Aix les Bains
 

I am an American wanting to use the national baths in Aix les Bains for a few hours. Their official site makes it seem that you need a doctor's prescription and then the cost is over 500 E! Is there any way I can use them for a moderate cost?
I don't want an expensive hotel spa, just the large baths in the town center. Any advice?

Hi, where did you see the rate 500E? For example, 1 entrance to l'Espace Bien-Etre is 15E at Thermes d'Aix-les-Bains (I think this is the national bath you mean?)

l'Espace Bien-Etre seems to have indoor/outdoor pools with various jacuzzi, sauna & steam bath.

Kappa, thank you; without your posting I would have never found the info I wanted. I was looking on the official thermes d'Aix les Bains web site under "les cures traditionneles", which is where the 500 E price was mentioned. Now that you told me about the new Bien Etre at the very very new thermes Chevalley, I found the info, although I don't understand it all since it is only in French despite the icon to get info in English. I am still confused about times of opening and perhaps you can help; one site says 6 AM to 12.45, the other says open only from 14 heure only, except Sunday. I also don't understand what the 15 E "for one session" means since the price list shows various prives for various section of the spa for "one session" . Help!

humanone, I think the 500 euro price for a cure would be for a long period of time, and the prescription would be necessary if the client wanted health insurance to pay for it. I know that may sound unusual, but I have a German friend and Germany's health insurance pays for stays at spas, also. The site I read said a prescription was only necessary if you had insurance. I also saw a price of 485 euro for a stay of about a week, which included hotel.

I don't know what various sites you are looking at, but I looked at the official one www.thermaix.com and don't see the kinds of info you are citing, unless you are looking in sections for people doing "cures" or longer stays. In the Espace Bien Etre section, a la Carte (one session is 15 euro, 4 sessions are 50 euro, etc), I only see hours of M,F,Sat 2-8 pm, Tu,W,Th 2-6 pm and Sunday 10am-8pm.
I don't see any different prices for different sections of the spa in the "a la carte" section which I imagine is want you want.

I do see some hours about 6-12:45 in the reservation section, and it is a little confusing. It appears that is the hours for those who are staying long-term or something. I think it also says something about how you'd have to check in during those hours at the reception. It's possible those are just the hours the reception is open for those staying a period, as it is in the reservation for cure section, and you wouldn't be reserving for the single sessions.