Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

French swimming pools- shorts rules

60 replies

EnglishRose1320 · 18/01/2023 20:27

Currently planning this year's family holiday, lots of great looking places keep coming up in France. However most of them say "no swimming shorts" but then some of their photos have people wearing what I would consider swimming shorts.

Do you know how strict they tend to be? Ds is autistic and wouldn't cope with shorts that were tight to the body, but it wouldn't have to be board shirts either. Just regular swim shorts. Don't want to book somewhere and find he can't go swimming. Will happily look elsewhere if that's the case.

OP posts:
MissAmbrosia · 18/01/2023 20:33

Normally they have to be tight - not necessarily tiny speedos but body hugging and not baggy.

LeafHunter · 18/01/2023 20:35

IME they are pretty strict. Some friends didn’t realise and ended up having to buy speedos there as that was all that was available (about 4yrs ago). DH always wears what he calls jammers - they are fitted and tight but the length of normal shorts.

Original poster
EnglishRose1320 · 18/01/2023 20:37

That's what I feared, looks like France is off the cards then. From what I can see the Netherlands and Italy don't see to be as strict, so will focus my search in those countries instead.

OP posts:
Radiatorvalves · 18/01/2023 20:40

Tends to be public pools that require budgy smugglers. We go to a lovely pool that doesn’t require them up a mountain, but n the town they are mandatory. I don’t understand the rules. Beaches and lakes are a good bet.

Whatafool123 · 18/01/2023 20:43

Last year in Italy we were OK with shorts rather than speedos, but all had to wear swim caps. The site we were on sold ones made of lycra rather than the usual tight rubber ones, which were comfortable to wear and easy to put on, but still head hugging caps, in case that would be an issue? That said, it may just have been the site or area we were in.

froomeonthebroom · 18/01/2023 20:43

Lots of eurocamp type sites say they require tight shorts and when you get there it's not enforced. We have been to sites in the Vendee, the Dordogne and the Loire where baggy shorts are fine.

Original poster
EnglishRose1320 · 18/01/2023 20:43

@Radiatorvalves these are all pools at holiday camps. It wouldn't be fair to go and his db can go in them but he can't.
Apparently it's for hygiene reasons but it seems outdated to me.

OP posts:
Cottagecheeseisnotcheese · 18/01/2023 20:45

it is basically to stop guys wearing shorts they would walk around town in to swim in hence the ban on board shorts

Original poster
EnglishRose1320 · 18/01/2023 20:45

@Whatafool123 , yes where we went in Italy last year required swim caps, but luckily only for the pool with lanes, the area with slides didn't, so it was fine. But good to be reminded, another thing I can check the descriptions for!

OP posts:
TrentCrimm · 18/01/2023 20:47

We always found in France that the general swimming shorts rule was, if you'd feel a tit walking down the high street them, then they weren't allowed.

Always enforced as well, at the campsites we went to.

It's been a while since we last went though, so maybe they aren't as strict nowadays.

Original poster
EnglishRose1320 · 18/01/2023 20:47

@Cottagecheeseisnotcheese , yes that's what I always thought it was for. Which is why the publicity photos of some of these sites are so confusing. Because they show ladies in the same bikini in the pool, at the restaurant, playing sports etc... so it just doesn't make logical sense. Plus the men are definitely wearing normal swim shorts in some of the pictures.

OP posts:
yoshiblue · 18/01/2023 20:50

I used to work for Eurocamp years ago, it really depends on the campsite, some stricter than others and yes to Italians often wearing swim caps.

Decathlon is a good guide for 'swim shorts' they are like trunks. I've also bought the looser swim shorts from there but from the surfing section, they class them as beachwear.

The hygiene thing is to stop (usually Brits) trying to go swimming in football style shorts they've been wearing all day. Swimwear is for swimming only.

CatherinedeBourgh · 18/01/2023 20:53

In public swimming pools they can be really strict about it. The rule is lycra, not baggy.

Private pools really depends on who's in charge. The rule is often there, but not everyone will enforce it.

LoveCillian · 18/01/2023 20:54

IME very strict
First time we were I a swimming pool in France we had to buy acceptable swim trunks for my DH and DS (aged 2) AFTER we had paid to get in !
Not over it 14 years down the line 🤣

PammyShipman · 18/01/2023 20:58

It's a rule in all public pools in France. Private pools can do as they wish but a lot seem to follow suit.
We go to a centre parcs in France every year and normal uk style swimming shorts are allowed there.
I'd just check with the venue.

gogohmm · 18/01/2023 21:01

They allow trunks with short legs but have to be tight. Never had this issue elsewhere

thesonicoscillator · 18/01/2023 21:02

I live in Italy, swimming hats are mandatory in all public pools, the rule includes bald headed folk.

Siezethefish · 18/01/2023 21:03

Fine to wear cycling type shorts but they can’t be baggy

gogohmm · 18/01/2023 21:03

I've been made to wear a swimming cap in Spain (inland not coastal resort)

BertaHoon · 18/01/2023 21:05

My adult son and my Mum's partner were forced to buy skimpy Speedo's in local pool in Brittany.

I'd rather delete that memory.

gogohmm · 18/01/2023 21:05

Whereas in fuerterentura not only could you wear anything clothing wise and no hat, you could wear nothing at all on the beach and in 2 of the pools!

Original poster
EnglishRose1320 · 18/01/2023 21:09

I've shown him some of the options and he thinks he could try some of the tighter ones, if they could be longer. He hates feeling on show/undressed even more than tight clothing.

If it was lycra material, do you think they would be okay with knee length ones? I've tried to see if I can find out precisely what's acceptable but the sites either don't mention it at all, or just say no swimming shorts- but with conflicting photos.

I guess I may have to email a few of the companies to see. It seems like a little thing, but I know it could have a big impact on our holiday.

OP posts:
Drbrowns · 18/01/2023 21:13

The longer Speedo shorts are ok in most places, they don’t have to be the old fashioned knicker style, although you see a lot of that as well. They’re pretty strict on any campsite I’ve been to, even the toddlers have to wear them.

EssexCat · 18/01/2023 21:13

EnglishRose1320 · 18/01/2023 21:09

I've shown him some of the options and he thinks he could try some of the tighter ones, if they could be longer. He hates feeling on show/undressed even more than tight clothing.

If it was lycra material, do you think they would be okay with knee length ones? I've tried to see if I can find out precisely what's acceptable but the sites either don't mention it at all, or just say no swimming shorts- but with conflicting photos.

I guess I may have to email a few of the companies to see. It seems like a little thing, but I know it could have a big impact on our holiday.

I’ve been to quite a few euro camps and they’re quite fussy, but you could definitely wear cycling short length ones. They don’t need to be short, just fitted.

My boys wear their normal shorts around the pool with fitted ones underneath. So when they’re sunbathing or reading they’re comfortable.

Original poster
EnglishRose1320 · 18/01/2023 21:20

@EssexCat , wearing normal ones over the top when not actually in the water might work really well for him. That's a good idea thanks

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread