Sex in France

France has long been dubbed the “country of love,” and its sexual reputation precedes it. With ~67 million locals and nearly 90 million tourists a year flocking to Paris and beyond, France quietly hosts one of Europe’s largest adult industries.

From discreet escort services in chic Parisian arrondissements to a flourishing libertinage (swinging) culture, the French find ways to let their sexual liberté shine through. Pornography? The French are prolific consumers (and producers) – Pornhub’s own stats put France among the world’s top traffic sources​. And don’t forget, the modern porn industry owes a debt to France; the world’s biggest porn site, XVideos, was founded in Paris by a Frenchman back in 2007​!

All of this unfolds under an officialdom that is both progressive… and puritanical. France legalized same-sex marriage in 2013 and prides itself on liberté – and yet it also outlawed brothels in 1946 and, more recently, started punishing clients of prostitution. We’re left with a sex industry that thrives in semi-underground ways, with escorting and swinging filling the void left by the brothel ban.

Prostitution Laws In France

France has taken an “abolitionist” stance on prostitution.

Selling sex is legal (France does not criminalize the sex worker), but buying sex is illegal – a reversal of the usual crime. In 2016, the French Parliament adopted the so-called Nordic Model, meaning punters face fines and steep penalties for paying for sex​.

A first offense will cost a client €1,500 (and repeat offenders up to €3,750)​.

This law was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights in 2024, solidifying France’s view that purchasing sex “is unacceptable” in modern society​. What that means in reality is that anyone caught en flagrant délit (in the act) soliciting can expect a citation – a policy aimed at reducing demand, but unlikely to remove it altogether.

Meanwhile, third-party profiteering is banned across the board. Pimping (living off someone else’s prostitution income) and operating brothels have been outlawed for decades. France shut down all legal brothels in 1946 under the famous Loi Marthe Richard, and that ban still stands​.

Owning a “house of ill repute” or even running a covert brothel apartment can land you in prison. Advertising prostitution is a gray area too – any site or person seen to “facilitate” sex work can be charged with proxénétisme (pimping). This led general classified sites like Vivastreet (France’s #2 classifieds site) to face legal heat for hosting escort ads​.

It’s the same reason why we can’t publicly list any escort services in our local guides for France.

So what’s left? Prostitution hasn’t vanished – it’s just gone guerrilla.

An estimated 30,000 sex workers operate in France (as of late 2010s), and about 90% are migrants from Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, etc.​

France does fund programs to help sex workers exit the trade – and by official counts over a thousand have taken up social services since 2016 – but the jury’s out on how effective the client ban has been. Sex worker organizations argue it’s made their job more dangerous (their punters fear fines and raids, so encounters are faster and more secretive), while the French authorities tout a “cultural shift” where buying sex is increasingly stigmatized​.

The reality is a bit of both: the world’s oldest profession persists in France, but it’s a massive departure from the frantic legalised scene available in neighbouring countries, like Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands.

Escort Industry

Despite the legal roadblocks, escort services operate throughout France, albeit under the rada,r and with some punitive legal risks for the buyer.

Traditional escort agencies (the kind that openly advertise in some countries) have largely been replaced by independent escorts and offshore escort directories.

Agencies that do exist keep a low profile, often calling themselves “introductions” or “companion services” and avoiding any overt mention of sex. They’ll connect clients and escorts, but payment is usually arranged directly to avoid pimping charges (a classic nudge-nudge, wink-wink arrangement).

Essentially, escorts in France are self-employed and the agency is “just a matchmaker.” It’s legality by technicality.

In practice, the independent escort market does a roaring trade – especially in big cities like Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Many escorts (both locals and touring internationals) advertise through online platforms. Two of the most popular French escort listing sites are SexeModel and Wannonce, which together draw over 13 million visits a month, according to the latest SEMRush data (March 2025).

France isn’t cheap for hiring a courtesan.

A decent independent escort in Paris will expect around €200–€300 per hour (and that’s for a basic GFE – “girlfriend experience”). Truly top-tier companions (like the beauty below!) and upper-crust courtesans can command well over €500+ hourly, with luxury dinner dates or travel engagements running into the thousands.

It’s very much an “you get what you pay for” scene – budget hobbyists have slim pickings, especially since street options have dwindled. In smaller cities and on the lower end, you might find some escorts offering €100–€150 quick sessions, but quality and safety vary. 

