Safety, Health & Emergencies

The big picture

France is a safe place to travel. Violent crime against tourists is rare, guns are tightly controlled, and the homicide rate is a fraction of the US rate. What you are much more likely to run into is theft: a phone lifted off a café table, a wallet taken on the Métro, a bag gone from a train luggage rack. Petty thieves in Paris are skilled and organized, and they target tourists because tourists carry cash, phones and passports and are easy to spot.

The good news is that most theft is preventable with a few habits, and France's health care is excellent and far cheaper than at home. This page covers how thieves operate, the scams you will see, protests and terrorism, emergency numbers, the US Embassy, lost passports, police reports, doctors, pharmacies, medicines and insurance.

What the State Department says

The US State Department rates France Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, a level shared by several of its European neighbors. It reissued the advisory on October 21, 2026, with two risk indicators: terrorism and unrest. The advisory says terrorist groups continue to plan possible attacks and could strike with little warning at places like tourist sites, transport hubs, markets, hotels, restaurants, places of worship and big events. It says demonstrations and strikes happen often, can turn violent, and can bring tear gas and water cannons. It also singles out pickpocketing and phone theft in airports, trains, the Métro and tourist sites.

Unrest in fall 2026

As of late October 2026, France is going through its largest protest wave in years. It began in mid-September with fuel-price protests and high school students blockading schools, and grew into a broad movement over the cost of living. Saturday marches have drawn hundreds of thousands of people nationwide. The weekend of October 17–18 saw serious looting and vandalism in Paris, including near the Champs-Élysées, and on October 24 the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay closed for the day, at least 24 Métro stations shut at police request, and several cities banned marches in their centers. In Paris, the police set an overnight curfew from 11pm to 6am around Place de la République and the Les Halles district from October 22 to 26, with nearby Métro and RER stations closed at night. Unions have called a national strike for Thursday, November 5, 2026, including the four main rail unions, so expect disruption to TGV, Intercités and regional trains that day.

Daily life away from the marches mostly carries on, and most tourist sites open as usual on weekdays. If you are in France now or traveling soon, check the US Embassy's security alerts, keep Saturdays and strike days flexible, and avoid any crowd with police lines. More on protests in the next sections.

Pickpockets: where and how

Paris has the most theft, followed by Marseille, Nice and the Riviera, and big train stations everywhere. The crowds that make a place feel safe are exactly what pickpockets need.

Hotspots

• Métro Line 1: it links the Champs-Élysées, Concorde, the Louvre, Châtelet and the Marais, so it is packed with tourists. Thieves work the doors at stations and step off just as they close.
• RER B: the train from Charles de Gaulle airport. Jet-lagged travelers with luggage and phones out are prime targets, especially at the stations through the northern suburbs and at Gare du Nord.
• Gare du Nord: the busiest station in Europe. Watch for phone snatchers, people "helping" at ticket machines, and fake taxi drivers. Gare de Lyon and Gare Saint-Lazare are similar.
• Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro: the security lines, the Champ de Mars, the Pont d'Iéna and the Trocadéro terrace.
• The Louvre: the pyramid lines, the Carrousel mall, and the crowd in front of the Mona Lisa.
• Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre: the steps and the gardens below the basilica, and Place du Tertre.
• Champs-Élysées: the sidewalks, the Arc de Triomphe underpass, and flagship stores.
• Notre-Dame, Saint-Michel, Châtelet–Les Halles and the Galeries Lafayette area on busy afternoons.

How they work

Thieves in Paris rarely work alone. One person distracts you and another takes the wallet or phone, then passes it to a third who walks away. Common setups include a crush at the Métro door, someone who drops coins or asks you a question, a group of teenagers with a clipboard, or a person who bumps you and apologizes at length. On escalators, someone stops suddenly in front of you while another reaches into your bag from behind.

• Carry your phone in a front pocket or a zipped bag, never in a back pocket or hanging out of a jacket pocket.
• Use a cross-body bag worn in front, zipped, with the zipper toward your body. Skip the backpack in crowds, or wear it on your chest.
• Think about where your passport is safest. Legally, foreigners should be able to show their papers if police ask, so many travelers carry the passport in a zipped inside pocket; others leave it in the hotel safe and carry a copy plus a driver's license, which usually works out on a routine check.
• Split your cards and cash. Keep one card and some euros separate from your wallet.
• Stand away from the doors on the Métro and keep a hand on your bag when the doors open.
• Turn on Find My or Find My Device and know how to lock your phone remotely before you leave home.

