3 Dangerous Areas in Paris You Should Avoid

No-go zones in Paris

"No-go zones" is a bit of a harsh phrase, but I use it here to signal those areas of Paris that are less safe, at least at certain times.

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements, or districts. Of these, some are safer than others, but even those considered "sensitive urban areas" aren’t dangerous in their entirety. 

Paris also has some 286 suburbs, or banlieues, some of which are not recommended for visitors, largely because they have no tourist interest, not because visitors would be targets. However, you’ll have no reason to visit them, unless they contain major tourist attractions – and are, consequently, safe during the day. 

Map of Paris with its 20 arrondissements by Pline, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Safety is also a question of perception. Does Paris feel safe?

If you’re from Tokyo or Singapore, two of the safest cities in the world, you might feel unsafe in some parts of Paris. But if you're from a megacity with a high crime rate, you'd probably consider Paris a haven of serenity.

I feel safe in most parts of Paris, at least during the day, but then, I visit regularly (it’s only three hours from my home in the eastern part of the country), I'm French and I speak French fluently, which does make a difference when it comes to feeling confident.

That said, there's broad agreement that risk does exist and some neighborhoods should be avoided, especially at night. Let’s take a look at the reality on the ground. 

The 3 main neighborhoods a tourist should avoid in Paris

Most large tourist destinations attract scores of visitors, not only tourists but also those intent on preying on them. That said, no way should you deny yourself the joy of a visit just because a few parts of the city are less safe than others.

A few precautions make sense.

• When you're in crowded tourist areas, notice your surroundings and be careful with your belongings.
• Avoid the more sensitive areas of the city. Like these.

1. 10th arrondissement

Train stations are often located in seedy areas, and Paris is no different, with the 10th district of Paris boasting not one, but two major stations: the Gare de l’Est and the Gare du Nord.

Many major train lines start or finish here so there's every chance you’ll be using them at some point.

In daytime, these areas are perfectly fine, and I’ve taken plenty of trains from here. But at night, drunks and people selling or high on drugs crawl out of the woodwork, and their acting out – including the occasional fight – can make things uncomfortable.

There's no particular danger here, but the atmosphere is not necessarily serene.

2. 18th arrondissement

One of the areas with the highest crime rates is also one of the most popular, but the area is large and varies widely.

Montmartre Hill

The most visited part of the 18th is Montmartre, clustered around the church of the Sacré-Cœur and Place du Tertre. This area is full of tourists throughout the day and evening and feels far safer than some of the arrondissement's outer edges.

As you can see, this area, the Place du Tertre, is "made to visit" and is largely safe (you may find an occasional pickpocket) ©OffbeatFrance

Pigalle and Clichy

Below Montmartre hill, around the Place de Clichy and its neighboring streets, is the area known as Pigalle, with a very different vibe.

My mother would avoid it and warn me about it many years ago – it is, after all, a red light district.

The former seediness remains, what with its erotic shops and sex shows, but it has become much tamer, with families gathering around park benches on traffic islands and young people pedaling by on bike lanes.

Area around Pigalle, in the evening ©️OffbeatFrance/Leyla Alyanak

A lot of people warn against coming here but I'll have to go against the grain.

This is usually where I stay when I'm in Paris, and it has plenty of affordable eateries, including one of the city's typical bouillon restaurants which once fed the working classes of Paris (and where you can still get an excellent meal for a very decent price).

Plenty of Paris food tours start in this area, walking you up the hill and working up an appetite (beware, they don't ALL start at the bottom of Montmartre so check first!)

Just be aware that Pigalle, as a red light district, has many establishments designed to part you from your cash. There are plenty of stories of unsuspecting tourists whose exorbitant bar or club bills have required emergency assistance from friends and family, not to mention police.

Also in this arrondissement are the Portes de Clignancourt and de la Chapelle, both worth avoiding after dusk – the latter isn't particularly agreeable in daytime either given the drug activity and migrant camps.

If you're uncomfortable in this environment, then avoid it later at night. Or be daring and head for a cabaret show at the Moulin Rouge!

The northern 18th

In the arrondissement’s northern part, however, it’s a different story, and the closer you get to the ring road (or périphérique), the worse it gets. 

At night (and I’ve stayed in this part of town), stepping off the bus or emerging from the last Métro can be daunting, especially if you’re a woman on your own. Stay away from subway stations like Marx Dormoy, Porte de Clignancourt and Porte de la Chapelle. 

