Situated in an old industrial hall, this little public pool has some good points going for it and…read moresome bad ones too. But let me start with the positives: There is a lot of light in this pool and for me this a welcome change to all the basement-pools that I have visited in recent times. They can even open the roof on warm days and then it is a bit like like an outside pool. The 25 Meter Basin is only for Swimming with no shallow-end 1,80 Meter to 2,30 Meter deep). There is another smaller basin for children which is between 70cm and 1,20 Meter deep. The staff was numerous and very friendly, the changing-cabins are big enough and the locker-keys (bring 1€) have a proper wristband that you won´t lose in the water. Negative when I visited the pool was the cleanliness. The showers and some cabins were rather dirty. Also the building isn't really well maintained. There is rust showing everywhere and a lot of the ceiling tiles are moldy or show signs of having been moldy in the past. Also, in a pool where you can have this much sunshine and where they can open the roof, it would be great to have some sort of area where you can sit down and enjoy the sun a bit on some reclining chair or so. Sadly there is nothing like that at Piscine Hébert. It´s a bit of a shame, if this pool had been clean and better maintained it would have been my favorite parisian pool to date.

Piscine Georges Vallerey is the swimming stadium among the pools in Paris. The Basin does not…read morequalify to be called "Olympic" anymore by the current standard (50x25 Meters and Piscine Georges Vallerey 'only' has 50x21), but who gives a damn? 50 Meters length, plenty of lanes, and no shallow end. The biggest basin in(side) Paris and real Public Pool for Swimmers. Thanks to a variable floor on one side of the basin, they can use this pool in different configurations over the days, so if you want to use all the 50 Meters of length, make sure to check the website when they are operating that way and not in other configurations. The best bit about this Pool? In Summer they can open the roof. Why only 4 Stars then? Piscine Georges Vallerey is not without fault. The last big renovation was 1989 and the pools age is showing here and there. The starting blocks were rusting. Showers and the dressing-room area (men and women separated in both) are quite dark and unwelcoming. Not many individual changing cabins and those who are there are rather small and marked with lots of Graffiti and Stickers. Toilets are not up to modern Standards. The pool hall itself was quite cold when I was there, it was a lot warmer in the other areas.

From the owner: Bassin de 50m La Piscine Vallerey, vieille piscine parisienne, est l'une des seules à disposer d'un…read morebassin découvrable de 50m.

Like an old-ship, this old pre-ww2 pool is kept alive with some new paint every now and again,…read moremasking the fact that this little gem is overdue for a big overhaul and a Trip to the 21st century. The old industrial-hall-style Building undoubtedly has it´s Charme and they try their best to keep it clean (apart from the roof windows), but there is no hiding the fact that everything is just very old. I don´t see why this pool is more expensive than the others in Paris, as you are not exactly getting more for your money. What you get more of, is inconvenience (like waiting for the man to go around and open your dressing-booth, lots of stairs, blow-dryers not at the exit) and a public swimming-pool that is in no way Handicapped-accessible. Opening hours during school-weeks are also not very consumer-friendly. 1 hour 15 minutes they open some days around noon and still expect you to pay 4 Euro 80. And that´s just not worth it. But it´s different and if you want different, Pontoise is for you. The only authentical 1940ies bathing-experience that I know of ...

Delightful art deco 33m pool in Paris. Remember to take a bathing hat!…read moreSo pleased to have found this large, airy pool in Paris! 4.50 Euro per visit, with very complicated opening hours in between school use, so check times before going. After buying a ticket, you go upstairs and enter the 'no outdoor shoes area' where an unsmiling member of staff will snatch the ticket from your hand, and point you towards one of the individual cubicles which encircle the pool on two floors, in which to change. After changing you leave all your things locked in this personal cubicle, pulling the door shut behind you. Next - the 'obligatoire' (obligatory) shower (with your swimsuit on, even though it is a single sex shower) before entering the pool. Gentlemen please note bermudas are not allowed, and you too need to wear a bathing hat, even if you are bald. The water temperature is spot on, and the pool is not too crowded especially in the mornings. The lane discipline can be a bit lacking, with dawdlers kicking along with a float in the same lane as tanned speed kings churning past in a high velocity front crawl, nearly missing a plump granny doing slow but steady breast stroke, but amazingly it never seems to come to blows. Afterwards, return for another bizarre shower in your swimsuit, and then wait for the still-unsmiling attendant to come and open your cubicle to get dressed again. All in all, a wonderful pool, a delightful swim and I just wish they had something like this in London. Convenient Velib parking spot down the other end of the street. Perfect.