Common scams and risky areas

These have been running for years and keep working because they are polite and fast. If a stranger starts a conversation in English near a famous sight, keep walking.

Areas to be careful at night

No central Paris neighborhood is off limits, and the city center is busy until late. A few areas have open drug dealing, drunken crowds or robberies late at night, and they are worth avoiding on foot after midnight.

Paris.

• Around Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est, La Chapelle and Stalingrad (10th, 18th and 19th arrondissements): visible drug use and dealing, especially around the elevated Métro line 2.
• Barbès–Rochechouart and Pigalle: lively in the evening, more edgy after the bars close. Be wary of hostess bars that hand you a huge bill.
• Châtelet–Les Halles late at night, including the underground station corridors.
• The edges of the city near the périphérique ring road and Porte de la Chapelle.
• Saint-Denis around the Stade de France after big events. Go with the crowd and take the train straight back.

Marseille. Marseille has a reputation for crime, and the drug-related shootings that make headlines happen in housing projects of the northern districts, far from where visitors go. Tourists mainly face theft and bag snatching. Be alert around the Gare Saint-Charles station, the Noailles and Belsunce neighborhoods and the Cours Belsunce at night, and at the Vieux-Port late on weekends. Take a taxi or ride app after dark if you are unsure of the walk. See Provence & Marseille.

Cars, trains and luggage

Car break-ins, especially on the Riviera and in Provence

Rental cars are targets because thieves know they are full of luggage. Break-ins are common in beach parking lots, at viewpoints, at highway rest areas and in villages where tourists leave cars to walk around. Smash-and-grab robberies also happen at traffic lights and in slow traffic on roads to and from airports, particularly around Marseille and Nice.

• Never leave anything visible in the car, not even a jacket or a charging cable. Thieves break a window to check.
• Unload at the hotel before you go sightseeing, so the trunk is empty.
• Keep doors locked and bags in the footwell or trunk while driving, not on the passenger seat.
• If someone signals that you have a flat tire, drive on to a busy service station before stopping.

More on rentals, tolls and road rules in our driving guide.

Thefts on trains

On TGVs and other long-distance trains, luggage goes on racks at the end of each car, often out of your sight. Thieves board, pick a bag, and step off at the next stop seconds before the doors close. Routes to the Riviera, Marseille and the Alps, and trains through Lyon, are known for it.

• Pick seats near the luggage rack, or put smaller bags on the overhead shelf above your seat.
• Lock or cable your suitcase to the rack. A light bike cable works.
• Watch the racks at each stop, which is when thefts happen.
• Keep passports, laptops and medications in the bag at your feet.

See trains in France for booking and stations.

Protests, strikes and terrorism

Demonstrations

Protest is part of French political life. Marches are usually announced in advance with set routes, often on Saturdays or on union strike days, and most are peaceful. Trouble tends to come at the end, when small groups clash with police near the finish point. Police may use tear gas, which drifts down nearby streets.

• Check the news and the US Embassy alerts the evening before. French outlets like Le Parisien publish march routes.
• Move away from any crowd that is gathering near police vans or riot police.
• If you get caught near one, go into a shop, café or hotel and wait it out.
• Expect Métro stations near the route to close and buses to be rerouted.

Strikes

Strikes on trains, the Paris Métro and at airports are a regular part of life. Transport workers must give notice, so strikes are announced a few days ahead, and SNCF and RATP publish which services will run. Air traffic controller strikes can cancel flights across France at short notice. Download the SNCF Connect and RATP or Bonjour RATP apps, and check them the night before any travel day. If your train is canceled, SNCF usually offers a free exchange or refund.

Terrorism and Vigipirate

France has suffered major attacks, most memorably in 2015 and 2016, and the threat is still considered high. The national security plan, Vigipirate, was overhauled on June 22, 2026, and its three levels are now vigilance, vigilance renforcée and alerte attentat. Since June 22, 2026, the whole country has been at the middle level, vigilance renforcée. You will notice it as soldiers on patrol at stations and monuments, bag checks at museum and department store entrances, and no-parking zones outside schools.

