Hello All,
I just finished a weird swim at a health club near our hotel near the corner of Boulevard Saint Germain and Rue Des Bernardins. The place has an old but decent pool, 25 meters and 6 lanes. Unfortunately it was packed at 7:00 AM with non-workout swimmers. I mean it was packed tight. 6 or 7 in each lane and no orginazation of speed or circling, no one doing anything but slow swim up and back then talk for a minute or so then again. Repeat indefinitely. It was a weird swim. I may have completed 500 yards and only 3 flip turns because there were so many people standing around at each end.
I don’t speak French but this wasn’t a communication snafu just a ton of early morning recreational swimmers.
I’m wondering if any 'Twitchers out there know of a more competitive type swimming scene near this area. I have one more morning here that I could explore the French swimming competition. Please reply if you have any suggested pools in the area.
I second the option of Les Halles. I have not used it since 1993, but it was pretty good. Last year, I used this pool which is also close to Notre Dame
If I recall it was a 33 m pool, with lots of room for lane swimming and had a lot of hours for lane swim too. For a full view of what is available (and there is lots), go to
Piscine Jean Taris is not too bad. Not as busy as yesterday and a more modern pool. The changing etiquette and lane rules are quite different than at home.
There is some obsession with shoes in the locker room so you remove your shoes at the front desk, that’s odd. Also swim caps are required even though I have almost zero hair.
Heading home tomorrow so that was it for swimming in Paris.
Three under 15, the wife, and myself are enjoying Paris. The morning swim is my chance to expierience Parisian life on my own. Great time although very short. Thanks to all for the suggestions.
Funny, i’ve actually swum there. No lane lines and local denizens swimming 6 foot wide breaststroke kicking. Cool experience that’s for sure! …as i haven’t many from outside NA
I’m headed to Paris in a month, was thinking of checking out Les Halles. Did you get a chance to swim there? How was it? I clicked the link islandman pointed to and I read this *“**Most pools in France prohibit men from wearing boxer-style or square-cut swimming trunks; Speedo-style briefs are the rule.” *Is that really the case?
I’m headed to Paris in a month, was thinking of checking out Les Halles. Did you get a chance to swim there? How was it? I clicked the link islandman pointed to and I read this *“**Most pools in France prohibit men from wearing boxer-style or square-cut swimming trunks; Speedo-style briefs are the rule.” *Is that really the case?
I last swam at Les Halles in 1993. It was a good 50 m pool but closed for renovation in 2010. When I was in the area in 2010, I swam in the pool mentioned above next to Notre Dame. It was ~ 33 m pool. I prefer les Halles.
I’m headed to Paris in a month, was thinking of checking out Les Halles. Did you get a chance to swim there? How was it? I clicked the link islandman pointed to and I read this *“**Most pools in France prohibit men from wearing boxer-style or square-cut swimming trunks; Speedo-style briefs are the rule.” *Is that really the case?
I can’t speak for all pools but in 2004 the outdoor pool at Alpe d’Huez had a no boxer style swim trunks rule. Of course that is what I had. Since we spent the previous day and a half watching Tour stages and my kids wanted to swim, my 5 year old son and I had to “rent” speedos. Kind of gross, but no different than a gym that supplies jock straps.
After a brief argument trying to convince the person at the desk that my swim trunks were in deed a swim suit and not shorts we proceeded to the rental. She took a look at me and said, you’re a medium. Of course they were out of mediums. I took a large and headed to the dressing room with my son. His fit perfectly but the large was much too big and left a few too many gaps in the leg opening. Back to the desk.
Do you have any mediums yet? No of course you don’t. I’ll try a small. It was really small, but at least the leg openings were tight enough that nothing was going to fall out. Walking out of the dressing room I felt self conscious but after a few minutes realized it was no big deal since everyone was wearing them. And since I was in shape the suit probably looked better on me than almost all of them (some huge guts protruding out over their small suits was not a pretty sight). Plus the fact that 15-20% of the women were topless also makes the fact that I was wearing such a small suit seem like not such a big deal. Thankfully my wife did not have her camera with her, I’m sure she would have taken a few pics of my son and I in our speedos!
I’m not a 100% sure but I think there were a number of men in jammers and certainly some of the square leg type. That is what I would bring next time.
