France Travel Safety Guide

The short version

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office carries no advisory against travel to any part of France. There is no restricted region, no border strip and no island you are told to stay away from.

It does open with a seasonal warning, and this is the one thing about French safety that is worth reading before you book rather than after. The advisory's first line is that there is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. That is a six month window, not a fortnight, and it shapes when and where a summer trip should go.

Beyond that, four things reach ordinary visitors: theft on the rail network, strike days, a pair of French laws that have no equivalent at home, and heat.

Wildfires, which is what the advisory leads with

The risk is highest in the south of the country, particularly along the Mediterranean coast, in Corsica, and in parts of the south west during hot dry weather. The practical consequences are the ones people do not anticipate: access to forests, countryside and tourist sites may be restricted at short notice, and French authorities may evacuate areas and close roads. The advisory says fires have become more frequent because of drought and high temperatures, and that conditions can change quickly.

Check the French weather service's fire alert map before you travel into the south in summer, and watch local authority advice while you are there. One more thing that catches visitors out: causing a wildfire is illegal in France even if you start it by accident, and it carries a fine or a prison sentence.

Theft, and where it is actually done

The advisory is specific about the places rather than vague about the risk. Thieves and pickpockets operate on the Paris Metro, on the RER lines and at mainline stations. Pickpockets work in gangs, and the method named is the one that works everywhere: one person distracts you while another goes into your bag.

The countermeasures are dull and they work. Keep your passport, cards and other valuables in separate bags or pockets. Use the inside compartments of a bag. Carry a bag across your body rather than on one shoulder. Keep your things against you in restaurants and bars rather than on the back of a chair. Leave nothing in a vehicle. And do not let yourself be distracted at tourist attractions or at cash machines, which the advisory names alongside the attractions.

Two specific lines are worth reading twice, because they name routes most visitors use without thinking. There have been several cases of serious assault on RER line B, which is the line serving Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, Orly and the Gare du Nord Eurostar terminus, and on RER line D, which serves the Stade de France. That is not a reason to avoid them. It is a reason to be awake on them, particularly late.

Two French laws that apply to you as a visitor

The first is identification. You must be able to prove your identity by providing documents when asked, or within four hours at a police station. What counts is a passport, a photo driver's license, or other documentation issued by a government body. In practice this means carrying something, and it is the reason many visitors carry a passport they would rather leave in the room.

The second has no equivalent in most visitors' home law. Covering your face in a public place in France is illegal. The ban reaches balaclavas, full veils and any other garment or mask used to hide the face, and the advisory states plainly that this law applies to tourists. Not complying carries a fine of up to 150 euros. Forcing another person to hide their face is a separate and much more serious offense, punishable by a year's imprisonment and a fine of up to 30,000 euros, and the sentence is doubled where the person forced is aged seventeen or under.

Strikes and demonstrations, which are a planning problem rather than a danger

There can be frequent industrial action across France, and it leads to disruption and delays on roads and on public transport. If a strike day lands on the day you had planned to move between cities, the train you booked may simply not run. Monitor the media, check your operator's advice, and check it again before a connecting flight.

Demonstrations, political gatherings and marches can happen with little or no warning, particularly in cities. Most are peaceful. The advice is to stay aware of what is happening around you and follow the police and local authorities, which in practice means walking away from a crowd rather than through it.

Terrorism, stated as the advisory states it

The FCDO's assessment is that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in France, and that attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by tourists: shopping centers, nightlife venues, sporting and cultural events, transport hubs, places of worship, and crowded public gatherings. Methods have included knife attacks, shootings, bombings and vehicle attacks. The advisory names recent incidents, including a knife and hammer attack in central Paris and a knife attack at a school in Arras, and notes that French authorities regularly report disrupting planned attacks. There is nothing a visitor does differently about this beyond being aware in public places and following instructions from French authorities.

Drinks, water and the coast

The advisory asks visitors to be alert to drink spiking, naming GHB and liquid ecstasy, and to buy your own drinks and keep them in sight. It adds a detail worth having: drinks served in bars in France are often stronger than those in the UK, which matters more to a visitor measuring by feel than by count.

On the coast, local sea conditions can be dangerous even for strong swimmers. Most beaches have lifeguards and a flag warning system, and the advice is to understand the system before you swim. Some beaches have strong undercurrents, especially along the Atlantic coast, and there is a risk of riptides, known locally as baines, particularly around the coasts of Gironde and Landes.

Health, and the numbers

Nothing exotic is needed. The FCDO asks you to check vaccine recommendations at least eight weeks before the trip, which is the only part of this with a deadline. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists routine vaccines for France including measles, and suggests considering hepatitis A and hepatitis B. The UK advisory names dengue, chikungunya, and biting insects and ticks among the country's health risks, and notes that altitude sickness is a risk in parts of France, which is the Alps and the Pyrenees rather than anywhere a city trip goes.

112 reaches the emergency services anywhere in France and is what you dial for an ambulance. Read this alongside visa and entry requirements, our transportation guide for the strike question, and our guide to when to go for the wildfire season.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: France travel advice: no advisory against travel to any part of the country, and a wildfire warning at the head of the advisory covering the summer season from April to October. Accessed 16 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: France safety and security: terrorism, industrial action and demonstrations, pickpocketing on the Metro and the RER, assaults on RER lines B and D, drink spiking, the identification requirement, the face-covering ban and its fines, swimming and riptides, driving law, winter equipment, pollution stickers, extreme heat and wildfires. Accessed 16 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: France health: the emergency number, vaccine timing, health risks including dengue, chikungunya, biting insects and ticks, altitude sickness, and what a health insurance card does and does not cover. Accessed 16 September 2026.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Travelers’ Health, France: routine vaccines, hepatitis A and B, measles and rabies. Accessed 16 September 2026.