Paris City GuidePractical InformationsSport and Leisure in Paris

Sport and Leisure

Gyms

As in any large city, there are several gyms and sport clubs in central Paris. The most well-known are the chains Club Med Gym and their up-market affiliate Waou. Each offer a variety of activities, up-to-date workout equipment and locker facilities. The most gay-friendly gyms of Paris are undoubtedly Club Med Gym - Palais-Royale (147 bis Rue Saint Honoré, 1st arrondissement, metro line 1, station Palais Royale) and Waou – Grands Boulevards (5, rue Faubourg Poissionière, 9th arrondissement, metro lines 8 & 9 station Grands Boulevards). We can also recommend Vit’Halles Gym (48 rue de Rambuteau, 3rd arrondissement, metro line 11 station Rambuteau).

 If you wish, Absolu Living would be happy to obtain pre-paid gym entries in advance for you. Simply include a request your initial reservation form and they will be waiting for you upon arrival.

 For operating hours and class schedules, you can consult the Club Med Gym website at www.clubmedgym.com or contact Vit’Halles directly at 01.42.77.75.66

 Biking

For the past few years, the city of Paris has undertaken several projects which to pave the way for bicyclists. Shared bike and bus lanes have sprung up on major thoroughfares and a fair amount of smaller bicycle-only paths now cross the city. Also, the RATP now has bicycles are available for rent at four locations: Châtelet, Canal de l’Ourcq, Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. From March to October, you can rent a bicycle for a half-day for 7.60 €. The RATP also offers guided bicycle trips of the city on weekends and public holidays from April to October. Tours last approximately 3 hours.

 For more information, contact the RATP at 0810 44 15 34

Velib’

Since July 2007, you can now rent bicycles in Paris 24/7. Each 300meters, you can find a velib station where you can pick-up and/or drop-off your rental. More than a thousand stations have been established in Paris. Three different rental options exit:

1)-Daily: For the one day subscription, you pay 1 Euro and receive a ticket which is valid for 24 hours: With that ticket, the first half hour is free, the following half hour will cost you one euro, 2 Euros for an extra half hour and then four Euros for any extra half hour.

2)-Weekly subscription

3)- Yearly subscription

Take your velib from one station and you can turn it back to another. It is very simple. Velib is a way to combine tourism and ecology.

More details on www.velib.paris.fr

 Rollerblading

Discovering Paris on rollerblades is a unique and spectacular way to take in the city sights. A number of groups now organize regular trips through closed-off streets of the capital, generally on weekend evenings (weather permitting). We recommend one in particular: for recreational or less experienced rollerbladers, a group leaves each Friday from the esplanade in front of Montparnasse for a 25 km circuit through the city. Police and first aid professionals escort the group on their journey, which varies each week.

For complete information, please consult the Internet sites www.pariroller.com.

Swimming Pools

Every neighborhood of Paris is equipped with at least one swimming pool. The largest, most central and gay-friendly pool is the one of the Forum des Halles, “the Centre Sportif Suzanne Berlioux” (10 place de la Rotonde, level -3, 1st arrondissement, metro station Les Halles.) From the street level, enter the Forum from the Porte du Jour, the pool is located just beyond the cinemas. The entry fee is 3.80 € for this Olympic size facility.

 In addition, you can visit one of the smaller, neighborhood Art Deco pools of Paris which were constructed in the 1930’s. Les Amiraux municipal pool is located behind Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement (6 rue Hermann Lachapelle, metro line 4, station Simplon) and the Piscine Pontoise is located in the 5th (19 rue Pontoise, metro line 10, station Maubert Mutualité). The latter is open every day and also offers complete gym facilities including squash, weight lifting and a sauna.

Or you can go to the Marais swimming Pool: La Piscine Saint Merri, 16 rue Renard, in the 4^th arrondissement. Metro Châtelet, Hôtel de Ville, Rambuteau.