Piscine Georges-Vallerey

I was there five days for a competition and it was beautiful. It's definitely worth going, just for the history.

This is a great pool. I found mid-mornings not over-crowded during my July visit. European rules apply:
1. A swim cap is required (even if you're bald).
2. A Speedo-type suit is mandatory for men (no baggie shorts).
3. Remove shoes before entering the locker room.
4. Keep your swim trunks on in the shower. (I guess they soap shower at home.)
(Caps and swim suits are both available in a vending machine there.)

Unable to translate giant sign, I was chewed out by a local... A terrific lap pool (37.5 meters).

Perhaps my favourite pool in Paris (not a particularly generous commendation because many of the others are dire for those in search of a decent lap swim), Georges-Vallerey is reached by a 15 minute subway ride (take Metro line 11 to Porte des Lilas) from the heart of the city. In common with all of Paris’s public pools, the opening hours are somewhat irregular so check on the facility’s website before making the trip: the website appears to be updated at least on a weekly basis.

Gender-specific locker rooms situated up the staircase from the reception: lockers operate on a 4-digit PIN system so no need to have a €1 coin or a padlock to hand, just sufficient short term memory to retain the numbers both of your locker and of your chosen PIN! As in many in many French pools, (a) outdoor footwear must be removed before entering the locker room, and (b) bathing caps and Speedo-style swimwear (maillots de bain sportif) are mandatory.

The 50 metre pool is generally divided into a 37½ metre bassin sportif and a 12½ metre bassin ludique. The 37½ metre part is laned: two lanes máteriel (fins, etc.); one lane crawl; two lanes ‘4 mode’ (i.e. any stroke); and two lanes without specific allocation. Although on each of my visits the pool has been fairly busy, I found it possible to achieve half-way decent 1,500 metre lap swims (40 lengths of the bassin sportif), provided that one took reasonable care to observe the behaviours of others in one’s chosen lane and to be compliant with the general flow.

My favorite pool in Paris. Deeper than most; usually set up at 37.5m or 50m; has a dedicated crawl lane. Open air swimming in July and August.

It can be quite crowded on weekends and in summer.

A long Metro ride from the center of Paris. Visiting in late September, the pool was very, very crowded. After two separate visits, I finally gave up trying to swim laps due to crowding.

One of the three best for lap swimming in Paris. (The others are the Piscine Pontoise and Piscine Suzanne Berlioux.) It's very, very crowded. After two separate visits, I finally gave up trying to swim laps due to crowding.