Is France Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

France is generally safe for solo female travelers. Like any other place in the world, it's important to exercise some precautions. Major cities like Paris and Lyon, are safe, but like any urban area, can have pockets of higher crime. It's advisable to stay vigilant, especially during late hours and in less crowded areas. Public transportation is reliable and mostly safe, although pickpocketing does happen, so you should keep an eye on your belongings. Overall, the majority of visits are trouble-free, and the locals are helpful to tourists. It's a culturally rich country with plenty to offer a solo female traveler.

Safety rating

4.2 /5

Based on 257 experiences from female travelers

4.5 /5

Based on our research and crime data

3.9 /5

Based on 953 experiences from local women

France is currently ranked #95 safest country for solo female travelers, with an overall safety rating of 4.2 out of 5. Check the full ranking.

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How safe is France?

Safety at night:Safe

France is generally safe for solo female travelers at night, especially in well-populated areas with a notable level of police presence. Public transport in the cities also operates well into the night, and taxis are readily available. However, as with anywhere, it's always advisable to remain aware of your surroundings, stay in well-lit areas, and avoid isolated or seemingly suspicious circumstances.

Public transportation:Safe

Public transportation in France is generally safe for solo female travelers. The country has a well-established network of trains, buses, and trams that are frequently used by locals and tourists alike. It is regularly patrolled and video-monitored, and issues such as violent crime are relatively rare. However, like anywhere else, pickpockets can be a concern, particularly in crowded areas and major cities like Paris. So, always keep a close eye on your belongings and be attentive to your surroundings. Late at night, it might be safer to use trusted taxi services or ride-sharing apps.

Street harassment:Moderate

While France is generally a safe country for solo female travelers, instances of street harassment can occur, particularly in larger cities. These may include catcalling, staring, or certain unsolicited comments, but physical harassment is relatively rare. Though French laws condemn such behavior, it is still advisable to exercise caution, stay aware of surroundings, and avoid commuting alone during night hours.

Petty crimes:Moderate

France, particularly in larger cities or tourist areas, has a moderate level of petty crime. It's not uncommon for solo female travelers to experience incidents such as pickpocketing or bag snatching, particularly in crowded areas or on public transportation. Always be vigilant of your belongings and aware of your surroundings. However, it should not deter you from visiting, as taking preventative safety measures can reduce these occurrences.

Is France worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 257 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.5/5

Safety

4.2/5

Food

4.3/5

Budget-friendly

3.4/5

Taizé, Solo travel

I had a very deep spiritual experience in Taizé and the daily prayers are beautiful. What I love most about this place is how welcoming they are to every person. Even though it is a christian place, they welcome muslims or hindus or queer people - everyone is welcome to come and experience the love of God.

Posted: May 1, 2025Experienced: April, 2025

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Hemakshi

India

France, Group travel

I love France! I went to Mont Blanc, Chamonix, and Parc d'accrobranche La Forêt Magique. I also highly recommend going to Courchevel to ski in winter and the Mont-Blanc cable car. France is quite safe.

Posted: April 29, 2025

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Louise

France

Paris, Group travel

I went there two days, one night. I havent been out so much, only in the metro which made me feel extremely unsafe. I made a bad encounter with a group of youngs men. If i had to give an advice. Dont show any jewellery and dont make eye contact.

Posted: April 27, 2025Experienced: February, 2022

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Bella

Hungary

Lyon, Family travel

The transportation isnt cheap compared to Budapest but i guess it is compared to like London. Its very safe and in tact but the crowd is something i had to get used to. People dont respect your space in public and dont speak english. The city is mostly very clean and i felt safe. I recommend the Musée des Confluences if you like science or biology (but i suppose the expos are changing and are not permanent) and also musée des Beaux-Arts, that has some really famous pieces. I think going up the the temple on the mountain with the fourvière is a must.

Posted: April 26, 2025

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Majken

Germany

Corsica, Couple travel

I felt overall safe, we slept on a campinground in a van. Camping was very cheap. The island is really beautiful with lots of nature to explore. The locals were very nice and I would definitely go there again.

