Page 5 | To remind people of French swimming pool rule

Solmum1964 · 2026-06-27T22:01:20+00:00

Just a quick reminder for people holidaying in France this year. Many public swimming pools and campsites insist that boys and men wear proper (lycra) swimming trunks in their pools. These can be traditional brief style, swim shorts or jammers but must be tight around the leg for hygiene purposes. Looser swim shorts are not allowed. I'm currently on holiday in France and have seen a number of men asked to leave the pool because they were not wearing appropriate swimwear.

Gwenhwyfar · 28/06/2026 09:28

DeftGoldHedgehog · 28/06/2026 07:38

Thanks for reminder of how weird the French can be.

Same rules in Belgium and I presume some other countries too.

Original poster

Solmum1964 · 28/06/2026 09:27

WutheringBites · 28/06/2026 09:22

Last time I tried to buy decent Lycra men’s swimming trunks in the UK I hit a bit of a blank. Any places which do good quality ones? High street just has racks and racks of swim shorts.

You're probably better off looking online. The M&S website has some and I expect Next does too. Or there's also Amazon who seem to sell everything!

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Shelby2010 · 28/06/2026 09:25

How do you avoid sunburn if you have to wash off the sunscreen before you get in the water? And some places don’t allow rash vests?

We’re going to Spain for the first time this year. Any weird pool rules there?

WutheringBites · 28/06/2026 09:22

Last time I tried to buy decent Lycra men’s swimming trunks in the UK I hit a bit of a blank. Any places which do good quality ones? High street just has racks and racks of swim shorts.

Firetreev · 28/06/2026 09:21

SwirlyGates · 28/06/2026 09:19

The swimming pool I used to go to with my kids in the UK had showers at the poolside, completely open and visible to everyone. Unsurprisingly I never saw anyone soaping up nude, either before or after their swim.

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Don't get me wrong. We Brits are not going to shower nude in public. However, my point was that many Brits seem to skip showering entirely before entering the pool.

AppropriateAdult · 28/06/2026 09:20

BadBadCat · 28/06/2026 08:59

When I'm on holiday I put my swimsuit on under a kaftan and wear it all day!

I reckon it's to stop the pubes floating out of the loose shorts rather than to ensure they are wearing freshly applied trunks before swimming. Most men would wear shorts over their swimming trunks to pop to the restaurant, shops etc. So still wearing them all day.

It’s not about how long they’ve been wearing them - it’s about stopping people jumping into the pool in outerwear, which may be covered in dust/mud/food residue at the end of a long day. Many men would happily swim in the same sort of long, light shorts they’d wear for a day sightseeing, and the rules are there to avoid this sort of scenario.

SwirlyGates · 28/06/2026 09:19

Firetreev · 28/06/2026 09:15

Hair caps are a good idea too. It really makes you realise how grotty Brits are. In some Scandinavian countries you're expected to shower and soap up nude before you get in the pool to make sure you're clean. I see so many Brits just get straight in the pool in this country. It's quite disgusting.

The swimming pool I used to go to with my kids in the UK had showers at the poolside, completely open and visible to everyone. Unsurprisingly I never saw anyone soaping up nude, either before or after their swim.

BakedPotatoBeansCheeseColeslaw · 28/06/2026 09:18

Flamingojune · 27/06/2026 23:55

Why would that be a problem

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It’s a bit weird I agree - as if the pool isn’t full of chlorine…

Forestgreenblue · 28/06/2026 09:15

Actually thank you for the reminder!!! DS is going away with his friends family to France for 2 weeks and there will be swimming - I literally had completely forgotten this bonkers rule!!!

Firetreev · 28/06/2026 09:15

Hair caps are a good idea too. It really makes you realise how grotty Brits are. In some Scandinavian countries you're expected to shower and soap up nude before you get in the pool to make sure you're clean. I see so many Brits just get straight in the pool in this country. It's quite disgusting.

IDrinkTeaAllTheTime · 28/06/2026 09:13

FiveShelties · 28/06/2026 08:59

Anyone who posts on MN that their partner's underwear is stained with shit at the end of the day, should not be surprised that others will comment.

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Especially if she’s still married to him and still having sex with him. Honestly, the standards women tolerate for themselves on here is mind boggling 🤢.

Jellyslothbridge · 28/06/2026 09:12

It's good to check what the local etiquette is wherever you go.
I have a flowered swim cap in the 50s style that I have enjoyed wearing when the pool asks for swimming hats.

LancashireButterPie · 28/06/2026 09:12

I'd say take both types of swimwear!
DH is still traumatised from the time I insisted he wore budgie smugglers at a holiday site in France and assured him that everyone would be in the same attire.
Of course when we got there, every single man had normal shorts on.
He errrm stuck out like a sore thumb 🤣

IDrinkTeaAllTheTime · 28/06/2026 09:11

PlayingDevilsAdvocateisinteresting · 28/06/2026 05:36

My husband always has 'skid' marks on his underpants at the end of the day 🤮 I don't thin̈k that my underwear has ever had any skidmarks on them...