Word to the wise: due to the sketchy legal climate, screening goes both ways. Just as johns seek reputable, reviewed escorts, many working girls will vet clients carefully (nobody wants to meet a police decoy or a creep).

Eastern European and Brazilian escorts are common, as are North African and Asian providers in larger cities. Language can be a barrier for some (not every escort speaks English fluently, let alone French if she’s newly arrived). Also, Paris being Paris, it’s not unheard of for visiting porn stars or international dominas to tour and offer bookings.

Brothels

France banned brothels nearly 80 years ago, and unlike some neighbors, it never brought them back.

However, that doesn’t mean there are no brothels at all – they’re just clandestine. In Paris and other cities, police still bust the occasional appartement privé: which is essentially an illegal brothel operating out of an apartment or massage parlour backroom.

Obviously they carry huge risks. If you’re not “in the know,” they’re hard to find; you might hear about them on punter forums or via taxi drivers in certain areas, but venturing into a secret brothel as a foreigner is a roll of the dice (could be fine… or you could get overcharged or raided – who knows!).

We can’t list them due to the advertising laws. And we can’t keep up with them, anyway!

The closest thing to a legal brothel experience for French men is to cross the border. Many do.

France is literally ringed by a buffet of legal sex: Belgium and Germany with their red-light windows and sauna clubs, Switzerland with its licensed brothels, and Spain with its “fuck it” Wild West approach. It’s no coincidence that La Jonquera, a town just over the Spanish border, has turned into a bustling brothel hotspot serving French customers.

Just check the fleets of French license plates along the roadside sex clubs every weekend. 😂

Massage Parlours

“Massage” in France can mean anything from a legit spa rubdown to a steamy happy-ending parlour, depending on where you go. Officially, any sexual services in massage businesses are illegal (that’d be procuring), but in reality erotic massage parlours operate semi-openly in most big cities.

Walk around certain Paris quarters – you’ll see small massage shops with neon signs advertising foot rubs, Thai massage, Shiatsu, etc. Often, those neon lights are a giveaway: the rule of thumb shared by locals is if it’s open late and glowing pink/neon, it’s likely a rub-and-tug joint​.

Or as we prefer to put it…

If it glows, it blows.

Paris has scores of these parlours, tucked in areas like Belleville, Pigalle, parts of the 9th/10th arrondissements, and near Chinatown in the 13th.

A typical formula: you pay ~€50–€80 for a 1-hour massage, and if you’re looking for extras (fin heureuse, as the French euphemistically say), it’s an additional tip negotiated quietly with the masseuse.

A simple happy ending (hand job) might be +€20 or €30. Full service (sex) is rarer in these storefront parlours, but some do offer it if the masseuse is willing – that can run €50–€100 extra.

Don’t expect anything too luxurious: most places are small, dimly lit rooms with a massage table, a sink, and not much else. The experience quality varies wildly. It can range from a genuinely good massage + playful finish, to a rushed, purely mechanical service. As always, YMMV.

In smaller towns, illicit massage services will typically operate out of an apartment (advertised online) rather than your bog-standard street shop. One convenient resource is escort ad sites – many have a “Massage” category where semi-pro providers (sometimes independent masseuses, sometimes parlours) post listings.

These often clarify what’s on offer (e.g. naturist massage, body-to-body, prostate massage – all hints that it’s erotic). Reddit is full of punter reviews for anybody who wants to dive down the rabbit hole.

Sex Clubs

France doesn’t have legal brothels, but it does have sex clubs – well, depending on how you define them.

In Paris and other cities, you’ll find a number of strip clubs, hostess bars, and private cabarets that blur the line into prostitution. For example, in Paris’s Pigalle district (the former red-light area), Les Chandelles (actually a swingers club, but often mistaken for a strip club due to its exclusivity), and various “Bar d’Hôtesse” joints will promise you more than just a striptease if you open your wallet wide.

Typically, the setup is: you pay an entry or overpriced drinks to enjoy the company of scantily clad hostesses, and if you want alone time in a “champagne room,” that can be arranged at a steep price. It’s an open secret that some Pigalle clubs effectively sell sex under the table – legally it’s framed as the client paying for a bottle and private companionship, but what happens in that velour-curtained booth… happens. 😉

Just be cautious: Pigalle clubs are notorious for rip-offs. There are stories of naive tourists ending up with a €500 bill for a couple of drinks and a lukewarm lap dance. If a tout on Boulevard de Clichy promises you “pretty ladies, very sexy, 100% safe,” take it with a grain of salt (and hold onto your credit card).

