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Is it safe to visit Paris now?


Many people in the world dream of travelling and visiting the beautiful and historical place in France - Paris.

But with the recent incidents happened in the city, is it still safe to travel Paris?

A forum on TripAdvisor, travelers talked about the safeness of visiting the said city. Here are what they think of:
Toto M
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Is Paris safe to travel right now?
19 Feb 2017, 6:21 PM
I always dreamt to be in Paris and has finally managed to save enough for a trip with my mum for my birthday. I am concerned with all the terrorist attacks happening in Paris right now, is it even safe to travel? What is Paris like right now? Any advice to stay safe?
(I checked news articles and found it is in high terrorist threat. I live in Dubai which is also in high threat. Any difference?)
Edited: February 19, 2017, 6:24 pm

Soph5035
Rennes, France
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1. Re: Is Paris safe to travel right now?
19 Feb 2017, 6:27 PM
Yes, it is safe. Please read the hundreds of other discussions on the same subject. Your main worry is pickpockets. Please also read the hundreds of other discussions on that subject; Basically, be wise about your stuff, don't put it into display, pay attention to your surrounding, do not respond to petition girls, people wanting you to bet money on a street game or trying to give you a gold ring, and you will be fine.




indiasign
Newcastle, United...
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2. Re: Is Paris safe to travel right now?
19 Feb 2017, 8:28 PM
Toto, I think you've answered your own question, when you confirmed Dubai is also on high alert. If it can happen at home, it can happen anywhere, so what's the point of letting that (tiny) chance rule your life?
As soph says, check the forum for similar questions and the responses, and for the other things to be aware of, but don't let it out you off 😃




Tenemos A
Port Huron, Michigan
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3. Re: Is Paris safe to travel right now?
19 Feb 2017, 10:27 PM
After having travelled to more than a dozen European cities I have noticed that my comfort level is much greater in European cities than in American. We were rudely treated once in France, but not in Paris or Nice. We were physically threatened once in Spain not France. Would we return to Franceor Spain after those personally experienced negatives. Of course, we would. We were treated kindly and generously everywhere we went in Europeincluding France.
Having said all that we are going to see repeated questions about riots,safety, and petty crime until an articulate spokesman can skip the snark and explain why doubtful tourists are to feel safe when a state of emergency has been proclaimed in France and a bulletproof wall is being erected at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Safe travels to all. T


DarlaTex
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6. Re: Is Paris safe to travel right now?
19 Feb 2017, 11:49 PM
"if you are scared enough that it will ruin your trip, then don't come."
Problems with pickpocketing, petition slaves, and constantly being harrassed on the street, added to terrorist fears, surely did convince many tourists to not bother coming. Based on the tenor of the discussion, I think this year will probably be worse than last, with more than a billion euro gone elsewhere.



Francis R
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8. Re: Is Paris safe to travel right now?
20 Feb 2017, 12:11 AM
Been there a few months ago and going back this fall. No less safe than any other large city.







5thGenTexan
Lockhart, Texas
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9. Re: Is Paris safe to travel right now?
20 Feb 2017, 12:12 AM
First, I think it's well to note that news media of all flavors have their own social and political editorial slants. In this instance, you will find some that avoid any mention of disturbances in Paris outside of the notorious suburban trouble spots. In others, it sounds like all Paris is being swept up in an internal war. As usual, the truth is in the middle somewhere. And this situation is another target for generators of fake news, so Facebook, blogs, and other sources without professional editorial review are not to be trusted either way. Nor would I wholly trust French media who could be downplaying things or exaggerating to embarrass the government. Consider only reports that cite specifics that can be independently verified. (Which, of course, doesn't include me, since you have no idea if I'm a Paris lover or hater or know anything at all.)
For what it's worth, I am a career active police investigator, now retired, who has traveled several time to Paris since the 1980's. So, I do have a somewhat different perspective on hazards and dealing with the routine street crime.
First, as the other poster's suggestion, a "state of emergency" in any place is often a legal mechanism that triggers certain additional police powers and other strategies. You have to declare the emergency to perhaps use the military to support police or expand the ability to search. It obviously also puts a populous on alert to some threat. That threat is considered "high" in Paris right now, and that's something they have to do, but remember that all it takes anywhere for a threat to be "high" is to have an attack. The day before that the threat level could be "low", and it didn't mean there was no threat.
The U.S. State Department issued an advisory for Europe (expires tomorrow) that advises travelers to be cautious around large events, markets, etc. Well, that is essentially should be the standing advice for just about every major city on Earth, as well as every small city, if people are thinking correctly. The UK government is in a bit closer touch and obviously has more citizens in Paris. This is their advisory. Note the French government smartphone alert app.
Also note that public demonstrations, including violent confrontations with police, have been a feature of Paris for a very long time. Paris has always been pretty quick to "take to the barricades," but you pretty much have to insert yourself into the situation to be seriously affected by it. Of course, that's no consolation if you happen to live where it happens, but you won't be living there.
To put terrorist threats into perspective, I will just advice you not to treat Paris any differently from New York or London or Dallas. I have, in the past, traveled to Paris in the midst of terror activity - bomb in large department store, bomb in Police Prefecture - without a moment's worry. In fact, it was an excellent trip. Crowds were down. Security was excellent. And everyone was happy to see a tourist.


So, check travel advisories. Follow good practices. And, if you're worried, ask your hotel concierge if there are any concerns that day. So far as I can tell from a distance, Paris is dealing rather well with the terrorist threat and will get even better at it as they go along. When you see the huge crowd that clusters around the base of the Eiffel Tower, you will see that a hard barrier is appropriate. Right now, you can just turn off the street and drive through the crowd or shoot from a car. It shows Paris is thinking seriously. They seem to be still finding their way with the riots, etc., a very difficult situation, but very different from terrorism and, for a variety of reasons, unlikely to affect the major sites you want to visit.
Hello_Bamboo
Europe
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10. Re: Is Paris safe to travel right now?
20 Feb 2017, 12:22 AM
In the past 2 years, 250 people died in France due to terrorist attacks. In the same period, 6000 died in traffic accidents.
Conclusion: if you want to worry about safety, wear a seat belt and look twice before crossing a road, and forget terrorim, because that risk is negligible.






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