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

mens swim shorts in France

17 replies

Nicki24 · 19/01/2009 20:53

Hi,
We have booked a Eurocamp holiday in western Brittany and I've heard men have to wear conventional swimwear.
Hubby usually wears surf boardies which are long - I'm assuming these won't be allowed?
Can he wear swim shorts or do they have to be close fitting trunks?
Any advice gratefully received!!

Nicki xx

OP posts:
EachPeachPearMum · 19/01/2009 21:01

Most french pools do not allow shorts tbh.
DH has some swimwear from M&S which are fitted, but like shorts IYSWIM- which were a good compromise- kind of like the 'boy shorts' knickers you get for ladies in their lingerie section.... but not lacey
Speedos always seem popular in France, but he hasn't worn those since we lived there, and don't think he wold again tbh!
Maybe look at french brands- most would have online ordering- and order accordingly? (trying to think of some... and not getting very far- sorry- 40 weeks pg!)

Milliways · 19/01/2009 21:09

John Lewis sell some that are a good price (Short type trunks) - otherwise you are better off buying in a French Supermarket.

A lot of the sites are OK with surfwear - if not (mainly in South) the brochure usually states. All to do with hygiene of men wearing on beach & taking sand into pool.

DadOnAHotTinRoof · 19/01/2009 21:11

Yep, the french are famously sticky about swim shorts. They think it's more "hygeinic" not to allow shorts in the water - although how that stops all and sundry from peeing and farting in it is beyond me.

Speedos it is, I'm afraid. Tell him to do what I do and just revel in how awful you look for the brief time you have to.

Milliways · 19/01/2009 21:12

like these

MrsBadger · 19/01/2009 21:16

I worried dh would have to succumb last year
but made him wait till e got there to check (on the grounds we could buy at the hypermarche if necc)
no-one batted an eyelid at his boardies

Lilymaid · 19/01/2009 21:27

We have always had this problem when on holiday in France because every French swimming pool we have ever visited rigorously enforces the no shorts policy. Either buy ones as suggested by Milliways in the UK or go to France, see whether he can get away with surf shorts and if he can't, pop down to the nearest supermarche to buy a cheap pair.

potoftea · 19/01/2009 21:33

We've had a few holidays in France, and each time we read the brochure my dh and dss freak a bit at the idea of having to wear speedos.

We did bring some the first time, but we discovered that the camp sites, where loads of English and Irish are holidaying, allowed the longer shorts, and so did any water parks we visited.

May be different on more French camp sites though. But you could buy them there if needed.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 19/01/2009 21:39

lol at this!

I remember when we went to the swimming pool in Chamonix and had no idea about this bizarre French rule - we had to hire some skimpies from the pool for DH to wear! Oh how I laughed!!!!!

aznerak · 20/01/2009 07:39

Same happened to us IwishIwasmoreorganised! It was hillarous. the only pair the had were enormous and kept falling down....

murphyslaw · 30/01/2009 12:32

We did Italy last year and DH had to wear speedos and bathing cap! So consider yourself lucky.

ChippyMinton · 30/01/2009 12:37

DH has a pair of speedos which have been travelling to and from French campsite for the last eight years 'just in case'. He's never needed to wear them, as evidenced by them still being in the original packaging. He usually wears baggy swimming shorts, but not the really long surfer type.

Original poster
Nicki24 · 30/01/2009 20:47

Thank you all so much for your advice.
I've had a right ol' chuckle reading these
Think we'll wait til we get there - and will be taking LOTS of pics if he has to wear traditional speedos.
Please Lord let the speedo rule be in force!!

OP posts:
Lilyloo · 30/01/2009 20:53

Lol remember when we went with dp , bil and fil!

Every pool stipulated fitted trunks so dp and fil bought some at local supermarket.
Oh how we laughed when they walked out in them but not as much as bil who refused to buy any.
Given it was boiling we were all swimming etc out he comes in a pair of hired speedos (bleughhhh) 2 sizes at least too small ....

well enough said

emblestrembles · 09/02/2009 17:41

My husband had this problem in Paris when he lived there.

His 3 cousins and his brother had gone over to visit.

They all got told their shorts weren't appropriate (in sign language as none of them understood french very well)

Then they got made to go and buy some "shoo shoos", by a surly french lifeguard motioning at his crotch the brief style pants.

They all went off to Decathlon and bought the same pair of tight black "shoo shoos". They must have looked such a sight all 5 of them strolling around in them

Now my hubby always has a pair of shoo shoos just in case.

duckyfuzz · 09/02/2009 17:43

DH wears ones like milliways posted for swimming in France, says he now prefers them as they dry out quicker and don't drip everywhere like shorts do, then he can put swim shorts on top to wander round

hifi · 10/02/2009 16:52

ooh all those meat and two veg on show.
on the other hand in the us my father had to bin his tangas and buy shorts as they were seen as too revealing.

Kiwinyc · 11/02/2009 15:07

Is this really enforced?! I've just remembered Dh wore his non-skimpy swimming trunks at Center Parcs in France last yr and it wasn't a problem. Maybe cos there's no sand there to carry in (except in the shallow baby & toddler pool which had sand around it.)

The other strange thing about France is that their playgrounds have no swings. Does anybody know why?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page