For actual play parties and fetish clubs, France has a scene but it’s relatively small-scale.

Paris hosts fetish events like La Nuit Dèmonia (a big BDSM/fetish party held a couple of times a year).

There are also a few dedicated fetish clubs – e.g. Le Klub or Dungeon nights that cater to BDSM aficionados. The gay community has Le Depot, which is a long-running gay cruise club with darkrooms (or had… looks like it may now be closed).

For straight or mixed fetish, events are usually one-off nights rather than permanent clubs. Don’t expect a Berlin-style KitKatClub where you can just roll up any weekend; it’s more sporadic. There was a semi-public pansexual dungeon in Paris (Château des Lys, now closed) and some private orgy clubs that operate by membership. You typically have to be in those circles (or hunt through FetLife/Facebook groups) to find them.

Peep Shows

In previous years, Paris historically was full of porn cinemas and coin-operated peep show booths in the Pigalle area.

Up until a few years ago, you could still find venues where you pop in a token and watch a striptease or a short porno clip in a private cabin (sometimes with a live performer behind glass). The last old-school porn cinema in Paris, Le Beverley, closed in 2019, marking the end of an era.

We’ve heard random reports of a few sex shops in Pigalle and around République that still have backroom cabins where you can watch porn DVDs – mostly used by guys for cruising – but the internet largely killed that scene.

Notable Red Light Districts

Despite its libertine history, France today doesn’t really have glaring, established “red-light districts” like Amsterdam’s De Wallen or Hamburg’s Reeperbahn​.

The sex trade has become much more dispersed. But there are a few areas still known for adult nightlife and street action:

Pigalle (Paris): The Pigalle neighborhood at the foot of Montmartre (around Place Pigalle and Boulevard de Clichy) was Paris’s infamous red-light district for much of the 20th century. In the 1950s–80s it brimmed with brothels, peep shows, strip clubs, and streetwalkers. Today Pigalle has gentrified into “SoPi” (South Pigalle), and it’s mostly filled with hip bars and boutique hotels​. A massive departure from its tawdry prime.

Yet elements of the old Pigalle remain – sex shops with neon signs, the Moulin Rouge cabaret (now a touristy burlesque show), and a handful of strip clubs and hostess bars. You might still spot a couple of older prostitutes loitering by doorways on Rue de Steinkerque or Rue Joubert nearby.

Rue Saint-Denis (Paris): Rue Saint-Denis, running through the 2nd arrondissement, has for centuries been associated with hookers and prostitution. Amazingly, you can still witness a bit of that today. By day, certain doorways on the southern stretch of St-Denis (near Réaumur-Sébastopol) have women in lingerie casually standing or beckoning – a throwback to the “filles de joie” of yesteryear.

These are typically older or street-level sex workers offering quickies in rented chambres nearby. Post-2016 client law, their numbers have thinned, but they haven’t disappeared entirely.

It’s a surreal sight in the middle of an otherwise normal shopping street.

Bois de Boulogne (Paris): The Bois de Boulogne park on the western edge of Paris has a longstanding reputation as a nighttime prostitution hotspot – especially for transgender sex workers. After 10pm, certain alleys and parking areas in the Bois (notably near Porte Dauphine and around the lakes) become pickup points. Many trans women, including a significant Brazilian trans community, offer services to drive-up clients here. It’s somewhat tolerated by authorities as an outlet, though police do occasionally do sweeps (again, nabbing clients more than the girls).

Border Towns & Highways: As mentioned above, towns on France’s frontiers have semi-red-light zones due to cross-border effect. In places like Strasbourg (near Germany) or Lille (near Belgium), some action spills over.

Other Cities: We’re not aware of any French city today that has a designated red-light quarter akin to Amsterdam’s. However, several have areas known for illicit nightlife. In Marseille, the country’s second-largest city, there isn’t an open RLD, but parts of the Vieux-Port (old port) area late at night see streetwalkers. Lyon had the Gerland zone as mentioned, and occasionally you’ll hear of action around Perrache. Toulouse’s outskirts and Nice (near the train station) have had street activity, but again, low-key.

France’s streets have seen an influx of very marginalized sex workers (some from Eastern Europe or West Africa, many of them under gang control).

Not only it is it a bad idea in terms of the legal risks, it’s unsafe too.