The bag checks slow down entry at big sights, so pack light. Never leave a bag unattended: abandoned luggage triggers an evacuation, and police may destroy it. If you see a suspicious package, tell staff or call 17.

Emergency numbers

All emergency numbers are free and work from any phone, including your US mobile when roaming. 112 works across the EU and is your best bet if you don't speak French, because the operator will connect you to the right service and often has English speakers.

What to say

Stay calm and give the essentials in this order. The operator will ask questions; let them lead.

1. What: "There's been an accident" (Il y a eu un accident), "Someone collapsed" (Quelqu'un a fait un malaise), "Fire" (Au feu), "I've been attacked" (On m'a agressé).
2. Where: the street address, town, and anything that helps, like the floor, the door code, or the nearest Métro station or highway kilometer marker.
3. Who: how many people are hurt, their age, and whether they are conscious and breathing.
4. Your number: give your phone number, and don't hang up until told to.

Two phrases help: Je ne parle pas bien français (I don't speak French well) and Vous parlez anglais ? (Do you speak English?). See useful phrases.

US Embassy and consulates

The US Embassy in Paris and its consulates help Americans with lost passports, arrests, serious illness or injury, deaths, crime victims and emergency evacuations. They cannot pay your bills, act as your lawyer or get you out of jail, but they can give you lists of English-speaking doctors and lawyers, contact your family, and help transfer money from home.

The US also has small consulates in Bordeaux, Lyon and Rennes, but they offer American citizens only occasional outreach days, and in-person citizen services are available only in Paris, Marseille and Strasbourg. On the Riviera, contact the Marseille consulate. In 2025 the State Department considered closing several regional posts, so check the embassy website for the current list. For anything urgent, call the main number.

After-hours emergencies

• In France: 01 43 12 22 22, day or night, and ask for the duty officer.
• From outside France: +33 1 43 12 22 22 (011 33 1 43 12 22 22 from the US).
• State Department in Washington, 24/7: +1 202-501-4444 from abroad, or 1-888-407-4747 from the US and Canada.

Enroll in STEP

The free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) sends you the embassy's security alerts by email, such as protest routes and strike days, and lets the embassy find you in a disaster. It takes five minutes. Enroll each traveler and list your dates and hotels.

Lost passport and police reports

This happens to Americans in Paris every day, and the embassy is set up for it. A full-validity passport takes time, so most travelers get an emergency passport to finish the trip and replace it at home.

1. Search properly first. Check the hotel, the restaurant and the lost property office (in Paris, the Préfecture de Police's Service des objets trouvés). Once you report a passport lost, it is canceled for good even if it turns up.
2. Report it. You can report it online through the State Department's form or at your consular appointment.
3. File a police report if it was stolen. It is not required for a passport, but you will want one for insurance and for any stolen cards or phones. See the police report section below.
4. Contact the embassy or consulate and book an appointment. Tell them your departure date. Only the Paris embassy and the Marseille consulate issue passports, including emergency passports, so call first if you're nearer Strasbourg.
5. Bring: one 2x2-inch passport photo (photo booths in France make the 35x45 mm European size, so ask for US format or have one made at a photo shop), photo ID such as your driver's license, proof of citizenship such as a photocopy of the lost passport or a birth certificate, your travel itinerary, a completed form DS-11, the police report if you have one, and a credit card for the fee.
6. Get an emergency passport. It is valid for up to one year and is often ready within a business day. You can exchange it for a full-validity passport after you get home.

Filing a police report

You need a police report (récépissé de dépôt de plainte) for insurance claims and to dispute card charges. The police rarely recover stolen phones or wallets, so think of it as paperwork.

• In person: go to any commissariat de police in a city, or gendarmerie in a rural area. In Paris, the station for the arrondissement where it happened is easiest. Bring ID and any details: time, place, serial number (IMEI) of the phone, and what was taken. Expect a wait, and ask for a copy of your statement. Staff may not speak English, so have a written summary ready, translated if possible.
• Online: France has an online complaint service (plainte en ligne) for property crimes, such as theft or fraud, when you don't know who did it. It is in French, and an officer may contact you afterward to complete it, so most short-stay visitors find it easier to file in person. Start at the official complaint page.
• For online scams and card fraud, France also has dedicated online reporting tools, but your US bank's fraud line is the faster fix.

