Neighborhoods to avoid in Paris

You are coming to Paris soon and want to know which neighborhoods to avoid in Paris to stay in a safe place.

Well, to avoid choosing your apartment or hotel in a red-light district, find out which are the most dangerous districts in the center of Paris and the most sensitive districts on the outskirts.

What insecurity in Paris?

When we watch 20 p.m. on TV or read the newspapers, we realize that Paris is a city where acts of violence are repeated every day.

And even if some politicians say that insecurity figures are falling in Paris, this is not at all what the French and Parisians in particular feel.

Indeed, for several years, the feeling of insecurity in Paris has continued to grow. But isn't this feeling somewhat the same everywhere in the big capitals or in their outskirts?

Paris, a dangerous city?

Unfortunately Paris is one of the most dangerous cities in France.

Indeed, according to the last city-data ranking of the most dangerous cities in France, Paris comes in 2nd place.

So according to these figures, Paris would be more dangerous than Marseille, Toulouse, Montpellier but less dangerous than Lyon, Lille ou Bordeaux .

But you must understand that this ranking only takes into account the ratio of number of inhabitants/number of crimes.

And this ratio is given for the entire city of Paris and department 75 when in fact it only concerns certain sensitive areas of Paris.

Now let's compare at European level. According to Numbeo.com ranking updated in 2024 where Paris is ranked 9th most criminal city in Europe.

We see that in 2024, Paris is more dangerous than Brussels, Athens, London, Washington ou San Francisco.

Indeed, in terms of crime, Paris is in the high average but because of the risk of terrorist attacks and concentrated insecurity in certain places.

Is it dangerous to visit Paris in 2024?

In the beautiful neighborhoods in the center of Paris and at tourist sites, tourists are not in danger. They just need to be careful not to have their bag, phone or wallet stolen.

In fact, there are organized networks of pickpockets which track Chinese tourists in particular. The latter are easy prey because they walk around with their wallets filled with banknotes and bank cards with high ceilings!

Unfortunately the municipality of Paris is having difficulty stopping this phenomenon, which gives Paris the reputation of a dangerous city for tourists when it is not.

You should know that, generally, violent crimes in Paris do not directly target tourists. They are mainly settling scores between rival gangs, crimes linked to drug trafficking. And this violence is not present everywhere in Paris but only in certain suburban cities and a few sensitive districts (see list of neighborhoods to avoid in Paris below).

Map of Paris neighborhoods

Here is a map that will allow you to identify the districts and neighborhoods of Paris to avoid, the list of which you will find below: Google Map

Neighborhoods to avoid in central Paris

Before telling you the most dangerous neighborhoods on the outskirts of Paris, first discover the main neighborhoods in the center of Paris to avoid.

In fact, even if overall the heart of Paris is not dangerous for tourists or Parisians during the day, there are a few places where you should not hang out in the evening.

The main areas to avoid in the center of Paris are:

• The red light district (see below);
• The 19th arrondissement which has the most dangerous neighborhoods (Place Stalingrad, Place des Fêtes, Cambrai, Mouzaia, Danub, Jaurès, Ourcq, the Cite Cambrai, Curial, the Chaufourniers, the White city and Riquet-Stalingrad);
• The 18th arrondissement, notably the Goutte-d'Or, La Chapelle, Château-Rouge, Barbès, Pigalle, Porte de Clignancourt and around the Saint-Ouen flea market;
• The 10th arrondissement (La Grange aux Belles, Buisson-Saint-Louis, northern zone and around the station).
• Ferns and Almond Trees in the 20th;
• La Brillat and Chevaleret in the 13th;
• Porte de Vanves in the 14th;
• Rocket in the 11th;
• Les Perichaux in the 15th.

Discover below in more detail where these main areas to avoid are located in the center of Paris:

Paris red light district

As in all major capitals, there is a red light district in Paris that is best avoided, especially if you are traveling with family: This is the district of Pigalle.

Located in the 9th arrondissement, Pigalle has long been associated with adult entertainment. It is home to many cabarets, strip clubs and adults-only places. The iconic Moulin Rouge, with its dazzling shows and famous cancan dancers, is also in Pigalle. This area attracts a population looking for a lively and unconventional evening, it is recommended to avoid walking there at night if you have children.

19th arrondissement

Among the 20 arrondissements that make up the center of Paris, the 19th is one of the most sensitive and least safe. See location of this district in Paris

With high delinquency, an organized drug trafficking network, a high rate of crimes, insecurity has set in in certain neighborhoods of the 19th arrondissement.

Here are the main neighborhoods to avoid in the 19th arrondissement:

• Place Stalingrad between the 19th and 10th arrondissements (territory of crack dealers and users – see the BFMTV article: . The street belongs to them). See on Google Map
• Place des Festivals (see on carte)
• Cambrai
• Mouzaia
• Danube
• Jaurès
• Ourcq

18th arrondissement

If the 18th arrondissement is popular with tourists who love the neighborhood of Montmartre, some other neighborhoods in this arrondissement are much less attractive. See location of this district in Paris

Among the main neighborhoods to avoid in the 18th arrondissement, we find:

• Drop of gold
• La Chapelle
• Red Castle
• Barbès
• Pigalle
• Porte de Clignancourt and around the Saint-Ouen flea market

10th arrondissement

The 10th arrondissement of Paris is not a dangerous district but it also has a district to avoid: The north of the district with the Gare du Nord district in particular. See location of this district in Paris

Indeed, this district would have become the territory of drug addicts where assaults, fights, thefts are part of the daily life of residents.

Most dangerous neighborhoods on the outskirts of Paris

Located outside the center of Paris, mainly in the north of the city, the districts below are the most dangerous in Paris (mainly concentrated in 93):

• Saint Denis
• Saint-Ouen
• Argenteuil
• Bondy
• Epinay-sur-Seine
• Sarcelles
• Villiers-le-Bel
•  Stains
• Aulnay sous Bois
• Clichy under wood
• Sevran
• Montfermeil

Which district to stay in Paris?

The most beautiful neighborhoods in Paris are located in and around the golden triangle. This area is delimited by avenues Montaigne, Champs-Élysées and George V: View this area on Google Maps

Here is a hotel that I recommend for tourists who want to stay in a building with character, in a refined, typically Parisian decor and in one of the most beautiful areas of Paris:

View this hotel on Booking

See other articles on Paris: best areas of Paris - best cheap hotels in Paris - Visit Paris in 1 day, visit Paris in 2 days, Visit Paris in 1 afternoon