Avoid.

Attitudes Towards Sex

Most of us perceive French society as sexually liberated – the land of the ménage à trois, nude beaches, and a shrug at infidelity. Who knows what the Frenchies are up to behind closed doors, right?

To an extent, that reputation holds true, but it’s not quite so clear cut.

Culturally, France never went through a super prudish Victorian era like the Anglo-Saxons did; ever since the Enlightenment (and certainly by the 18th-century libertines), sex in France was seen as a natural part of life, not a sin. There’s a reason the word “libertine” is French.

Historically, the French aristocracy and upper classes were quite open about mistresses and erotic art, and even today, the French tend to discuss sex with a bit less giggle and guilt than, say, Americans.

That said, the French aren’t in a constant state of orgy (despite your fantasies!). Surveys show that French people have, on average, 8.1 sexual partners in a lifetime, slightly below the global average of 9​.

(Contrast that with more boastful figures – e.g. Austrian men claim 29 partners on average! – the French are downright conservative by numbers.​)

One area they do lead in is attitude toward casual sex and romance. The French generally don’t moralize much about consenting adults having sex, even if it’s a fling. One-night stands happen as anywhere, but are usually kept discreet. It’s considered bad form to brag about conquests – a very brash, try-hard move.

The ideal French lover is coolly nonchalantabout sex – like “Yes, we had a lovely night. So?” No need to high-five your buddies or do a victory lap.

When it comes to infidelity, France has an infamous tolerance (or at least acceptance) of it.

Public opinion polls often show France having a less condemnatory view of cheating compared to more conservative countries. High-profile examples abound: President François Mitterrand maintained a long-term mistress and even had a daughter with her, all while in office – and the public largely shrugged when it came out.

For better or worse, many French see marital infidelity as a private matter, not a moral outrage. Statistically, around 33–39% of French people in relationships admit to having cheated​. That’s not as high as Germany or UK 40+%, but higher than very low-infidelity countries like Poland.

Nudity and eroticism are seen as relatively normal parts of culture.

Topless sunbathing, for instance, is common on French beaches (though a bit less than in the 1970s heyday). The country also has numerous naturist resorts (like the infamous Cap d’Agde). Seeing a bare breast on television or a sexy ad on a billboard doesn’t cause national pearl-clutching; France historically has been chill about such imagery (though interestingly, recent years have seen some backlash against objectification from feminist groups).

Sex education is fairly standard in schools – kids start learning the basics around age 13 on average​. This all contributes to an air that sex is not a taboo topic in France, as long as it’s discussed in an appropriate context.

In personal interactions, you’ll notice that French people can be both flirtatious and reserved. Flirting is almost a social sport over there – banter and seduction are an art form (just look at French cinema). But it doesn’t necessarily lead to hook-ups every time; it’s equally about the jeu (game) and ego boost. Open talk of kinks or wild escapades are generally more hush-hush.

There’s a French phrase “pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés” – to live happy, live hidden – which pretty much sums up how they handle sex.

Porn Viewing Trends

They love it.

Absolutely love it.

France is a porn-loving nation, make no mistake. In the online porn universe, French users rank among the top consumers globally​

Pornhub’s data for 2024 showed France in the top 5 by traffic, with roughly 469 million visits in one month!​

That’s a lot of vouyeurisme. Culturally, France has both a mainstream porn industry (with studios like Dorcel known worldwide) and a big appetite for amateur and niche content.

One striking trend is the love for homegrown and francophone content.

According to an analysis by The Economist, the most searched porn term in France was “beurette”​, a slang word for a young French Arab woman. This finding (from a 2015 study) raised many eyebrows… but it highlights a French penchant for certain ethnic fantasy – the “beurette” genre remains highly popular on French tube sites, essentially representing a forbidden-fruit scenario (North African/Muslim background girl being sexual).

It’s a uniquely French porn category that we’ve stumbled across on sites like XNXX or Jacquie et Michel.

Speaking of Jacquie et Michel: this amateur porn brand has become iconic in France. Their cheeky slogan “Merci qui? Merci Jacquie et Michel!” became a meme. They typically shoot ordinary French couples and girls-next-door in gonzo style scenes. While J&M’s full videos are behind a paywall, plenty of their content leaks or is talked about; French porn fans either subscribe or hunt for clips on tube sites.

The popularity of J&M underscores the craving for “réal” (realistic amateur) content over glossy staged porn.

