France

France in one paragraph

France is safe for travellers, and most of what goes wrong is theft, not violence. It had 1.34 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023 and about 4.9 road deaths per 100,000 in 2025. What lowers its score is a persistent terrorism threat, regular protests and strikes, and the pickpocket problem in Paris. We score it 82, below the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Pickpockets: the risk you will actually meet

Paris has one of the most organised pickpocketing problems in Europe. Gangs work the Métro (especially line 1, which runs past the Louvre, Concorde and the Champs-Élysées), the RER B from Charles de Gaulle airport, the stations of Gare du Nord and Châtelet-Les Halles, and the crowds at the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur and the Louvre. In June 2025, Louvre staff briefly walked out in protest at the number of pickpockets working inside the museum.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes the classic method: one person distracts you while another goes into your bag. Typical cover stories include a clipboard petition, a dropped "gold" ring, a friendship bracelet at the foot of Montmartre, or a group of teenagers crowding the door of a Métro carriage just as it closes.

Theft from cars is the other common crime, particularly from rentals and camper vans on the Riviera, in Marseille and at motorway rest stops in the south. Our Paris page covers the city in more depth.

Terrorism, protests and strikes

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in France, and the French authorities regularly announce foiled plots. Recent attacks have been small but deadly: a teacher was stabbed to death at a school in Arras in October 2023, and a tourist was killed in a knife and hammer attack near the Eiffel Tower in December 2023. France was hit much harder in 2015 and 2016, when attacks in Paris and Nice killed more than 200 people.

Protests are part of French life. Most are peaceful, but large marches in Paris, Lyon and Nantes sometimes end in clashes and tear gas. Strikes on trains, at airports and by air traffic controllers can cancel journeys at short notice. The US State Department's Level 2 advisory cites both terrorism and unrest.

Roads and getting around

ONISR, the national road safety observatory, counted 3,263 deaths on mainland French roads in 2025, up 2.2% on the year before. That is higher than in Britain but far below the US. Motorways (autoroutes) are well maintained and comparatively safe. Most deaths happen on rural two-lane roads, often at night, involving speed or alcohol. The drink-drive limit is 0.5 g/l, lower than in England and Wales, and only 0.2 g/l for new drivers.

Heat, fire and water

Summers are getting hotter. The 2003 heat wave killed about 15,000 people in France, and heat waves since then have brought red alerts across the south. Wildfires burn every summer in Provence, the Var, Corsica and the pine forests of Gironde, and access to forests can be closed at short notice. Check the Météo-France fire risk map before hiking in the Calanques near Marseille, which close on high-risk days.

The Atlantic coast has strong rip currents (baïnes) in Gironde and Landes that drown swimmers every summer. In the Alps, Chamonix and the Mont Blanc massif see frequent mountaineering deaths; the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary notes that casualties in Savoie and Haute-Savoie may be transferred to Switzerland for treatment.

Tiger mosquitoes now live across most of France, and local dengue and chikungunya cases occur in the south each summer. The risk to a visitor is small, but repellent in the evening helps.

How to stay safe in France

• Wear a crossbody bag zipped and in front on the Métro, and keep your phone off the café table.
• Ignore anyone with a clipboard, a ring or a bracelet near tourist sites.
• After dark from Charles de Gaulle, take a taxi (fixed fare to central Paris) or the Roissybus rather than an empty RER B.
• Check SNCF and your airline the day before travel during strike periods.
• Swim only at lifeguarded beaches between the flags on the Atlantic coast.
• In emergencies, dial 112 (15 for an ambulance, 17 for police).

How we scored it

Health (92) and violent crime (89) are strong. Petty crime (62) is the weakest factor, driven by organised pickpocketing in Paris, and conflict (74) reflects the terrorism threat and frequent unrest. Compare the United States, which has more violent crime but less street theft.