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The extreme sport of white water rafting took off in the mid-70s as a challenging and invigorating way of navigating a turbulent river. Since then it has grown very much in popularity and thrill seeking tourists book cheap holidays to white water areas in the Alps in order to experience the fun. Rafts and safety equipment have improved greatly since those early days, making it accessible now to many more people. There are six grades of white water with Grade 1 being the most basic, suitable for beginners to Grade 6, which is considered too dangerous to navigate.

The rafts used today are very sophisticated with safety very much in mind. The raft consists of several air-filled chambers, making it unsinkable and overlaid with a variety of materials, usually vinyl and a tough rubberised fabric. The basic model holds 7 passengers as well as an experienced instructor who advises everyone on safety procedures.

Before the start of the trip which can take from 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on what course you're travelling and each passenger is given a combination jacket with neoprene bootees, a helmet, life jacket and paddle. You could always book cheap flights to travel internally within France if there was somewhere else you fancied visiting.

Briancon on the Cote d' Azur is a great place to come rafting. It doesn't matter what your level of expertise is, it's suitable for novices and experienced rafters alike. The best rivers are the Onde, the Gyronde, the Guil, the Rabioux and the Ubaye. Another popular white water site is the Durance River, with its conjunction with the Guisance.

If you're looking for something a little more daring, maybe you should test the waters in Italy? The Giffre at Samoens is popular and attracts a large rafting fraternity. The more experienced rafters try their skill on the frightening Dora Baltea River in Italy. This really will sort the men from the boys! Chamonix also has great conditions, as the waters flow from the glaciers on Mont Blanc