In terms of favorite genres, French viewers enjoy a mix of the usual suspects and some distinct flavours. According to Pornhub’s recent insights, common categories for France include Anal, MILF, Teen, Lesbian, and French.

Top French Porn Sites

To get a sense of where Frenchies get their fixes, here’s a quick look at some of the most popular porn platforms in France and notable studios:

Pornhub: The go-to tube site, ranking among the top 20 websites overall in France. It’s a buffet of every genre, heavily used by French viewers (93% of whom access it on mobile​ – apparently watching on your phone is très normal). Pornhub’s popularity also means their yearly insights into French search trends carry weight. =

XVideos & XNXX: Both are extremely popular in France – no surprise, as they originated with a French founder. XVideos in particular, with its massive library, is often cited as the most visited site after Pornhub. Many French-specific videos (amateur uploads, etc.) are on XVideos. XNXX (which shares content with XVideos) recorded ~7.4 million French users in one recent measure​. These sites are skinned up for the locals, complete with French language interfaces.

Jacquie et Michel: J&M has sub-sites like “Jacquie et Michel Elite” focusing on more pro/am performers and “Jacquie et Michel TV” for streaming. It’s arguably France’s most famous porn studio today (more than Dorcel among the under-40 crowd).

Dorcel (Marc Dorcel): A venerable French studio creating high-quality porn films and series. Dorcel’s content often involves intricate fantasy scenarios, swingers clubs, or luxurious settings – a very French erotic aesthetic (think sumptuous castles and lingerie). They operate dorcelclub.com and also a linear TV channel in France.

Beurette sites: Yes, there are sites entirely devoted to the beurette niche. For instance, “beurette.com” was known, and others like Tukif have sections for it. There’s also a studio label “Beurette Original” that produced dozens of scenes. This niche is uniquely French and consistently in demand domestically.

Hentai and Fetish: HentaiVOST.fr is a top site for animated porn in French​

For fetish, there are French forums and sites for BDSM (e.g. Jacquie et Michel Hard covers some), and a Franco-German site CJacquie that had fetish content. But many French fans just use mainstream platforms to find fetish material (e.g. searching for “BDSM français” on XVideos).

In terms of statistics, here’s a snapshot of France’s top adult sites by monthly visit (as of early 2025):

Site	Est. Monthly Visits (FR)	Notes
Pornhub	~192 million​	#1 in FR; broad content, international and French
XVideos	~55 million​	Huge library; many French amateur vids
XHamster	~52 million​	Popular tube, lots of European content
XNXX	~33 million​	Sister site to XVideos, also French roots
HentaiVOST	~10 million	French-subtitled hentai streaming (very popular niche)
OnlyFans	~9 million​	Subscription content platform (global, but many French creators)
xHamsterLive	~6.7 million​	Live cam platform (white-label cams, integrated with XHamster)
SexeModel	~6.6 million​	French escort/classified ads (used for porn ads & hookups)
Wannonce	~6.5 million	French classifieds (personal & escort ads, some amateur content)
Wyylde	~5.1 million​	Swinger community site (user-generated erotic content too)

(Sources: We pulled the data from Semrush Open .Trends Feb 2025. )

Notable Adult Stars From France

France has produced its share of porn legends and contemporary stars.

Here are some notable adult performers hailing from l’Hexagone (barely scratching the surface!):

• Brigitte Lahaie – Arguably France’s first porn superstar. She rose to fame in the late 1970s golden era of erotic cinema, starring in classics like “La Femme Objet.” Brigitte transitioned to mainstream media and became a respected radio host on sexual relationships for decades. An icon of French sexual liberation.
• Clara Morgane – Clara did adult films in the early 2000s (starting at 19) and quickly became the face of French porn for that generation. She had a classy, girl-next-door appeal. After a few years, she left hardcore and reinvented herself as a singer, TV presenter, and lingerie model.
• Katsuni (Céline Tran) – One of the most successful French porn actresses internationally. Katsuni (of Vietnamese and French heritage) won multiple AVN awards in the US in the 2000s and was a vivid presence in both European and American hardcore films, especially in the gonzo genre.
• Manuel Ferrara – France’s most accomplished male porn star… by a long distance. Manuel moved to Los Angeles and became a top male performer in the 2000s–2010s, bagging several Male Performer of the Year awards (AVN, XBIZ) – basically the Oscars of porn – and even directing films.
• Anissa Kate – A contemporary French porn actress who gained fame in the 2010s. Originally from Lyon, Anissa entered the industry in her early 20s and won over fans with her sultry looks. She’s collected multiple international awards (including AVN’s foreign female performer of the year). Anissa often works in Europe (especially Italy and the UK productions) and the US, making her one of France’s top current XXX exports.
• Mathieu Ferhati (Tony Carrera) – Representing the guys again, Tony Carrera was a prominent French male performer/director, active in the 90s/2000s.
• Cathy Menard & Julia Channel – Throwback to the 80s/90s: Cathy Menard was a popular French actress in the 80s, and Julia Channel in the 90s made waves (Julia had a crossover music career after porn).

