Last Updated on 30th January 2024 by Sophie Nadeau
While Paris is generally as safe as your home town, like any big city there are certainly some neighbourhoods which are less friendly than others (particularly in my experience as a young woman living in Paris). Here are some of the areas to avoid in Paris (and what time of the day to avoid them), as well as some areas where you should be extra careful of your belongings.
If this is your first time on my site, then welcome! Hi, I’m Sophie and I love Paris- it’s my favourite big city in the world and I have spent my twenties living there on and off. I even married a local and so have a lot of experience in getting around and living like a local.
If it’s your first time in Paris, then know that petty crime is pretty common and I have a whole guide to tourist scams in Paris that you should bookmark before your trip. The most common small crime that is likely to affect you is phone snatching. I have a whole article about how to avoid getting your phone pickpocketed– my main tip being to buy a phone leash.
Contents
Is Paris safe?
Paris is just as safe as any other large cities in Europe such as London or Rome and violent crime against tourists remains thankfully rare. The French capital also has much fewer instances of violent crime than American cities like LA or New York. You are much more likely to be the victim of a petty crime like a phone theft rather than a violent crime.
The areas with the most crime in the city are the 10th and 19th arrondissements, and while not necessarily dangerous, you’ll want to try and stay more alert in these locations (particularly at night).
If you ever find yourself in an emergency, the emergency number to call is 112. This is the emergency number across all of Europe and you should call for police, fire, and ambulance services if you require them. Operators speak English.
Street harassment in Paris
If you’re a woman (and especially if you’re walking alone), then you should note that street harassment is unfortunately really common in Paris. Despite the fact that it’s a crime (punishable by an on-the-spot fine of up to 750 euros if caught), it happens all the time.
Typically, I try to ignore the harasser or say ‘non, merci’ (no thank you) and, if they follow you, head into the nearest establishment like restaurant or shop. For more useful information on how to respond to street harassers, check out this article by Stop Street Harassment.
Places to avoid in Paris (and when to avoid them)
Please note that this list is not based on order of how dangerous the following locations are. This list is not only made using personal, lived experience, but also from stats in the French Media.
Despite what some outlets would have you believe, there are no no-go zones in Paris (I’ve been to all of these places alone as a young woman), though the following locations are places where you should be extra aware of your surroundings, particularly after dark.
Furthermore, I would personally not go to either Bois de Boulogne nor Bois de Vincennes on my own at all at night (as a woman I would never visit any woods alone after dark). Here’s where I would exercise caution (though nowhere in Paris is classed as ‘dangerous’):
- Place de Stalingrad (I wouldn’t go here as a tourist as there’s not a great deal of interesting things to do around here)
- Pigalle (some parts- other areas are popular nightlife districts)
- Belleville (I used to live here and would advise exercising caution after dark)
- Gare du Nord (after around 10 PM)
- Gare de l’Est (after around 10 PM)
- Châtelet Les Halles and Rue de Rivoli (after dark as a woman it can be quite quiet and this is where I was harassed on a night bus)
- Barbès-Rochechouart (the petty crime rate here is unfortunately a bit higher than the Paris average so keep a close eye on your belongings)
- Porte de Clignacourt (this is known for its iconic flea market which unfortunately also makes it a hotspot for petty crime as would-be-pickpockets know that there are lots of tourists around)
- Porte de la Chapelle (this area is always busy and packed so exercise caution with your belongings and avoid quiet streets at night- this area has unfortunately gained notoriety for its petty crime rates over the past few years so I would also advise against booking accommodation in this area)
- Bois de Boulogne (don’t go at night)
- Bois de Vincennes (don’t go at night)
Gare du Nord
It’s pretty common across Europe that busy train stations tend to attract all kinds of people and are generally not that nice. I almost always book my accommodation away from stations for this reason.
Gare du Nord is one of the busiest train stations in Europe and is even where the Eurostar departs from. However, it also means that there’s lots of would-be pickpocketers around so keep a close eye on your belongings and especially be wary if anyone ‘tries to help you’ buy metro tickets at one of the stations upon your arrival in Paris.
Champ de Mars
Though it’s one of the most popular places to visit in Paris during the daytime, and is even one of the more popular spots to enjoy a picnic during the summer months, I would personally leave the area around Champ de Mars after the last Eiffel Tower Sparkle. The reason for this is that it’s in quite a secluded area and is also pretty dark after the Eiffel Tower has been turned off.
The metro and night buses late at night
If there’s one mode of transportation that is more popular than any other to get around the city, it’s the metro. It’s fast, cheap, convenient, and generally pretty safe. I have lived on metro lines 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 13.
The metro is quite safe, though unfortunately pickpocketing is pretty rife (particularly on busy and packed tourist-filled lines like the 1 and 8) so be sure to wear a cross body bag and keep a tight grip on your phone.
Another unfortunate thing to note is that street harassment is pretty common on the metro, particularly if you’re travelling late at night as a woman (or as a small group of women). There are a few rules I generally follow.
If it’s past 1 AM, I tend to just order an Uber (though this is not without its problems as I’ll detail below). I have also taken a number of night buses in Paris, though I have been harassed on these too (and one time a group of men fortunately came to sit with me to stop a harasser from bothering me and being aggressive towards me). When waiting for the bus, wait in a well lit and crowded area if possible.
Please note that there are several reports of women being approached by cars pulling up on the street pretending to be their Uber drivers. Always verify that the number plate of the car you’re getting into matches the one shown on the app.
I have lived near the following metro stations; Parmentier, Strasbourg-Saint-Denis, and Pernety. Unfortunately I have been harassed late at night (and occasionally during the day) at all of these stations, thus highlighting that this is an issue that could happen anywhere in Paris.
However, I must say that thanks to the fact that the 14th arrondissement (where Pernety is based) is pretty sleepy and residential, this is the neighbourhood where I felt safest walking home at night and where I was harassed the least.
The other two metro stations are in more frequented touristy areas and so I think there’s a larger prevalence of street harassment/ cat-calling as tourists are more likely to be targeted than locals.
Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.