 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello Val dIsere experts. Husband and I are spending a week there from 25th jan and intend to use the fancy public swimming pool. Is this a typical French pool which insists on skimpy attire for the gents?
Anything else worth knowing?
Also if anyone's around for a social ski that week, let me know!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It certainly used to insist on tight short shorts or budgie smugglers - cue a queue outside the sports shop. Not been recently so I may be a little out of date. Certainly here on the comprehensive kids side of the mountain they are not as fussy in Le Lagon.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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chocksaway, thanks - husband has a glum face now.
Anyone have a recent update?
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Maireadoconnor, I'm 99% certain that it would be speedo type trunks for gents in a French public pool.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| marmotte16 wrote: |
| Maireadoconnor, I'm 99% certain that it would be speedo type trunks for gents in a French public pool. |
+1 not Val d'Isere but we went to a public pool over New Year and one of our party did not have speedos, he asked the reception lady if his shorts were allowed and it was a definite 'non'. Fortunately there was a vending machine in the foyer selling a full range of sizes of trunks and there was actually a choice of styles including 'boxer' which was lucky as he did not fancy 'classique' 
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Well, guess it makes a change if the blokes have to wear the uncomfortable, impractical clothing. Usually that's the prerogative of the ladies...
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It's standard in France not to allow shorts....speedos. Buy them in the UK or be prepared to be fleeced. I am not sure what the problem is myself.....is it just self consciousness? 
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We bought them in a sports shop in Briancon when we visited the local thermal baths, they weren't that expensive. Shorts are allowed in our own residents pool though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Less than a fiver in decathlon, 12E in the vending machine for the naffest pair ever
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| Quote: |
Well, guess it makes a change if the blokes have to wear the uncomfortable, impractical clothing. Usually that's the prerogative of the ladies...
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Maireadoconnor, yes, my thoughts too! Not just uncomfortable and impractical but makes you feel self-conscious.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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<shrug> I don't really get it - it never used to be an issue in the UK: people who swim swim in swimming gear, which means Speedos.
I think it's the influence of US TV or something, as the Americans always wore silly board shorts, and perhaps like "halloween", it's therefore now our duty to do the same thing.
I'm glad the French are refusing to bow down to this nonsense. Board shorts are 100% impractical for swimming. If you want to stare at my crotch, well that's more your problem than mine.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I went twice last Easter in shorts , no problems .i didn't ask what I could wear .
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Frenchies seriously insist on people wearing Speedos? Made me laugh a ton, such a choice rule. Don't want to see fat middle aged guys with floppy skin flapping out the side of the y fronts.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Rob Mackley wrote: |
| I went twice last Easter in shorts , no problems .i didn't ask what I could wear . |
You were lucky not to have been thrown out then.
Most public pools have big signs with a picture of shorts with a big X through. At the Morzine pool in the summer the lady was double checking with every English man that he had seen the sign and understood the rules.
It's a big deal in France. If you don't like it don't go.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Went to the thermal spa baths in Monetier last year and they insist on trunks, speedos etc - no shorts.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Would be interested to see the reasoning behind the French desire to see peoples packages.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's outrageous, hopefully some tour operator can appeal this rule right up to the European Criminal Court if necessary. I'm just lost in the pool without my boardshorts.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I went last year in Bermuda shorts (not short of knee length) and they were fine. Even got he out of my bag to show receptionist rather the. Being kicked out, and she said that it was ok.
Not sure if they've changed the files since then, bet definitely ok last march.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Apparently it was brought in to keep riff raff out, heard it was quite common for labourers and others on a hot day to just pile into pools in just their normal shorts, even denim ones!
Although I haven't ever had any probs in swim shorts in the last couple of years so not sure it's that much of an issue any more.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Would I be okay in a pair of white y fronts? would the French be into that?
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| enfilade wrote: |
| Would be interested to see the reasoning behind the French desire to see peoples packages. |
I don't think it is down to any "desire to see people's packages".
It is more down to hygiene and filtration issues - as ish303 said, you get some people who will just go straight in with the same shorts they have been wearing all day, and it is quite reasonable to ban that (although not so likely to be an issue in winter), but then how do you define what shorts are allowed, and what aren't?
Personally, it just isn't an issue, as I swam competitively thought my school and university days, so always wore speedos, and have never worn anything else to swim. And as somebody else said, I think the idea of wearing board shorts to swim in is very much an American import, when I grew up, you never saw anything but speedo style trunks.