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Sorry, what? 🤢

NotAnotherScarf · 28/06/2026 09:09

PlayingDevilsAdvocateisinteresting · 28/06/2026 05:36

My husband always has 'skid' marks on his underpants at the end of the day 🤮 I don't thin̈k that my underwear has ever had any skidmarks on them...

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I've worked as a cleaner and yep women do too

StripyHorse · 28/06/2026 09:06

PlayingDevilsAdvocateisinteresting · 28/06/2026 05:42

Take a doctor's note saying that you mustn't expose your skin to the sunlight, and explaining why. It might even be a good idea to have a proper French translation, on a seperate piece of paper, in case an official claims to not understand it?

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If you can't get a translation in advance, you can use Google Lens / Google Translate to translate the text to French from printed text. Microsoft Lens is easier to read (opens new doc) but Google is quicker with fewer steps and the translation appears over your text.

This also works for menus etc that you want to translate to English.

Original poster

Solmum1964 · 28/06/2026 09:06

Peony1985 · 28/06/2026 06:39

We have a Lido in town and you are asked to shower first. They did publish the stars on how much cleaner the water if people do this.

I thought it was normal at all pools to shower before entering - but you always get some who don't think the rules apply to them!

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DreamyScroller · 28/06/2026 09:03

UncannyFanny · 27/06/2026 23:11

Ok. Google just told me. Shorts basically.

Your username just made my day.

Original poster

Solmum1964 · 28/06/2026 09:02

GnomeDePlume · 28/06/2026 05:57

I'm just back from a French campsite. The impression I got was that the rule was to wear what was obviously swimwear in the pool. So there were a few people in rash vests in the pool. I dont think tshirts would have been allowed.

I dont think I saw many, if any, men in speedos. All were in lycra shorts when in the pool.

Something else to note was that there were no lifeguards on duty. This was clearly indicated and does seem to be fairly standard for campsite pools.

There is a lifeguard here Yelloh! Camping La Capricieuse, Normandy but it is just one person monitoring all of the aquatic area. We saw more when we stayed at The 3 Valleys in the Pyrenees but you are definitely required to supervise your own children.

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HumberSquid · 28/06/2026 09:01

Backedoffhackedoff · 28/06/2026 08:52

hardly a doctors job.

dont know why so many people are jumping on a woman for her husbands habits. Its nothing to do with her

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He might need to see a doctor if the problem is not with his wiping.

FiveShelties · 28/06/2026 08:59

Backedoffhackedoff · 28/06/2026 08:52

hardly a doctors job.

dont know why so many people are jumping on a woman for her husbands habits. Its nothing to do with her

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Anyone who posts on MN that their partner's underwear is stained with shit at the end of the day, should not be surprised that others will comment.

Walkaround · 28/06/2026 08:59

Swimming shorts don’t really look like normal shorts, and I’ve never actually seen men wandering around supermarkets in swimming shorts. As for dirt and debris, given the industrial quantities of sunscreen that must be washing off everyone’s bodies, it doesn’t seem to me it would be helping all that much in an outdoor pool to avoid anything that could come off a man’s swimming shorts. Still, rules are rules!

BadBadCat · 28/06/2026 08:59

When I'm on holiday I put my swimsuit on under a kaftan and wear it all day!

I reckon it's to stop the pubes floating out of the loose shorts rather than to ensure they are wearing freshly applied trunks before swimming. Most men would wear shorts over their swimming trunks to pop to the restaurant, shops etc. So still wearing them all day.

Natsku · 28/06/2026 08:55

IGuessIllbetheFirst · 28/06/2026 06:27

I’ve heard that in other countries there are stricter rules on washing before getting into the pool (naked, without swiming costumes on) and then what can be worn in the pool to reduce the amount of chlorine/ chemicals they have to put in the pool for it to be safe.

Yeah in Finland we have to shower properly, naked, before getting into swimming costumes. There's even little pictures next to the showers indicating which areas you need to pay extra attention to! (more recent thing, as more immigrants come to Finland and haven't learnt the rules growing up as Finns do so aren't necessarily aware of how thoroughly they need to wash before getting in the pool). Swimming pools definitely smell less of chlorine here than they do in the UK.

Backedoffhackedoff · 28/06/2026 08:52

FiveShelties · 28/06/2026 07:47

What?

He needs to see a doctor or learn how to wipe his bum.

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hardly a doctors job.

dont know why so many people are jumping on a woman for her husbands habits. Its nothing to do with her