Is It Safe to Go To Paris?

This post started out as a blurb within another post, but it got way too long (that's your warning this is a very text heavy post, so get ready to read). So I decided it's an important topic anyway, it might as well get its own post! Today's topic is on the safety in Paris. It was something that weighed heavily on my mind before the trip (in November) and I know it weighed even heavier on my parent's minds as both my sister and me prepared to travel abroad.

I've gotten a ton of e-mails about Paris since I went, and one of the most asked questions is if it is 'safe' to go? So I figured I'd make a post that I can guide you to should you ever want to know! You can read all of my other posts about Paris, here, and there are more to come (plus a video... finally!!).

You can read more about my trip here:
- Our Itinerary
- Essentials That I Packed
- Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to Paris 
- What I Brought In My Carry-On to Europe

I want to provide a little backstory. Peyton and I had planned to go to Paris the spring of 2016. It's kind of crazy because the day before we were going to book our flights, the attack at the Bataclan happened. It really spooked us and we decided not to go. 

With all of the craziness going on in the world right now, I'd be lying if I said that traveling to Paris and London did not freak me out. But I am also someone who doesn't really want to live my life in fear so I just kind of pushed my fear into the back of my mind and we booked our trip. As it got closer, my parents were the ones who were really worried and kept talking to me about safety and being aware of my surroundings, etc. 

One of my life goals is to see Van Morrison in concert. He is one of my all-time favorite musicians. Wouldn't you know he was in Paris while we were there! I told my parents, friends, family, etc. of plans to get tickets a few months before our trip and every. single. person. told me that was a bad idea because of safety concerns. I don't really regret much in life, but now, after being in Paris, I really regret not going to the show. I'm sure it was phenomenal.

I was also a little scared of the 'pickpockets'. I can't believe how many people mentioned it to me both here on Summer Wind and offline. It made me feel like they would be swarming Paris and my wallet and passport were sure to be stolen. So many things I read online and comments, etc. made me terrified to take the metro, too. I'm being a bit dramatic, but it really did frighten me. 

However, the entire time, I never once encountered a pickpocket or felt like someone was after my bag/stuff/etc. I never felt unsafe around anyone that we came across and we even walked alone at night a lot. 

And actually, the metro was incredibly easy to use and inexpensive, I really couldn't recommend it more! I don't want to discount the safety info given by friends and family, though. I am sure there are more pickpockets during the more populated touristy times and more issues in different neighborhoods. Like in any city, it's always important to know that and keep an eye out for yourself and who you are traveling with.

We all three ended up carrying our passports with us at all times. We weren't aware of this law, but a police can stop and ask you for your passport at any time and if you can't provide it to them at that time, there is a pricey fine (a copy doesn't work). A wonderful girl right behind us in line at the airport gave us the rundown. She said that this has been the law for a while, but no one ever really followed it. Now, she said with the heightened security, police are asking people to see their passports a lot more. She was an American now living in Paris and she was so sweet and helpful. Also, we were glad to have our passports on hand as we shopped so we were able to provide the information to the sales associates so we could get part of the VAT tax back

---

Now here's the real story and where things became unsafe. Our first night in Paris, we were in our apartment enjoying some snacks, having some champagne. We were having a great time all getting ready together for our first night/dinner in Paris. We were right across the street from the new Louis Vuitton which is right at Place Vendome in the 1st arrondissement in Paris. It's a beautiful neighborhood and our street was lined with all of the best boutiques you can think of: case in point, Goyard was literally our next door neighbor.

Our apartment had your typical 'large colored door' which lead to the sidewalk of Rue Saint Honore (as seen in the photo above). During the day, our door would be open and you'd walk through a hallway and it would come out into an adorable courtyard which was surrounded by apartments (and then on the bottom floor were cute boutiques). At night, the large door would close at the sidewalk and you'd have to scan a key to get into the courtyard and then again to get into your apartment building. Once inside, we used a key to our apartment door. We loved how safe everything was. 

Well, as we walked downstairs from our apartment and into the courtyard that first night, we noticed everything was dark and all of the shops were dark, too...but people were in the shops. We were walking towards the door when a man came out of the patisserie and was speaking broken English to us. We didn't fully understand for a couple of seconds and then we realized he was telling us that the police had barricaded us in and we were on lockdown because of a bomb. 

Obviously, all three of us thought, what on earth, there is no way! We were definitely freaked out and we rushed back up to our apartment. We weren't really sure what to do except to look it up on Google since we hadn't yet figured out how to get our TV to work. The unfortunate thing is that since this was all unfolding right at the moment, the news sources were hard to come by, but we found enough to know that there was a protest earlier in the day at Place Vendome and a suspicious looking truck that was left right at the Louis Vuitton (aka right across the street from us) and there was believed to be a bomb inside the truck.

So, we sat in our apartment for a few hours to wait it out. We were all really scared at first, but being on lockdown, there really isn't anything we could do. We just hoped everything would be ok and tried to enjoy our time together in the apartment. 

Eventually, everything was all cleared and we were able to head to a late dinner. I share this because it was truly scary and it showed us that things really aren't as safe as you hope them to be. But we took this as a sign for us to be extra vigilant throughout the trip. We stayed with each other at all times and were always aware of our surroundings. 

And you know what? Other than that scare, we all talked about how safe we felt throughout the city. Again, we never encountered anything else that made us feel uneasy. Even during the bomb scare, the man who came out of the chocolate shop was so kind and so helpful to us. There's the misconception in America that the French are rude to Americans and we felt the exact opposite. I'm not exaggerating when I say every single person we encountered whether it be border patrol police, waiters, sales associates, etc., they were all so kind and welcoming. 

And often, we would make mention of just how safe we felt because there are so many French Army men and women walking everywhere throughout the city. It's actually scary to see at first. We first saw them once we crossed the border in the airport and were very startled- we thought something was wrong! They are really suited up and carry huge guns. But we found out that they are all around Paris to make sure everything is safe. There is also a ton of security to get into any major attraction. Even if you just want to walk under the Eiffel Tower, you have to go through security that is almost like going through TSA! 

Overall, my suggestion would be not to let your fear hold you back. Really, that's kind of a life lesson, but it really applies to travel, a lot. Unfortunately, it's a scary world we live in, but my Paris trip was one of the best things I've ever chosen to do in my entire life. I can't wait to explore more of the world!