Filing is free. Call your bank and phone carrier to block cards and the SIM before you go to the police. The victim support line 116 006 offers help and advice.

Doctors, hospitals and pharmacies

French medicine is excellent, and visitors pay full price, which is still a fraction of US prices. You usually pay up front and claim later from your insurer, so keep every receipt and ask for an itemized bill (facture détaillée) and the feuille de soins for your insurer. The State Department notes that doctors and hospitals may ask for payment before routine care, though emergencies are treated first.

Where to go

• Life-threatening emergency: call 15 or 112.
• Urgent but not life-threatening: call SOS Médecins, a network of doctors who make house and hotel calls 24/7. In Paris and the inner suburbs, call 01 47 07 77 77. SOS Médecins also runs walk-in centers in Paris and teleconsultations. Other cities have their own SOS Médecins associations.
• At night or on weekends: call 116 117 for the on-call doctor service where it operates, or 15 if you are not sure.
• Public hospital ER: big public hospitals, like Lariboisière, Pitié-Salpêtrière and Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou in Paris, are top quality but busy. Waits for minor problems can be long.
• Routine problem: book a GP through Doctolib, the app French people use to book doctors. It has an English interface, shows fees and languages spoken, and often has same-day slots. Many doctors also do video consultations.

English-speaking doctors and the American Hospital

The US Embassy publishes a list of English-speaking doctors and hospitals on its website. Many doctors in Paris, Nice and Lyon speak decent English, and pharmacists often do.

The American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just west of the city, is a private nonprofit hospital founded in 1906, accredited by the US Joint Commission, with English-speaking staff and a 24/7 unit for urgent medical and surgical care for patients 16 and older. Appointments: +33 1 46 41 25 25. It costs more than public hospitals. Ask your insurer before you go whether it can bill the hospital directly; otherwise expect a deposit.

Pharmacies

Look for the green cross, usually lit. French pharmacies are everywhere, and pharmacists give real advice. They sell many things you would buy at CVS, but most medicines, including basic painkillers, are behind the counter, and you ask for them.

• Pharmacie de garde: each area has an on-call pharmacy at night, on Sundays and on holidays. Closed pharmacies post the nearest one on the door. You can also search by town or postcode at 3237.fr, the pharmacists' official on-duty finder, or call 3237 from a French phone. At night you usually ring a bell and are served through a hatch, and in some towns you must go through the local police station first.
• Paris late-night pharmacies: a few stay open very late or 24 hours, including one on the Champs-Élysées. Check current hours online before setting out.

Over the counter vs the US.

• Acetaminophen is called paracétamol, sold as Doliprane, Efferalgan or Dafalgan, in 500 mg and 1 g doses. Ibuprofen (Advil, Nurofen) comes in 200 and 400 mg tablets in small boxes. Both are sold only in pharmacies, not supermarkets, and the pharmacist keeps them behind the counter.
• Codeine needs a prescription. So do oral decongestants with pseudoephedrine, which used to be sold freely. Ask for a nasal spray or saline instead.
• Antibiotics, sleeping pills and many creams that are OTC in some countries need a prescription.
• Allergy pills like cetirizine and emergency contraception are available without a prescription.
• Melatonin is sold in low doses as a supplement.

Bring your usual OTC brands if you are attached to them, especially sleep aids, decongestants and children's medicines. French versions exist, with different names and doses.

Bringing prescription medicines

For most medicines, French customs allow the amount you need for the treatment period on your prescription, or up to three months' supply if you don't carry a prescription. Keep medicines in their original labeled bottles, in your carry-on.

Controlled medicines: ADHD stimulants, opioids, sleeping pills, anxiety drugs

Narcotic and psychotropic medicines, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), amphetamines (Adderall, Vyvanse), opioid painkillers, and some sleep and anxiety drugs, have stricter rules.

• You must carry the medicine yourself. You can't mail it to France or have it sent.
• You must carry the original, valid prescription from your doctor. Bring an English copy and ideally a letter from your doctor stating the diagnosis, the drug's generic name, and the dose. A French translation helps.
• The quantity must match personal use for the prescribed period. Without a prescription, French customs use 28 days of treatment as the reference.
• France does not issue a special permit for travelers entering with these medicines, so you do not need to apply in advance.
• Adderall is not sold in France, and many US brand-name ADHD and pain medicines have no exact French equivalent. Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is sold as Xurta, but only on a French specialist's prescription. Bring enough for the whole trip plus a few spare days.

