Go with a plan.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about France
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Fake Charity Collectors
Individuals approach with documents claiming to raise money for the deaf or disabled, sometimes feigning deafness to pressure victims. Do not give money to anyone on the street claiming to represent a charity without official documents.
Tram Ticket Machine Hustle
People offer unsolicited help with tram ticket machines at main train stations, then demand payment for their service. Avoid accepting help from strangers at these machines and be wary of requests for change.
Fake Charity Sales
Con artists sell postcards or other items while claiming to represent a charity. Never give money to individuals on the street who lack official, verifiable documents for their organization.
Unlicensed Taxis
Unlicensed drivers operate as taxis, posing a risk to passengers. Avoid taking any vehicle that is not an official, licensed taxi, especially late at night.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
ID Requirement
Foreigners should carry an official identity document. Failure to produce a valid ticket on public transportation without identification will result in being taken to a police station for checks.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rabies, Tick-borne Encephalitis
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
The visa policy of the Schengen Area is a component within the wider area of freedom, security and justice policy of the European Union. It applies to the Schengen Area and Cyprus, but not to EU member state Ireland. The visa policy allows nationals of certain countries to enter the Schengen Area via air, land or sea without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Nationals of certain other countries are required to have a visa to enter and, in some cases, transit through the Schenge
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in France. Terrorism attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by tourists and foreign nationals such as: shopping centres entertainment establishments and nightlife venues sporting and cultural events public transport and national and international transport hubs places of worship crowded places and public gatherings Methods of attack have included knife attacks, shootings, bombings and vehicle attacks. Be vigilant in public places and follow the advice of local French authorities. There have been several recent high-profile terrorist attacks in France, including: in 2023, one person was killed in a knife and hammer attack in central Paris in 2023, a teacher was killed in a knife attack in a school in Arras French authorities regularly report that they have disrupted planned attacks and made arrests.
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Crimes: Crime-related emergencies can be reported to the toll-free number 17 or 112 (European emergency telephone number).
- •Though France remains among the safest countries in the world, crime and insecurity have become a lot more common in the last few decades.
- •City centres and some (mostly wealthy) suburbs are usually safe at all hours.
- •While it is not compulsory for French citizens to carry identification, they usually do so.
Staying healthy
- •Tap water: Tap water (eau du robinet) is drinkable, except in rare cases such as in rural rest areas and sinks in railway carriage toilets, in which case it will be clearly signposted as eau non potable.
- •Tap water is generally acceptable in taste, but mineral water (eau minérale) is generally considered to taste better, except in areas that use mountain water from the Alps for their municipal supply.
- •Medical help: Health care in France is of a very high standard.
- •Pharmacies are denoted by a green cross, usually in flashing neon (or LED).
- •Since drug brand names vary across countries even though the effective ingredients stay the same, it is better to carry prescriptions using the international nomenclature in addition to the commercial brand name.
- •In addition, supermarkets sell condoms (préservatifs) and also often personal lubricant, bandages, disinfectant and other minor medical items.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers report that France is generally safe for visitors, even in major cities like Marseille and Paris. While media reports often focus on social unrest and crime, those who have visited or lived in these cities describe a reality that does not match the headlines. Specifically, one traveler familiar with New York City found Marseille comfortable enough to walk around at 3:00 AM. There is a visible police and military presence in areas like Paris, but this does not necessarily impact the overall safety experience for tourists. No specific scams or dangerous areas were identified in the provided accounts.
“I’d heard mixed things about the safety and cleanliness here, but coming from New York City, I never felt uncomfortable at any time - even wandering around at 3am.
— r/travel
“I understand that news can sometimes exaggerate or focus on extremes, but these reports still raise questions in my mind.
— r/travel
“I understand there's a bit more of a police/military presence lately, wondering if that bothered anyone.
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / E · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 or 17 / ambulance: 112 or 15 / fire: 112 or 18
Tipping
Tips are not expected in France since service charges are included in the bill. However, French people usually leave the small change left after paying the bill or one to five euros if they were satisfied with the service quality.
SIM / Data
France uses the GSM standard of cellular phones (900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands) used in most of the world outside of the U.S. Many companies (e.g., Orange, SFR, Free, Bouygues Télécom, Virgin Mobile) offer wireless service. The country is almost totally covered but you may have difficulties using your mobile phone in rural or mountainous areas. However, for emergency numbers, the three companies are
Cash vs. Card
Just as with other non-English European languages, the comma and decimal separator have reverse functions in French from that in English, so 2,99 means 2 euro and 99 cents. By convention, the euro symbol is either placed at the end of the entire price (2,99€) or between the whole number and the decimal portions of the price in lieu of the decimal comma (2€99).
Zoom in
11 France cities on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (9 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- reddit — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09