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 269 experiences from female travelers

4.5 /5

Based on our research and crime data

3.9 /5

Based on 1008 experiences from local women

France is currently ranked #96 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 269 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.5/5

Safety

4.2/5

Food

4.2/5

Budget-friendly

3.4/5

Marie-Amandine

India

Cannes, Group travel

I stayed for the first week of the Cannes festival in Cannes, next to La Bocca station and La Licorne theatre and I felt safe all along. It was also really well connected and I enjoyed the surroundings. Overall a great experience !

Posted: May 21, 2025Experienced: April, 2025

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Vitória

Portugal

Paris, Solo travel

I had such a great time in Paris. Honestly, I’d live there in a heartbeat! The city was so much fun and full of life, especially during Christmas. There’s always something to do, and the best part? So many things are free or discounted for students, which made exploring even better. I stayed at an Airbnb where the hosts were incredibly kind, they even invited us to dinner and introduced us to homemade French food for the first time! We didn’t eat out, but we made sure to try every dessert possible - from croissants to, well, everything sweet we could find. We also visited almost every museum we could squeeze into the week. It was a magical experience I’ll never forget.

Posted: May 20, 2025Experienced: May, 2025

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Avignon, Family travel

Avignon is a pretty city thanks to its ramparts and its papal palace. I recommend doing the palace as a combined ticket with the famous Avignon bridge to save money. On the other hand, I do not recommend the combined ticket including the papal gardens, the plants look dehydrated and there is not much to see. What surprised me is that in the center of Avignon everything is calm but as soon as you arrive in the south of the city towards the central station, many drugged and drunk men are present in the streets from the afternoon until the night, which made me feel very unsafe. In addition, my hotel was on the outskirts of the city and to get there I had to go through neighborhoods where there were police interventions against drug trafficking, not very reassuring. Instead of spending all of your days in Avignon, I recommend the city on the other side of the Rhône, which is Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. It's much quieter, there are fewer people, and it looks much more picturesque. There, you can visit many monuments that offer views of the city, Avignon, and the Rhône. I'm thinking in particular of Fort Saint-André and the Bel Tower. In addition, the abbey gardens and the Chartreuse are very pleasant to visit when the weather is nice.

Posted: May 14, 2025Experienced: March, 2025

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Nantes, Couple travel

Nantes was absolutely safe but there’s nothing to do as activity but about food they have the best butter i have ever tested

Posted: May 14, 2025

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Daliana

Costa Rica

France, Solo travel

I lived in France for a semester, in Toulouse, so I think living and traveling are quite different experiences. The biggest issue I faced in France was feeling unsafe when going out. Without generalizing, most of the problems I encountered were with Muslim men—unfortunately, many were very disrespectful. Some migrants were also quite xenophobic and even yelled at me on the metro. As a woman, I often didn’t feel safe, and as a migrant, I didn’t either.

Posted: May 13, 2025Experienced: March, 2022

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Is France safe for women?

Safety index

3.9 /5

Based on 1008 local experiences

Crime index

2.3 /5

Based on 1008 local experiences

Brest

Depends on the neighbourhood,but basically I don’t recommend being at night alone. Hinestly I lives in two differents places and I’ m always a little défiant regarding mâle individuals. I have been cat-called several times Even if it never went further, but I happened to witness some insecurity situations

Posted: May 20, 2025

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Meet locals in France

Manon

About Me

Hello! My name is Manon, I'm French, and I'm currently studying in Paris. I'm naturally very curious, which explains my presence on this app. I love traveling, meeting new landscapes, and meeting new people, despite my introverted nature. I plan to travel around Europe in my twenties and being hosted would be cool, it is possible that in return I could also host because I have an annex but my hometown is in the suburbs of Paris not in Paris itself. Otherwise for anyone arriving in Paris and who does not have any acquaintances there, I would also be happy to make new friends in the capital :) I also visit many Parisian monuments and museums, which means I can recommend and help people visit Paris.

Speaking

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Pauline

About Me

I am Pauline, i am 19 and about to continue my travel trip i left a year ago to continue, but this time in solo ! I have illimited free time for some months and i am first searching for someone to travel with as i am flexible to the places i'll be visiting ;)

Speaking

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Stay with locals in France

Marianne

Colmar

Can host for:

2 days

About me

Hi ladies! I’m Marianne, 35, currently living in the « fairytale city » of Colmar. I’m passionate about traveling and love meeting new people along the way. I usually use the Couchsurfing app, so I’m really looking forward to discovering the girl power vibe of this one! I work for a non-profit organization where I support young people from underserved neighborhoods — it’s a job that keeps me inspired every day.

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Romane

Paris

Can host for:

2 days

About me

Former Au pair in Amsterdam, I'm now a bookbinding student in the south of Paris, living in a small apartment under the rooftops :) I spent my childhood in Normandy around Rouen, and I would love to show you the city! I'm very calm and caring and I would love to meet new people 🌟

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Upcoming visitors to France

Josephine

About Me

Hi, we’re two friends from France. This Summer we’ll be travelling around europe in train 🚂 I’m Josephine and currently I’m studying political sciences in Poitiers. For my last year I wish to go study in Hanoï, Vietman 🪷 Adele is a big cinema fan, she studies it in Paris and like me she’d love to discover Montreal 🪩 Together we enjoy hanging out with our friends, watching the sunset on the beach and studying a map in a café for our ongoing trip 🌟 For this summer we wish to discover new peopel and their livestyles :)) Tell us if you are ready to meet us !! 🥳

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Safety in France

Paris

Nice

Toulouse

Antibes

Marseille

Nîmes

Strasbourg

Colmar

Avignon

Lyon

Cannes

La Réunion

Nantes

Etretat

Corsica

Bordeaux

Check the safest places in France