South of France Campsites which allow swimming shorts...

[Ninping]

Can anyone recommend me a largish, toddler friendly Eurocamp type site which does not have the speedos only rule? After weeks of searching I narrowed our choices down to Le Brasilia and Serignan Plage only to be told by DH that under no circumstances would he wear speedos or lycra shorts. Grrrrrr!! He will not shift on this so we need somewhere with more relaxed rules. Having read reviews on the above two sites it seems they both enforce the rule. What to do?

There are very very few and they are very very strict on it. We spent 2 months in 2011 touring south of France and we we found one campsite with a pool, a municipale site, and they were fine for DH to wear shorts, everywhere was speedos or Lycra cycling shorts (short ones)

They are also very strict on shoes around the pool (not even flip flops allowed) and definitely no food or drink.

I got told off in 2009 for having a bottle of water at Domaine du Columbier (Keycamp) and even though I was 35 weeks pregnant, there was no relaxing the rules.

Hasn't put us off, and we're going back this year, but better prepared with more speedos!!!

:)

I think you'll struggle tbh. Keep driving and go to northern Spain! I've worked over there and none spring to mind. Its a deal breaker for dp too - hence we're off to Spain again!

Why would you want to vacation someplace that insists on telling you what you can wear while swimming. Especially when that's based not on revealing too much, but rather on fashion. I would recommend Italy instead.

Anyone know why? Is it because too much water escapes from the pool on exit?I can't imagine it's for the same reason that schools ban shorts for lessons (as it impedes leg movements).

Club Farret allows shorts. A nice camp with good facilities and beach. But not so much in surrounding area.

It's to stop people swimming in the shorts they've worn all day, which would bring dirt into the pool.

It's supposed to be hygiene related- wearing same shorts all day to swim in not hygienic- sand, sweat etc.

Spain! They need the money and they are nice friendly people!

We've stayed in some Castel Camping sites around France and they don't seem to mind people swimming in board shirts etc.

Thanks so much for all the responses. So it's looking like Italy or Spain then.... Last year we went to Parc Albatros in Tuscany and it was perfect for us, I'm half tempted to just go back there again but would really like to go somewhere different. Holiday searching takes soooo long!

As said it is partly hygeine related and partly because shorts have pockets in them, and a stray tissue in a pocket can block the pool filter.

Funny how all those pools in america seem to survive the scourge of board shorts just fine. Never mind that board shorts these days are made of special material that doesn't absorb water and dries in 2 secs. My ds' board shorts don't have pockets and I hardly think he'd be inspired enough to actually use a tissue if they did.....

My sister in France tells me it's because baggies can float up and reveal a bit much ( they don't all have mesh liners), whereas with Speedos there is always a degree of modesty.

I think that is a bizarre thing to plan your holiday around! we just bought dh some camping swim shorts and that's that. they can always not swim if they are too... what, modest?

how strange. women's swimsuits are skin tight and revealing. why cant a guy wear something tight just for a swim and then put shorts over the top when he gets out??

We had a similar problem with my DH :), so I feel your pain. Fortunately found a place where they don't stick to the rules too strictly. One place we found insisted on swimming caps too!

Men just keep a pair of shorts on the poolside and put them over the speedso as soon as they get out of the water. You can wear the short trunks for slightly more coverage, they don't have to be the tiny briefs, but not cycling shorts.