Posted: April 20, 2025

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Xiana

Spain

France, Family travel

When I went to France with my parents we stayed at the Pirineos. It was beautiful, one of the best travels of my life. People was so nice, shops were so well organized, I didn’t feel unsafe or uncomfortable at any moment… It was perfect.

Posted: April 18, 2025

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Paris, Group travel

I went to Paris last year for a college summer elective course. It was a great trip and honestly overwhelming because there's simply so much to see and do. I did end up getting food poisoning on the first day and had to spend a few days lying in bed which wasnt fun. But despite that i managed to visit a lot of places, and some of the highlights were: 1)Going to the top of the eiffel tower at sunset. I honestly did not plan this because i thought it would be overrated but it became a core memory moment. I went just as they were closing, around 11 pm, so there was no line and i managed to get tickets for much cheaper than what i saw online, and the sunset view from the top was beautiful. Not to mention, the tower started sparkling right when i stepped out onto the second floor and it honestly felt magical. 2)Taking a river cruise along the seine. I took this cruise also around sunset so the whole golden hour made it that much more prettier 3)Sainte Chapelle. Having studied about this building in college, it was so cool to get to see it in person. The gothic architecture, stained glass windows...it is gorgeous. 4)Roaming around the streets of montmarte in the evening. Or just simply roaming around the streets of Paris in general. 5)Claude Monet's house and gardens in giverny. It's just a few hours away from Paris and really beautiful. Monet is someone i studied and researched about a lot as part of college assignments so again it was pretty cool to get to see his paintings and the infamous water lillies in person.

Posted: April 15, 2025Experienced: May, 2024

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Antibes, Group travel

Antibes is such a nice city!!! I totally recommend it! My favorite place is the cafe nomads, such delicious pastries and drinks, just wow!! The baristas are also really sweet and nice, just lovely ❤️ If it’s warm I recommend going to the beach, but the best thing about Antibes is, that you can easily get to other cities by train, like Nice, Grasse and Cannes🙌🏼

Posted: April 14, 2025

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Irina

Russia

Martinique, Solo travel

I came to Martinique with my husband during the pandemic. And by chance, our cruise was canceled. Then we explored the island from the other side, not from the tourist side, but from its nature. Everything was closed, markets, big shops. But I fell in love with this island. The people here are very kind, it's very safe here, the doors in the houses are not closed, there is trust between people. It really amazed me.

Posted: April 14, 2025

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Elisa

Ukraine

Toulouse, Family travel

Yes, I feel mostly safe there, but man also can make me feel terrible, sorry I loved to going on a foot walk along the river, unbelievable view! I'm had budget and stand in family house, so no needs for paying rent. Also we liked to pick up packages of food that were about to expire (this helps both save money and preserve nature). And the food there was really good and tasty.

Posted: April 13, 2025Experienced: May, 2022

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Is France safe for women?

Safety index

3.9 /5

Based on 953 local experiences

Crime index

2.3 /5

Based on 953 local experiences

Rennes

Rennes is rather safe if you stay in the main streets and points of interest. It is advised however to avoid going alone in some districts as it is very common to see drug dealers. Some frequent incidents happen about it as well. As a tourist just beware of some people who often come up to you at ATMs or Grocery stores to ask for money. Be safe and also do not be walking alone at night past 10PM since you can often encounter people without really good intentions.

Posted: May 1, 2025

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France

It's okay but it depends on where you go. There are cities a lot more unsafe than others... I would not recommend going out alone in Paris or marseill e there are a lot of drug dealers and the criminality rate is really high but if you go into smaller towns then you don't have to worry a lot about being harassed.

Posted: May 1, 2025

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Meet locals in France

Romane

About Me

Former Au pair in Amsterdam, I'm now a bookbinding student in the south of Paris :)

Speaking

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Loé

About Me

Hi ! I am Loé, I'm French 🇫🇷 and I am 18 years old, soon 19 haha ! I love to meet new people and discover new cultures. My hobbies are spending time with friends, art, music, cultures, languages, health, travel (even if I am still a little shy about it I try to get out of my confort zone ! 😌✨️). I would love to improve my Spanish and just meet people haha 😂