In most cases, the Rule of the Towel has no legal authority for French beach loungers, and – legally, at least – first-come, first-reserved means nothing on a beach, by a hotel pool, or even in private establishments. Private beachAt venues where guests pay a fee to reserve a lounger, it’s theirs for the duration - this usually happens on the sections of 'private beach' that you will find on French beaches. But, local authorities can subcontract specific areas to hotels, beach operators or water sports equipment rental companies. There are currently around 1,500 private beach areas in operation along the French coastline, and they are most common along the Riviera and Mediterranean coast. On public beaches, local councils can – and do – issue by-laws to ensure fair access to public spaces.