I just came back from a trip to Europe, and I am in the plans of going back in a few years. I rode the paris metro during the morning and afternoon, but not at night. If we rode the metro, the latest we would be on it would be around 9:30pm-10:00pm at the latest.<BR><BR>I rode the london underground at night around 9:30pm and noticed that it was still packed with people, and felt very safe. Does the paris metro still have a lot of people traveling in it at this time? Or should I take a taxi?

I think it's an individual call and you have to trust your instincts. It also matters if you are alone or in a group, the areas of the city in which you will be traveling and what stops you will be using. Though I've ridden the metro plenty late on lines that never gave me the slightest bit of concern, your call doesn't sound unreasonable to me for your own situation. I know that sounds rather unhelpful, but I just don't feel like it's an easy question to answer on a blanket basis. A taxi is a small investment if it keeps you out of a situation that gives you the creeps; whether that reaction is always COMPLETELY rational or not. In general, my own impression is that the metro is relatively safe and that many people ride it quite late.

Take the taxi by night...Some places(stations) are really bad and if you are going to walk after the station alone I don't recommend

I do take the metro late, until 12 sometimes unless I am really exhausted; then I take a cab. I do watch out for myself and trust my instincts: if someone looks odd, stay away or simply leave the station. I would never stay alone while waiting for a train nor get into an empty car (I would simply leave asap and take a cab). So far, (knock on wood) I have had no troubles anywhere nor heard of any from anyone else.

I routinely ride it at that time, but not at the more dangerous stations or outer areas, and my destination is within a short, well-lit walk from the station or in a busy area that I know. Once I rented an apt. which was about 4-5 blocks from a station and I was a little uncomfortable walking to it around 10 pm or so, even though it was in a relatively safe residential area which does not have a high crime rate. So I agree it really does depend where you are going and what stations. In general, though, there are still a lot of people on it at that hour, yes.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I will not be traveling alone, but in a small group of about 3 people. I took the tube at night and felt safe, but I was wondering how the metro compares?<BR><BR>

I have been out past midnight--latest, maybe 1:30 a.m.--and found most of the metros safe. Like Jim says, you need to trust your instincts. Some stations seem seedier than others. But for the most part, I felt safe, even when by myself.

Melissa..<BR><BR>In all due respect to you, the Metro in Paris stops running at 12:30

Aaaahhhh my mistake. I wasn't actually IN the metro! (Too much at the Lizard Lounge in the Marais)

What are considered the dangerous metro stations? Thanks.

I'm rarely on the metro in Paris past 11 pm alone, and if I am, I'm on a line I know well and where, when I exit, I have well-known, well-lit streets to take back to wherever I'm going. That said, I've been on the m&eacute;tro later than that at night with one or two other female friends and never felt unsafe. I do not stop (or start, or get out at) Ch&acirc;telet or Op&eacute;ra (the&yacute;'re both huge, cavernous stations where you may need to walk a mile or so underground to make a connection and Ch&acirc;telet in particular has a bad reputation), nor do I take the m&eacute;tro to or from Pigalle or nearby stations after dark, and I stay away from the Gare du Nord, which may for all I know be a perfectly fine place, but I've been there a couple of times in the evening and sensed the place was a bit ominous. <BR>In response to the question about how Paris compares to London, I'd say about the same - very safe in general, just stay away from the known possible trouble spots. It helps to be sober and look like you know what you're doing.

Our family of five took a day trip from Paris to Brussels on the Thalys in 1999. We took the RER from CDG Etoile and got off at Gare du Nord. Of course to return to our hotel it was around 10 p.m. then and I was a bit wary as I'd read how bad taking the subway could be late at night-particulary RER and metro lines as we took.<BR><BR>Surprisingly Gare du Nord is a very busy station day and night. Therefore, we did not feel unsafe taking the RER as there were many others like us just minding their business to get where they were going. However, aboard the train there was one guy playing a guitar (I can't remember exactly) for change but he did not bother anyone.<BR><BR>It is true that some subway corridors are very long and during the night it can be a bit lonely walking down these corridors-only a few people sometimes are walking along with you. <BR><BR>So it was a safe experience for us, but as I mentioned this was in 1999. The way I read in the current postings of people who have visited Paris recently, taking the metro has gotten worse in regards to petty theft. I think it's just your luck and you can't really keep obsessing about it. If it bothers you alot, then take a taxi.

Also from what I've read two of the worse metro stations are Chatelet and Barbes-Rocheouart.

We were at Barbes Rocheaourt mtro left Montmarte at 11:30 pm heading to ST. Germain DEs Pres. I found Barbes very seedy, there were 2 of us and we were VERY uncomfortable. DAytime is probably better definitely stay away at night.<BR> That was THE only time I felt unsafe in PAris. PJ

i was there a year ago and rode the metro at about 11pm back to the hotel. i was 22 yrs old at the time and am not a small guy. i was also there with another guy that was the same age, just a little bit smaller in size. neither of us felt unsure about the situation at all. perhaps it comes from living in the los angeles area and not being from a small town as well. i guess it just depends on the person though, if you feel comfortable doing something then do it. if you don't feel comfortable riding late at night, don't.