JameJamerz

I am sure everyone is annoyed by all of my posts so I am going to give my mother credit for this one. She would like to know if all of the metro stations in Paris are safe (like you would feel safe riding at all times of the day) and if there are any areas in Paris to stay away from. Thanks for the information.

AnthonyGA

It depends on where "home" is for you, but in general the Paris Métro is very safe. Violent crime is rare. There are a few thousand instances of people having trouble each year, which sounds like a lot until your realize that the Métro transports two billion people during the same period.

The greatest risk in the Métro is pickpocketing. Foreign visitors are a favorite target because they aren't often paying attention and they have cash and credit cards that don't require a PIN to use. It's hardly a form a violent crime, though; you don't even know your pocket has been picked until you look for your wallet or purse and find it missing.

Some stations have seedy-looking characters in them late at night, near the end of service (around midnight to one in the morning, depending on the location), but as long as there are other people around (and there are almost always other people around), no problem.

Overall, the Métro is safe to ride on at any time of day. It closes between about 1 AM and 5 AM, so you can't ride in the middle of the night, anyway.

Within Paris itself, there are few spots that present any risk; those that might be a bit dicey are never visited by tourists, anyway. The suburbs can be far more dangerous, but here again, most tourists don't visit the suburbs, either. So you don't really have to worry about straying into the wrong neighborhood.

I'm always a bit puzzled by questions about safety in Paris. Many people asking them come from large cities that are far more dangerous statistically. Paris is about average in terms of risk compared to other large cities in developed countries. For tourists, the main problem is that they are unfamiliar with their surroundings and often distracted, and they are easy to spot and they have credit cards and cash to pickpocket. But taking care to be aware can compensate for this.

ruby627

When we were in Paris in 99, we decided to spend out last night visiting the Eiffel Tour. We readied ourselves for the worst of the Paris Metro, especially for our ride home to the hotel.

However, when we waited on the platform for our train, there were no "seedy, dangerous types," just loads of tourists!

francophile03

Seedy characters or not, the main thing is to be aware of your surroundings and your belongings when you ride the metro.

Patrick

And my belief is that you are in far less danger from "seedy looking characters" than you are from average looking people. The guy or gal on the Metro who is most likely to pick your pocket is much more likely to be dressed like any other business person or every day travler, rather than some derelict from the street.

By the way, the most often described method of pick pocketing on the Metro, involves a person as I described above, leaning in close to you to "read the map" above you. As you are bumping along and his body is pressed tightly to yours in the crowded car, who knows where his hand is?

francophile03

I agree with Patrick as I learned firsthand. Fortunately I was lucky due to the timing of my stop. The idiot didn't get enough time to clean out my bag. But the m.o. is as described above. Be very aware of who is behind you if you stand in the metro. If you can wait for a sort of empty train it would be best to avoid this situation.

Clark_G

The only Metro we didn't feel comfortable on was the night Metro to Moulin Rouge. "Seedy Characters" is putting it mildly. We took a cab home from the show.

Other than this 1 experience, the Paris Metro system is unequalled in saftey and efficiency.