I would avoid the area around Barbès-Rochechouart (on the border of the 9th, 10th and 18th) métro, which is known for trade in drugs and petty theft. There are plenty of pickpockets here as well, waiting for an unsuspecting tourist. Unless you feel supremely confident and are very keen to explore this very gritty side of Paris, I would stay away – especially after dark.

If you go ahead, make sure you leave any trace of wealth at home. But I wouldn't recommend this as an experience worth having, not unless you speak good French, are familiar with Parisian urban culture, and look perfectly at ease.

While I'd like to hurry you along, as you emerge from Barbès-Rochechouart, take a quick look at the Art Deco Luxor, a stunning theater more than a century old ©OffbeatFrance

3. 19th arrondissement

Right next to the 18th is the 19th district, another arrondissement that is better in daytime than at night. I enjoy three separate areas here, for very different reasons. But fto get here, you'll likely pass through Barbès-Rochechouart metro station again, with care.

La Rotonde de la Villette

If you get off at Stalingrad (again, not the best of stations), you'll see a large open area, a sort of roundish "square" or roundabout with people around, more or less under the train tracks. Head that way and you'll end up at the building below, one of my favorite pieces of architecture in Paris, the Rotonde de la Villette.

It was designed by 18th-century neoclassical architect Claude Ledoux, who also built the most unlikely Royal Saline of Arc-et-Senans near the Jura Mountains. The building, once a tax collection station, was closed when I visited but apparently has a lovely restaurant inside.

The Rotonde...

If you turn your back to it you'll see the Bassin de la Villette, which extends into the Canal de l'Ourcq, built by Napoleon to bring drinking water into Paris. Walk away from the Rotonde along the canal for some fabulous eateries, especially along the left side of the canal.

La Mouzaïa

This is a special area, one that seems a little out of place in the bustling 19th, with its leafy village-like feel, cobblestones and all. If I had the money, this is probably where I'd live in Paris.

Built over an old gypsum quarry that provided building materials for the rest of Paris, the area is best reached via the Botzaris or Danube metro stations.

In summer, it is leafy and green with plenty of brightness which I've failed to capture on the cold winter day I strolled around. And that's what you do here: no shops, no cafés, just a bit of ambling...

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

This public park is one of the largest in Paris, inaugurated by Napoleon III as part of the grand Haussmann transformations of the city. It's pretty dramatic, with its steep paths and the (purely decorative) Temple de la Sibylle, a "little folly", as the French would say.

It's easy to access, either through Buttes-Chaumont metro or from the gate just across from Botzaris metro.

So no, not everything in this area is dangerous. But, all these areas should be avoided at night.

During the day, you'll probably feel a little uncomfortable if you wander along the aerial subway: beneath it, as is the case with Barbès-Rochechouart, many homeless people live in tents, and there's a brisk trade in stolen goods.

Further north

This is a huge arrondissement and very diverse. North of the Buttes-Chaumont, or following northeast from the Rotonde, is an even larger park, La Villette. It's full of things to do, from concerts to museums, but like any park, after dusk is less pleasant than before, with drugs and homelessness being issues. 

Still, while some people characterize it as dangerous, I think not. Certainly not in daytime.

Other areas that require a few precautions

1st arrondissement

The first district is the “main” tourist arrondissement of Paris, by and large a safe area: it is the one that houses the Louvre Museum and the Tuileries. You’ll find plenty of tourists here, but your biggest challenge will be avoiding pickpockets and purse snatchers.

Situations like these, with crowds paying attention at anything but their belongings, are targeted by pickpockets on a daily basis ©️OffbeatFrance

As far as physical safety, the area around the Centre Pompidou and Les Halles, the indoor shopping mall built on the city’s former market, is fine in daytime, with plenty of excellent restaurants nearby and lots of crowds.

However, on Saturday nights, Les Halles becomes a no-go area as young men from the suburbs ride into town to hang out, although I didn't check this out on my most recent trip so things might have changed.

Behind Les Halles is one of my favorite Parisian bouillon restaurants... the Petit Bouillon Pharamond. Reserve, or you'll have to stand in line...

The Chatelêt-Les Halles metro station is also in this arrondissement and it is huge, possibly the largest underground station in the world, with interminable corridors that can be downright spooky if few people are around. I try to avoid it once commuters have gone home, but even in daytime, I’ll keep an eye on my belongings.

Getting granular

A number of arrondissements in Paris are largely fine, but the occasional street or block or two should be avoided at night, or precautions taken.

