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

4.1 /5

Based on 282 experiences from female travelers

4.5 /5

Based on our research and crime data

3.9 /5

Based on 1086 experiences from local women

France is currently ranked #95 safest country for solo female travelers, with an overall safety rating of 4.1 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 282 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.5/5

Safety

4.1/5

Food

4.2/5

Budget-friendly

3.4/5

Paris, Solo travel

i did a solo trip to paris and overall, it was a pretty cool experience. being a french-speaking girl helped a lot — i didn’t struggle with communication, but i still felt a bit invisible sometimes. the city is beautiful, no doubt, and i loved exploring different areas on my own time, especially montmartre and the marais. some people were super nice, others not so much. i didn’t always feel super safe at night, but nothing bad happened. the cafés, museums and walks by the seine made up for the occasional weird vibe. not a dreamy fairytale, but still worth it. 3.8/5!

Posted: June 4, 2025

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Aleksandra

Spain

Montpellier, Solo travel

I stayed with local woman who hosted me in her beautiful apartment for one night. It was amazing experience. First we had a coffee and little chat in one of the cute coffee places and then we went to her place to have a dinner and a bit of wine. After that she gave me her keys so I could come back whenever I wanted. I connected with one more french girl, so I went for a drink with her. I came back slightly after 22 and next day I left early to be able to discover the city. I went to Musée Fabre and enjoyed walking around the old part of the city. I found it fascinating. This city definitely has a charm. I stayed there just 2 days but I felt in love with the place, thanks to my host as well. She gave me many tips and I was happy to listen to her stories.

Posted: June 4, 2025Experienced: February, 2023

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Paris, Couple travel

I travelled with my ex boyfriend at that time so i felt relatively safe. The Airbnb was cheap and we often cooked our own food. The one thing i regret not doing is not reserving some attractions like the Louvre and eiffel tower( had to wait a hour in the summer heat). I also found it easy to find places to eat and go to with google maps and other social media's. I stayed there for 2 weeks and spended around 2000 in total (Airbnb, transport, activities, food, shopping). It could have been cheaper if i didn't buy something from Vivienne Westwood haha

Posted: June 2, 2025Experienced: June, 2023

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Paris, Solo travel

Paris is one of the cities that must be visited. 😃 It is a very safe city, you just need to pay attention to your pockets as usual in the agglomerated places and not get lost late in the suburbs. The food and the drinks (from coffee to cocktails) are more than delicious; and during the happy hours you find them at an affordable price. The croissant, the raclette, eclaire and french wines are unique in taste. About the touristical objective, of course la tour eiffel is necesarlly to see, the museum of louvre, and the beutiful parks of versailles. Public transportation has very good connection and affortable price.

Posted: June 1, 2025Experienced: February, 2025

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Marilena

Greece

Paris, Group travel

Travelling to Paris was a fascinating experience. I stayed in Porte de Clichy for 6 nights. Overall the city felt pretty safe, even at night, we had no unfortunate encounters. Activities and food are pretty expensive but we managed to not overdo it. Museums had already been arranged beforehand because we went as a group I don’t really have any recommendations for restaurants because we spent every day on foot, walking around there city so the places we had lunch at were the first place we came across the moment we established we were hungry. Our hotel was Voco Paris in Porte de Clichy. It in zone 2 if I remember correctly. It was kind of expensive but worth it 💯 Transportation was more expensive than here in Greece. Best thing to do as a tourist is to get a 7day pass for all transportation that costs around 35€. All transportation is reliable, always on time. At first the large number of train and metro lines is confusing but once you get the hang of it you can get pretty much wherever you want. Overall it was and amazing experience, we walked around the city A LOT so it felt like we really got to see the city, even though tourist activities were sort of limited.

Posted: May 30, 2025

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Caylee

Singapore

Lyon, Couple travel

Felt recently safe, people were actually pretty nice. Food was great, we ate a bunch of food from the local weekend markets because we're broke. We did also eat at a fancier local place and the food was amazing. Lots of free historical places, museum was free for university students (we're grad students)

Posted: May 29, 2025Experienced: April, 2025

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Is France safe for women?

Safety index

3.9 /5

Based on 1086 local experiences

Crime index

2.3 /5

Based on 1086 local experiences

Tourcoing

I would say it's not that safe, be on your guard at night, that's for sure. You might not encounter much people, but i would avoid doing so at all cost. During the day tho you shouldn't have any problems, the weird people are only there at night. And as for the public transport like the metro, there will always be weird people, but NEVER take the metro at night, for your own safety.

Posted: June 10, 2025

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Lou-Auraine

Bezons

It is a in the north ouest of Paris, the public transportation is good, we have buses day and night(1 per hour for the night), tramway, RER by feet or bus. My neighborhood is middle class/low income so there's more habitation buildings than houses. It's also quite grey, like there is no parc around or grass. There are not a lot of things to do in the city so a lot of people are on the streets, I've never had a problem with anyone, I do spend time with them sometimes but I do have friends whom didn't feel safe the first time they came at my place by theirself. I would agree they could look a bit scary when we don't know them haha. At night it's quieter even if there's still sounds. I don't really know how to describe my city here but I'd be happy to talk about it or show you around if you visit !

Posted: June 10, 2025

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