Though TBH, I have never quite understood how anybody first came up with the idea of wearing anything to swim at all 
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Getting back to the original point...... in my experience of using the pool over the years (yes it is very nice and swanky - a little chilly at times perhaps) I have never / very rarely seen anyone wearing speedo type attire at all..... I personally have used the pool many times wearing normal baggy swimming trunks - not bermuda shorts though! So what you would normally wear in the UK pools should be just fine. Have a great trip - its due to snow today!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I swim at the municipal pool in Séderon, and wear shorts like these.
Never had any problem.
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Thanks Steve Angus, I was hoping you might be around to answer
I'm travelling out to Ste Foy on Saturday, then to Val the following week. Weather forecast looks great. I'm feeling very smug!
Alastair Pink, oh, you're sorely tempting me to take that photo and say to my husband, "sorry, the French are very strict about what you wear; we'll need to get you one of these." Maybe not the mustache, tho.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think it depends on who is on duty at the pool. I have heard that the Chamonix pool, for instance, can be somewhat strict, as can the Morzine one.
I heard (this may be an urban myth of course) that it was a legal requirement for some sort of hygiene nonsense.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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under a new name,
Yes I think there is some vague legal basis to it. In Alpe d'Huez they are very strict, almost to the point of obsession to be honest. But then they apply the same obsession to the general cleanliness, which is good. Certainly a lot higher standard than the public pools I have been in here. And yes they have the same vending machine selling speedos.
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For the sake of less than a fiver in Decathlon for a pair of their own brand boxer style close fitting trunks I wouldn't risk it, last thing you want is to be turned away.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just to clarify, I did actually mean swim shorts and not Bermuda shorts. They were baggy swimming type with the netting on the inside, just that they also had a pocket on the side.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Jonpim, ooh, I love the Drôme. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
For the sake of less than a fiver in Decathlon for a pair of their own brand boxer style close fitting trunks I wouldn't risk it, last thing you want is to be turned away.
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For the sake of less than a fiver you have justy wasted a fiver!
The pool in VdI is very new and modern and aimed at the tourists. Someone who lives in the town has stated that you don't need them and that they vary rarely even see people in budgy smuglers. I've personal experience you don't need them. It's not just that you "may be alright", it's the norm in this pool to wear shorts.
(probably becuase when I was there there were more brits than anyone else using the place!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Flet©h wrote: |
| Quote: |
For the sake of less than a fiver in Decathlon for a pair of their own brand boxer style close fitting trunks I wouldn't risk it, last thing you want is to be turned away.
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For the sake of less than a fiver you have justy wasted a fiver!
The pool in VdI is very new and modern and aimed at the tourists. Someone who lives in the town has stated that you don't need them and that they vary rarely even see people in budgy smuglers. I've personal experience you don't need them. It's not just that you "may be alright", it's the norm in this pool to wear shorts.
(probably becuase when I was there there were more brits than anyone else using the place!) |
I was giving this opinion as a more general one and not for the VdI pool specifically, as others are doing in mentioning pools all over the place and not just the VdI one. Generally speaking, in municipal pools in France, men need to wear to wear close fitting swim trunks aka Speedos to comply with local rules.
Glad to hear that the VdI pool is new, modern and aimed at tourists who have an aversion to budgie smugglers
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Like so many things in France if it is a municipal facility it is down to the mayor. For example at my place down in Biarritz the private pool you can wear what you like but at the municipal pool 200 yards away it is budgie smugglers only, no exceptions not even for 4 year old boys. It is rigid where that is the rule. Take local advice, but to be honest most municipal pools sell them really cheaply. My son rather boastfully buys the longer shorts style and being rather well endowed gets the right royal wee wee taken out of him by his girl mates. Good luck and erm... Tuck in!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Love that the forum automatically changed p--s to wee wee!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I don't see how a pair of dedicated swim shorts are less hygenic than a pair os speados?
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A word of warning,
Last year I brazenly walked out pool side in a French ski resort wearing my old and trusty Speedos, all of a sudden there was a load of screaming and all the women and children exited the pool in a hurry.
It wasn't till my wife pointed out to me that both the S's on my Speedos had worn off.
I wear Arena now
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Last time I went swimming in Val d'Isere was about a month ago, and it was swim trunks only at that point.
Can't see why everyone has such a problem with it. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hilarious! Though sort of not. Not to mention spelling. Are you from Portsmouth?
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jellybabe,
Nope Near London
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