Paris: Health & Safety
Paris is considered as a quite safe city. You can wander in almost every district with a very low risk of mugging. However, some areas are safer than others.
The centre and most touristy area of Paris (Le Marais, the Latin quarter, the Louvre area….) is very safe, as it’s a vibrant area either at day or night.
Les Halles can be a bit scary at night though, as it’s known to be a spot for drug dealers, but, it’s now permanently controlled by the police so it’s becoming safer.
The western part of the city (17th, 8th and 16th arrondissements) is quite wealthy, but mostly residential, so it can get pretty empty when the night comes and become a bit scary. Not that they are dangerous districts, but if anything happens, you could feel quite lonely, mostly at night.
The Champs-Elysées are very lively and not too risky, at least during the day. Most of the offices are located there so you will mainly meet business men at their lunch break. But you should still be careful on this large avenue, above all at night, because it’s so crowded that it is the perfect place for pickpockets.
Montmarte is a safe neighborhood, and if you go down the hill to Pigalle, which is the Red Light district, you will not need to worry too much, as it’s very lively and touristy, even late at night.
The North of Paris is not the safest. Around both Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, you should always keep an eye on your wallet. If you want to explore La goutte d’Or, which is a quite poor district, you should go there only during the day-time and don’t hang out there too long, otherwise you may be offered some illegal substances.
Belleville and Menilmontant, both African and North-African areas, have become safer places these last 5 years. They are popular among young “bourgeois-bohèmes” (also know as “bobos”) who have settled here to escaped the high rents of other funky areas like Bastille.
Eastern Paris is also all right.
Bastille is so vibrant with its many cafés and bars that you may encounter drunk people at night with extravagant behaviours, but nothing really bad could happen to you here.
On the other side of the Seine, the 13th arrondissment, a part of it being the Chinese district, is not dangerous either, just like the Montparnasse area and the South of Paris.
Of course there are a few basic recommendations in order to be really safe in the city:
- Don’t walk alone at night, especially if you’re female;
- When you take money from a cash dispenser, be very careful that no one is watching you enter your access code, take your card and cash quickly and put them right away in your wallet. Don’t ever hold banknotes in your hand in the streets.
- Watch out if you carry a back bag, mainly in the metro and flee markets (pickpockets can access them easily in crowded places);
- Don’t carry your hand bag too far from your body, for example in your hand (pickpockets would steal it too easily);
- Watch motorbikes on walk ways and pedestrian areas (pickpockets can operate on a moto).
- Beware of scammers!! If anyone asks you to tie a string on their finger, or any other funny things,DO NOT oblige! Just be aware and watch your things too
- Don’t use the lifts (elevators) in Gare du Nord station, when going to and from the airport. Even if you are not alone. They can be a haven for pickpockets. You may see young men in hoodies with hands free mobile phones and white plastic carry bags, no luggage, sometimes with young women. So, if you'd really rather not struggle with your luggage on the escalators, do watch your bags and be aware of the people getting on and off the lifts before you get out.