If you are continuing to other countries, check each one's rules with its embassy or on the country regulations database of the International Narcotics Control Board. If you run out of a regular medicine, a French GP can usually prescribe an equivalent; bring the generic name.

Travel insurance

Most US health plans pay little or nothing abroad, and many expect you to pay first and claim later. Medicare does not cover care outside the US, apart from very narrow exceptions. Some Medigap supplement plans include a foreign travel emergency benefit, generally covering 80% after a deductible up to a lifetime cap, and some Medicare Advantage plans include emergency care abroad. Check your plan documents before you go.

A medical evacuation to the US can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the State Department strongly recommends coverage for it.

What to buy

• Travel medical insurance with at least $100,000 of emergency medical coverage, and evacuation coverage of $250,000 or more. These cost little for a short trip.
• Trip cancellation and interruption if you have expensive nonrefundable bookings. Read what counts as a covered reason. Strikes and protests often are only covered if they start after you buy the policy.
• Check whether the policy pays providers directly or reimburses you, and save the 24/7 assistance number in your phone.
• Premium credit cards often include trip delay, baggage and rental car coverage, but rarely good medical coverage.

See trip planning and money for more.

Heat, sun, water and mountains

Heat waves

Summer heat waves (canicules) are now regular, with temperatures above 95°F (35°C), even in Paris. Many older hotels, apartments and some trains have no air conditioning. Drink water, plan museum visits for the hottest hours, rest at midday, and book air-conditioned rooms in July and August. During a heat wave, the government runs an advice line, Canicule info service, at 0800 06 66 66. See when to go.

Sun, ticks and bugs

The southern sun is strong, especially on the water and in the mountains. Ticks carrying Lyme disease are common in forests and long grass across France, particularly in the east and center, from spring to fall. Wear long pants on hikes, check yourself every evening, and remove ticks promptly with a tick tool from any pharmacy. Mosquitoes, including tiger mosquitoes, are now common in the south in summer.

Swimming and beach flags

Swim at beaches with lifeguards (baignade surveillée), usually in July and August and on summer weekends. Flags tell you the conditions:

• Green: swimming supervised, no particular danger.
• Yellow (orange at some beaches): swimming is risky, take care.
• Red: swimming forbidden.
• Purple: pollution or dangerous marine life.
• Red-and-yellow flags mark the edges of the zone lifeguards watch. Stay between them.

On the Atlantic coast, especially in Gironde, the Landes and the Basque Country, strong currents called baïnes pull swimmers out every summer. If you are caught in one, don't fight it; float and swim parallel to the shore. On the Mediterranean, watch for jellyfish and sudden wind. See Bordeaux & the Atlantic coast and the outdoors.

Mountains

Weather in the Alps and Pyrenees changes fast, even in summer. Start hikes early, check the forecast and the local mountain weather, carry layers and water, and tell someone your route. Call 112 for rescue. Mountain rescue on hiking trails is generally free, but at ski resorts rescue on and off the slopes is billed, so get insurance that covers it, like the inexpensive policies sold with ski passes. See the Alps.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink all over mainland France. Restaurants must give you a free carafe d'eau if you ask. Fountains marked eau non potable are not for drinking.

Women traveling solo and road safety

France is a comfortable country for women traveling alone. Street harassment does happen, mostly verbal, and catcalling and following are now offenses that police can fine. Ignoring comments and walking on is the usual response.

• Watch your drink in bars and clubs. The State Department warns that date-rape drugs are present in France.
• Use licensed taxis or ride apps late at night, and sit in the back.
• Late at night on the Métro, choose a car with other passengers and sit near the driver's end on buses.
• Report assault or harassment on transport to 3117, or text 31177.
• The 3919 line offers advice and support to women facing violence. In an emergency call 17 or 112, or text 114 if you cannot speak.

See travel by interest for more on solo and LGBTQ+ travel.

Road safety

French roads are well maintained, but rules differ from the US: priority to the right at many intersections, roundabouts everywhere, speed cameras and strict drunk-driving limits. Motorbikes weave between lanes, and cyclists and scooters are everywhere in cities. As a pedestrian, look both ways even on one-way streets, because bikes and buses may come the other way in their own lanes. Read our driving guide before you rent a car.