France Travel

Mountain sports

Canyoning, via ferrata, paragliding, climbing, and rafting

Canyoning in France: The Complete Guide
Mountain sportsOutdoors

Canyoning in France: The Complete Guide

Canyoning descends a gorge by hiking, sliding, jumping, and abseiling down waterfalls. Here's where to go, what it costs, and what a first trip actually involves.

6 min read
Canyoning the Verdon Gorge: Routes, Season, and What to Expect
Mountain sportsOutdoors

Canyoning the Verdon Gorge: Routes, Season, and What to Expect

Europe's largest canyon has canyoning routes for total beginners and a full-day technical descent for the ambitious. Here's how to pick the right one.

5 min read
Fontainebleau Bouldering: The Complete Paris Day Trip Guide
Mountain sportsOutdoors

Fontainebleau Bouldering: The Complete Paris Day Trip Guide

World-class sandstone bouldering 90km south of Paris, reachable by a 30-minute train. Here's how to structure a day trip, no gear or experience required.

6 min read
Mountain Sports in France Beyond Skiing: The Summer Adventure Guide
Mountain sportsOutdoors

Mountain Sports in France Beyond Skiing: The Summer Adventure Guide

Canyoning, via ferrata, paragliding, climbing, and rafting: six French mountain sports from €50-150 per outing. Here's what each involves and where to start.

11 min read
Paragliding in Annecy and Chamonix: A First-Timer's Guide
Mountain sportsOutdoors

Paragliding in Annecy and Chamonix: A First-Timer's Guide

Lake Annecy is arguably the best tandem paragliding site in the Alps, with flights from €90-150. Here's how a first flight works and how Chamonix compares.

6 min read
Via Ferrata in France: Best Routes and How Grading Works
Mountain sportsOutdoors

Via Ferrata in France: Best Routes and How Grading Works

Steel cables and iron rungs let you climb terrain that would otherwise need real climbing skill. Here's how France's F-to-ED grading scale works and where to start.

6 min read
White Water Rafting in France: Best Rivers and How to Choose
Mountain sportsOutdoors

White Water Rafting in France: Best Rivers and How to Choose

From family-friendly Class I-II floats to full whitewater on the Ubaye, here's where to go rafting in the French Alps and how the difficulty classes actually work.

5 min read