Bancairon)
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
48Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 10: Wind 1 kn gusting 15, Air 7 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Wed 4 · 45 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Thu 5 · 44 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 2.9 mm
Fri 6 · 47 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 1.1 mm
Sat 7 · 49 out of 100
- Wind
- 0 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 46 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Mon 9 · 45 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 2.4 mm
Tue 10 · 53 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 353, fair
- Wed 445, fair
- Thu 544, poor
- Fri 647, fair
- Sat 749, fair
- Sun 846, fair
- Mon 945, fair
- Tue 1053, fair
- Wed 1155, fair
- Thu 1248, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIIits hardest rapid IV
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 53, fair | 2 kn | 13kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 45, fair | 4 kn | 23kn | 3°C | 0.9 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 44, poor | 5 kn | 17kn | 2°C | 2.9 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 47, fair | 1 kn | 8kn | 4°C | 1.1 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 49, fair | 0 kn | 9kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 46, fair | 1 kn | 9kn | 3°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 45, fair | 1 kn | 11kn | 4°C | 2.4 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 53, fair | 1 kn | 15kn | 7°C | 2.7 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 55, fair | 3 kn | 15kn | 9°C | 2.7 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 48, fair | 3 kn | 18kn | 6°C | 7.2 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. 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–Sep
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
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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
Tinée, La Gorge Rouge (St.Sauveur - Bancairon) 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tinée, La Gorge Rouge (St.Sauveur - Bancairon)
A river section on the Tinée, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III, its hardest rapid IV, on the international scale. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 18 km away. For expert paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, 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 Valdeblore. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots and 1 mountain bike area.
- River Tinée
- Grade Grade III, its hardest rapid IV, 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 None within 10 km, the nearest 18 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$1,440–US$2,690 each
about US$1,440–US$2,690 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to NCE, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$497–US$1,040 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$235 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$329–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$584 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$289 |
| Total | about US$1,440–US$2,690 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Valdeblore
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
17 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Valdeblore 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 18h 10m
About 18h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NCE, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 1h 10m by road
Flights ORD → NCE on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Valdeblore · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Valdeblore · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at La Tinée à Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée - Route Chapelle Sainte-Blaise: 1.89 m³/s, low for November (updated 3 h ago). Running.
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
Azur Canoë Kayak Rafting 18 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