One trend we’ve noted: French adult stars often successfully reinvent themselves or gain a sort of cult status at home.

Unlike in the US or the UK, where pornstars might carry more stigma, France has seen several adult stars embraced by mainstream media post-retirement. 

Popular Cam Sites In France

Live cams and interactive adult platforms are hugely popular as well.

In fact, the camming trend has really taken off post-covid. Unlike some countries where cam sites are a subculture, in France some cam platforms rank among the most visited sites overall.

One notable example: xHamsterLive, the it’s a reskinned whitelabel of StripChat, which draws around 6.7 million visits from France per month​. Many of them arriving via the xHamster porn site.

Another long-standing player is Cam4, which historically has had a strong Francophone user base. Cam4 is a free-to-view cam site (with options to tip) that has became popular for its amateur feel (and equal male/female split). Many French couples and amateurs broadcast from home for fun. It gets over 3 million visits monthly from France, based on our most recent data.

France even has its local cam and clip platforms: we mentioned MYM.fans in the porn section, which isn’t exactly live cam (it’s more OnlyFans style), but some creators do live streams there.

There’s also Jacquie & Michel Live (a cam service under the J&M brand). From what we can see, it appears to be a white-labelled version of XLoveCam (again, very popular with French speaking models).

Industry expert CamsRank estimates a total of around 312 French performers broadcasting live across the major platforms (at any given time).

Below are some live shows from French girls broadcasting right now:

LGBTQ Scene

France’s LGBTQ+ scene is vibrant and well-integrated into the social fabric, especially in major cities.

Broadly speaking, France is quite LGBTQ-friendly: same-sex sexual activity has been legal since the French Revolution (1791!), and in modern times discrimination protections and equal marriage rights are in place.

The general attitude among the French is live-and-let-live – being gay or trans is largely accepted by the younger generations and in urban areas (occasional flashes of homophobia notwithstanding).

Paris, as you’d expect, is the epicenter of LGBTQ life.

The city’s Marais district (in the 4th arrondissement) is famous as the gayborhood – a historic quarter now brimming with gay bars, clubs, cafés, and bookstores. Stroll around Rue des Archives or Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie and you’ll see rainbow flags and bustling terraces. Bars like Cox, Open Café, RAIDD (with its notorious shower shows) are staples of Marais nightlife.

There are also some lesbian bars (like La Champmeslé, one of the oldest lesbian bars in Paris) and mixed queer venues. Paris offers everything from drag cabarets (the iconic Madame Arthur drag show in Pigalle, for instance) to cruising clubs (e.g. Le Dépôt, which is a multi-floor gay sex club with darkrooms and parties).

The world-famous Paris Pride March (Marche des Fiertés) is held annually in late June – it’s one of Europe’s larger Pride parades, drawing hundreds of thousands, and it’s a big street party from Montparnasse to République​

Paris also hosts events like Paris Fetish for the gay leather crowd and Pink Parade for LGBTQ+ techno fans. Culturally, the city has several LGBTQ film festivals and even a specialized archive (the LGBTQ Center in Le Marais).

Outside Paris, other cities boast active LGBTQ scenes too.

Lyon has a notable gay district around Rue des Capucins and hosts its own pride and queer film fest. Nice and Montpellier are known for being very gay-friendly – Montpellier in particular has a high LGBTQ population (helped by its big student community) and was one of the first cities with an openly gay mayor. Coastal Nice has gay beaches (check out the Castel plage section).

Swinging Scene

Bienvenue to libertine country!

France has one of the most epic swinging scenes in Europe, owing in part to its history of sexual liberalism and the very concept of le libertinage that dates back, well… centuries.