The 20th arrondissement

Take the 20th, a mixed bag, with village-like corners mixed in with social housing and plenty of ethnic diversity. You’ll have two good reasons to come here: street art and Asian food in Belleville, and the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Belleville has plenty of street art, a bit like the St Julien area of Marseille ©OffbeatFrance

I keep hearing this is one of the more dangerous districts in Paris. It may be true, but I suspect this applies more at night than during the day time.

If I'm not definite, it's because I haven't visited the upper part of Belleville at night. By and large, the "creatives" win and in daytime, Belleville feels busy and ordinary rather than unsafe. At night, reports remain mixed.

The bottom part of the rue de Belleville, heading uphill from the metro station, is basically Asian, with plenty of foodie stops, some good, some less so. But it does have atmosphere...

As for the Père Lachaise cemetery, it's a pilgrimage stop for millions of tourists, who have made it the most visited cemetery on earth to see the graves of individuals as diverse as Molière, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Sarah Bernhardt or Edith Piaf. The biggest danger here is getting lost...

You can avoid that by taking a reputable private tour that will give you the ins and the outs of the cemetery, with plenty of anecdotes and history.

Père Lachaise cemetery, perfectly serene in the 20th arrondissement ©OffbeatFrance

The woods

At night you should definitely avoid the two forests, the Bois de Boulogne in the chic 16th and the Bois de Vincennes in the 12th. Both areas are great in daytime but at night, sex workers inhabit the woods and the atmosphere is what you might call “chaude”, or hot.

Saint-Denis

While this isn't in Paris proper (it's over the ring road, north of Paris in the Seine-Saint-Denis department), I need to mention it because it has one major tourist attraction: Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis (yes, it's both).

It's also France's royal necropolis, where France's kings and queens are buried (it's also an interesting early Gothic monument).

It's safe to visit during the day, with these caveats: the subway exit feels rather unkempt and edgy, so I'd walk through quickly and follow the signs. They're perfectly clear. As you near the cathedral you'll see plenty of police so this isn't where danger lurks.

Once at the cathedral, go inside and visit. Saint-Denis isn't the type of town made for wandering, so don't. The town has a reputation for unrest, and although it's exaggerated, there's no point in courting discomfort when it's not needed.

A metro sign in Paris ©️OffbeatFrance

The Métro

As in any big city, the subway should be approached with caution at night. I’ve mentioned a few stations to avoid, and you can add Château-Rouge, Strasbourg St-Denis, Réaumur Sébastopol and Montparnasse Bienvenue to the list.

What kind of crime is there in the city center?

One important thing to note about crime in Paris: it is rarely violent. When things do turn bad, it’s usually due to drug dealing or criminal gangs settling scores. Most times, this kind of violent crime doesn’t take place around heavily policed tourist sites and rarely targets tourists or tourist areas. 

The most common crime against tourists in the city of Paris is pickpocketing, especially at popular sites, like the Eiffel Tower or the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, or on popular public transportation lines, such as those arriving from Charles de Gaulle airport.

Pickpockets are often hard to spot, because they might be women, or children (this is common because minors are harder to prosecute), or groups dressed to look inoffensive. They tend to target your purses, wallets, cellphones or jewelry, hence the importance of leaving your valuables behind or using a reliable theftproof purse (I use a crossbody anti-theft Pacsafe bag, which I wear across my chest, not dangling temptingly behind my back).

Another unsettling issue, especially if you're a younger woman, concerns sexual harassment on the street, which you might encounter where groups of young men gather, especially in the evening.

It rarely goes beyond words and whistles, but even these can be extremely disquieting if you're a foreigner, alone, and don't speak the language. 

In addition to crime, there is occasional social unrest in Paris. If riots do erupt during your stay, a rare occurrence, make sure you stay informed through your hotel staff or on social media. Riots tend to take place in the suburbs rather than in the heart of Paris, mostly because of the extensive police presence in the city center.

It’s easy to worry about violence, especially when you hear of a terrorist attack, but remember, violent acts against tourists in Paris remain the exception. 

Is Paris more dangerous than other cities?

No, it isn’t.

For example, Numbeo, which relies on people’s reports, gives Paris a 57.94 crime index, considered moderate, and a 42.06 safety index, which is also average.

Bear this in mind though: there's a vast gap between numbers during the day and at night, with a high safety index (63.13) for walking alone during the day, and a low index at night (35.79).

More stats? According to Armormax (they sell armored cars), Paris ranks 15 out of 33 European cities for crime, but most of it is petty, as in pickpocketing.