I finally got to visit Piscine des Amiraux after it was completley renovated and I was quite happy…read morewith the result. Renovations were only meant to take under 1 year originally, but they took over 2 years now - donc, voila, vous etes en France. It is still this old school 1930ies pool at heart with the changing cabins above the basin. Nothing has really changed apart from some led-lights in the basin. The rest of the building is as it was before the renovation, just that everything is new and works. Piscine des Amiraux only has one small pool with only 4 small lanes. There is no natural light inside the pool hall. At the shallow End (under the stairs) it's a bit too dark for my taste, but nothing really to complain about. Practical Info: Bathing Caps and tight swimwear mandatory (no surfer shorts). You don't need money for a locker. Negatives? Well, such a small pool feels crowded fast. And while I like the charm of the olden days and having your own dressing room (and no key for it - someone ), the staffing feels excessive. I counted 7 Members of Staff. How is this a bad thing? Normally parisian pools all feel terribly understaffed. And here you have 7 guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in this really, really tiny swimming pool. That makes the understaffing at other pools feel even worse.

From the owner: Bassin de 33m X 10mProfondeur de 0,70m à 2,70m Une piscine qui a gardé son charme d'autrefois, ou…read moreplutôt des années 1930. Le bassin est entouré de cabines sur deux étages et de douches au premier niveau. De nombreuses animations y sont proposées, aérobic aquatique, aquagym (le mardi de 17h30 à 18h30), plongée subaquatique, sauvetage et même du water-polo. L'établissement compte aussi 18 cabines de bains-douches qui fonctionnent toujours chaque matin.

This review only covers the Swimming Pool…read more Reopened in 2006 after a complete overhaul, modernisation and several additions, Piscine Pailleron is now a modern pool within a Sports-center, the Espace sportif Pailleron. Pailleron is a showcase what the City of Paris could do with Pools like Piscine Pontoise or Piscine Château-Landon. Modernisation while also conserving the charme of the old Pool-buildings. The old Pool-hall with the 33x15 Meter Basin for swimming has been modernized with a great Glass-roof. It´s a real joy to swim there, just looking at the building. In Summer there is also an area outside to soak in some sun. There are also three other pools, one for water-jet massages and one for small children and another 25 Meter (2 Meter maximal depth) basin for everything in between. There are also supposed to be another 2 Basins, but there is some construction going on with those at the moment. Lockers are money-less (you pick a code), cleanliness was alright when I was there and the showers are separated for men and women (with signs not to get naked). Small negative point here - there were too few showers for such a big pool. Maintenance-wise you can see a couple of negative things if you look closely; like white-floor tiles that are getting brown-ish or some pieces of wood decor that should be replaced/refurbished - but nothing major was to be seen (there are renovations at the Moment on two basins and a part of the dressing-area). It has been almost 10 years since the reopening - and it does show here and there. Coming back to the main Pool, the "historical basin"; Swimming Lanes are usually 2,5 Meters in width (FINA Standart), at this pool the lanes for certain swimming-speeds are well under 2 Meters in width. My arms span 1,95 and I was able to touch both lane dividers at the same time, so I recon the lanes are 1,90 Meters in width. So, If you are tall and want to swim breaststroke in this pool - you´re gonna have a hard time doing that. But the width of the lanes also makes it harder to deal with oncoming traffic for everyone. You can of course avoid these problems if you swim in the big Lanes on the sides, reserved for slow swimmers. But still, on balance I quite enjoyed going to the Pool at Espace sportif Pailleron.