In 2025, swinging (échangisme) is practically mainstream in many circles. By some estimates, France is home to several hundred swinger clubs​. We tracked a ton of them in the capital, but still only scratched the surface.

The most famous is Les Chandelles in Paris – an elite, members-only swinger club hidden behind an unmarked door in the 1st arrondissement. Les Chandelles is known for its strict dress code (dress elegantly, and gentlemen, bring a female partner… or you’re not getting in!) and its rather selective door policy.

The details are, of course, sketchy, but it’s rumored celebrities and high society folks have frolicked there, and it’s more on the refined side (think masked ball vibes). On the other end, clubs like Le Club 2+2 or Sun City’s swinger nights are much more relaxed and chilled.

Outside Paris, virtually every region has its club échangiste.

In the South, Cap d’Agde is the holy ground. Cap d’Agde’s Naturist Village in summer turns into what can only be described as Swingers Disneyland.

There are multiple clubs there (ex: Le Glamour and Le Jul’s are two well-known Cap d’Agde nightclubs where after midnight, let’s just say, people get very friendly in the open). In the naturist quarter, couples literally roam the streets in various states of undress going from bar to bar; spontaneous group fun can erupt on the beach or a villa pool party. It’s a unique environment – Cap d’Agde deserves its reputation globally as a must-visit for swingers.

Many French libertins make an annual pilgrimage in July/August.

Cities like Lyon have clubs such as Caprices or Le Purple, Nice has clubs like Les Bains douches (which doubles as a sauna by day, swinger spot by night). Even smaller towns often have a rural club in the vicinity – sometimes charmingly called “club privé” or “soirée couples” in listings. Themed nights are common (e.g. lingerie night, masquerade, gang-bang night, bi-friendly night, etc.).

The swinger culture is so ingrained that specialized travel agencies offer “croisières libertines” – yes, swinger cruises in the Mediterranean where French (and European) couples party at sea, open-bar and open-bed.

If you want to get involved, online apps are the best place to start. 

Wyylde.com (formerly NetEchangisme) is THE French swinger social network. It boasts millions of users and around 5 million monthly visits from France​. Your first pit stop for finding your next French orgy.

Hookup Dating and Classifieds

Whether you’re a local or traveler, here’s how the French are seeking rencontres coquines in 2025:

• Tinder – Of course. Extremely popular in French cities; casual hookups often disguised as dates.
• Badoo – Widely used, especially among younger users and smaller towns; slightly edges Tinder in total users.
• Happn – French-origin dating app connecting people who’ve physically crossed paths; big in urban areas.
• AdopteUnMec – Quirky app where women ‘shop’ for men; popular for casual dating among younger users (20-30s).
• Fruits – French app where users pick fruits symbolizing their relationship intent (e.g., peach = casual sex).
• Badoo – Massively popular dating/social discovery app, particularly in smaller cities and suburbs.
• Gleeden.com – French-founded platform specifically for discreet affairs; openly marketed as a place for cheating spouses.
• Feeld – Popular among kink-friendly and open-minded singles/couples looking for threesomes or casual fun.
• Wyylde – Premier French swinger and casual sex community; great for explicit hookups, events, and parties. A must-have for swingers.
• NousLib – Another popular swinger site and casual-encounter platform.
• Jacquie & Michel Contact – Adult dating site from the famous French amateur porn brand, explicit and straightforward for casual sex.
• MYM.fans – French alternative to OnlyFans.
• Wannonce – Classifieds site popular for personal and escort ads; often explicitly used for immediate casual encounters (plans cul)
• Plancul.fr – Dedicated casual-sex classified site; openly advertised hookups.

Up until the mid-2010s, sections of sites like Vivastreet and Craigslist were used for hookups (some paid, some free). Craigslist’s personals were never as huge in France as in the US, but expats used them. Post-2018, Craigslist removed personals globally, and Vivastreet closed “Services adultes” under legal pressure​

This vacuum was filled by sites like Wannonce – which, while known for escort ads, also has categories for personal ads (rencontres sans lendemain). Indeed, Wannonce is a bit of a wild west where some ads are explicit “cherche plan cul ce soir” (looking for a hookup tonight) from genuine individuals, amidst the massage and escort listings.

Another site include above is Plancul.fr – literally translating to “hookup.fr”, which does what it says on the tin, albeit with a lot of working girls jostling to find clients.

Annnnnnnd…

Voilà – that’s France’s sex scene in a nutshell!