In the World Population Review, Paris ranks 23rd on the list of 60 cities when it comes to safety, sandwiched between Brussels and Taipei.

The reason I point to all these statistics is that 1) they all differ slightly and 2) they all confirm the trend that Paris, on any safety scale, ranks around the middle.

Safety tips in Paris

While we’ve covered the main threats above, I’d like to highlight a few common dangers (and some common scams): 

• Make sure you get some good travel insurance before you leave.

• When you book a place to stay, make sure you find out what it’s like at night by reading reviews on such sites as booking.com and doing research. A perfectly acceptable area in daytime can become less so at night.

• Rather than hop on the bus or subway late at night, especially if you're alone, opt for a taxi or Uber. And avoid walking alone at night unless you're in a crowded or touristy area. But that's just common sense...

• This is obvious, but keep an eye on your belongings, whatever the time of day. Better yet, leave anything of value at home. No flashy jewelry, no wads of cash, and try to look like you know where you're going.

• Use something safe to carry what you do need. Some people use a backpack (carried on the front) but I prefer one of these cross-body anti-theft bags. I'm also trialing this stylish sling bag.

• For men (and for women who like these), one of my male readers recommends this RFD money belt, which comes in a variety of colors. And this slim front pocket wallet will keep a couple of cards and a bit of cash a lot safer than in your rear pocket.

• Avoid people who come up to you, especially if they’re holding a clipboard. This is a favorite scam to catch your attention while someone else does the dirty deed. If you’re asked for something, like a light or directions, simply say no thank you, smile, and keep walking.

• It's not a good idea to use your cellphone in the metro, especially near the door. Snatching it through the open doors just before they close has become something of an art form, and there’s nothing you can do once those doors have closed. You’re headed away from the station and someone on the platform is the proud owner of your mobile phone… If you must use your cell, make sure it's tethered with a wrist strap (I use this one, and it does make a difference).

• And finally, take care when shopping! Please don’t leave your credit cards or purse sitting on a counter…
  

FAQ

Should you worry about dangerous areas in Paris?

Just choose your neighborhoods wisely, take care of your belongings, and be aware of your surroundings – treat crime in Paris exactly as you would any large city back home. And if you're feeling vulnerable, consider taking a few short day tours to get comfortable with the City of Light before setting off on your own.

Paris is full of beauty and romance, and there's every chance you'll spend several weeks here without witnessing a single unpleasant incident. 

So enjoy yourself, visit every place on your list, and take home unique memories that will last you a lifetime.

🇫🇷

Bonjour! I’m Leyla. Born in Paris, now based in Eastern France between Lyon and Annecy.

After years abroad as a journalist and diplomat, I came home and began rediscovering France through its history and landscapes.

Offbeat France is for culturally curious travelers who want more than checklists. I write about castles, villages, museums, and landmarks — explaining France’s history while also showing you where to go and what to visit.

You’ll find context, backstories, but also  practical advice, in equal measure.

My aim is simple: help you travel through France with historical insight, not guesswork.

If you think, “I didn’t know that,” I’m doing my job.

Learn more about me!
Read my Substack historical essays

🇫🇷

What's New!

• 

1. Unique Food Festivals in France by Season

   Feb 26, 26 07:49 AM

   Discover unique food festivals in France where entire towns celebrate one ingredient, from truffles to oysters and garlic to chestnuts.

   Read More

2. Visiting Chambord Castle, France's Most Ambitious Renaissance Chateau

   Feb 10, 26 05:24 AM

   Explore Chambord Castle, France’s largest Renaissance château. Learn why it was built, how it was used, and what to look for when visiting today.

   Read More

3. Pierres Dorées: The Golden Stone Villages of The Beaujolais

   Jan 05, 26 08:27 AM

   The Golden Stones of Beaujolais: medieval villages built from iron-rich limestone that glows gold. A perfect day trip from Lyon for wine, hiking, and history.

   Read More

4. Riva Bella-Ouistreham: Complete Guide To 6 Best Things To See And Do

   Dec 10, 25 02:05 PM

   Visit Ouistreham-Riva Bella: explore D-Day sites, Pegasus Bridge, bunker museums, take the waters, and enjoy this charming Normandy port town.

   Read More

5. Things To Do In Vienne, France (From Rome to the Renaissance)

   Oct 22, 25 01:55 PM

   Discover Vienne France, a historic Rhône Valley town near Lyon with Roman ruins, medieval churches, vibrant markets, and world-class jazz.

   Read More