With three pools, one of them Olympic size and two others heated and child-friendly, this is…read moreclearly the best spot to swim if you live in northern Paris. (There's also an ice-skating ring, café and workout area but none have been tested by me, so this review concerns the pool activities only). Despite the largess and sophistication of the space, there are some serious technical and service issues at this establishment. For one, the staff is just about as friendly and knowledgeable as a plank of wood. When I called to find out whether my toddler could wear bathing "shorts" instead of a speedo since that's all I had for him, they said, "bien sur" (of course) on the phone. Fast forward ahead, after many parenting pirouettes to get said kid to the pool and then undressed, changed, showered, suited up with wings, and happily swimming around, after only 10 minutes in the pool one of the guards comes up to me and tells me that my kid needs a different swimsuit, and that the one he's wearing isn't allowed. I tell them that I called specifically to ask and was told it was fine, he said, no it wasn't and that they sold baby diapers and speedos for kids at the front desk and that if we wanted to stay we'd have to change him pronto. Without the energy to back track, reverse and do it all over again while soaking wet, we left the pool. I complained at the exit and they gave me two free tickets to come back. A nice gesture, but one that I'll probably never take up. Too much of a hassle to trek there considering the pool by me has super friendly service and a nice size kiddie pool.

Ca y est! I've taken the plunge and have resumed my swimming habits after a (gulp!) 10-month…read morehiatus.This, my dear friends, is major news. For the last few weeks I have been preparing myself mentally for the return to water, dusting off the bathing suit, refilling my toiletries case, locking a date into my calendar, and telling my husband to hold me accountable if I made up excuses not to go. As luck would have it my Esther Wiliams moment coincided perfectly with the long weekend, so there were fewer people at the pool than usual and the people at the front door were letting every one in for free. While many municipal pools in Paris can be pretty raucous and/or ratty, the Chateau Landon pool is neither. The several story-high glass ceiling makes the space feel lofty and light, and the water, dressing cabins and showers are clean. My 30-minute swim was perfect and drama-free (Parisian swimmers can be quite caustic, not that that's much of a surprise) and the shower water was hard and hot. All in all is was a reminder to me how great this pool is and how a great swim can make you feel like a billion bucks. Now if they'd only make the showers single sex, this place would get 5 stars..

Yes, Piscine Château-Landon is the oldest indoor pool in Paris. There are a couple of reminders and…read moreold pictures inside that tell you the story of the pool. And it clearly shows that this pool has changed a lot over time since 1884. Sadly it hasn´t changed enough again in the last 20 years, but I´m getting ahead of myself. What´s also a bit sad is, that the art-deco style light-fixtures you can see in one picture are no longer there. The whole building has seen better days. Changing rooms are small and dark, in some places the paint is coming off the walls. In and around the small 25x10 Meter Basin (there is a second small basin for children) you can also find a lot of signs of repairs and general "old-ness". Around the pool, there is a lot of equipment being stored out in the open due to lack of storage-space. There are also water-marks on some of the ceiling-tiles. I was there on a very busy day and the showers were quite dirty. You should really bring shower sandals/flip-flops. That the showers for men and women aren´t seperated perhaps isn´t such a big issue, since all the showers are out in the open anyway. Upsides? The People working at Piscine Château-Landon are very nice and very relaxed. The high ceiling and big (milk-glass) windows let in a lot of light. On Balance neither a bad experience, nor a good one. I think Piscine Château-Landon deserves a trip to 21st century sometime soon and then it could be a really great pool. But as it is - it´s one of many parisian pools struggling to reach modern standards.

The Centre Aquatique is a three (or 4 when you count the whirlpool or "spa" as they call it) basin…read moreswimming pool in Neuilly-sur-Seine. One basin of 25 Meters for swimmers with no shallow end, one learners basin and a big mixed pool that also extends to the outside of the pool. One of the really great bits about this public-pool is the patch of green outside to relax and soak in some sun. A real small park with palm-trees is what they have outside once you climb down the stairs. I loved that part of the pool. Practical Info: Lockers work with code, bathing cap is only mandatory in the pool for swimmers not in the rest of the pool and surfer-short type swimwear is forbidden. Showers are separated for men and women. Negatives? Pool, showers and lockers weren't really clean when I was there - not filthy either, but my standard of cleanliness wasn´t meet. It´s not a charming pool on the inside and (despite being there on a sunny day) I found the pool-hall lacked light in some areas. Some small maintenance issues here and there, nothing major though. The tunnel between the exterior basin and the interior was closed. Bottom Line: I prefer the Public Pool in Boulogne-Billancourt. It´s cleaner, friendlier and offers most of what the Centre Aquatique has to offer at a cheaper price.