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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have found certain parts of Paris edgy

234 replies

Sheeled · 14/04/2026 22:24

I stayed in Belleville, which was ok. Walked ina respectable area today, there was a guy possibly in his 30s, clearly.not right mentally verbally harassing and jostling people asking for money. Didn't see much police presence anywhere.

There were big groups of men, many of whom were shouting at each other and again many looked quite unwell, around the main train stations.

Large areas around the stations smelled I mean really smelled of urine.

A lot of people seemed really unhappy and afraid.

Don't know if this has always been the case or are we simply talking about some areas. I dont think Ill be visiting again in a hurry.

OP posts:
Oriunda · 14/04/2026 22:29

YABU. We can’t possibly know what stations you visited (all of them? Why ?). Some are dodgier than others (Gare de l’Est), but usually major railway stations tend not to be the nicest areas whatever city you’re in. Termini, Waterloo etc.

I live here, and wander around quite happily. Haven’t noticed large amounts of unhappy and afraid people.

GCAcademic · 14/04/2026 22:29

youalright · 14/04/2026 22:28

Birmingham is like a tale of two halves

Most cities are like that, tbf.

youalright · 14/04/2026 22:28

GoodkneeBadKnee · 14/04/2026 22:27

I felt the same about parts of Birmingham...

Birmingham is like a tale of two halves

Happytap · 14/04/2026 22:28

Raquelos · 14/04/2026 22:25

Yeah, some parts of Paris are sketchy as hell, much worse than London, I think. The main tourist areas are okay, but without local knowledge, I wouldn't venture outside of them personally.

This definitely

Clearinguptheclutter · 14/04/2026 22:28

Paris has always had very dodgy parts. I lived on the outskirts for a few months and couldn’t get on the RER train ever without being chatted up by someone distinctly dodgy either on the platform or train. I’ve felt more dodginess and danger in Paris than London or New York or Barcelona or pretty much anywhere else in Europe or North America.

that said I visited recently for the first time in a while and the central parts were clearly given a good clean for the Olympics and with traffic largely replaced by bikes it was generally a much more pleasant place to be than I remember

Yanbu though, it will still have super dodgy parts I am certain

youalright · 14/04/2026 22:28

Yeah its a city what did you expect

GoodkneeBadKnee · 14/04/2026 22:27

I felt the same about parts of Birmingham...

Raquelos · 14/04/2026 22:25

Yeah, some parts of Paris are sketchy as hell, much worse than London, I think. The main tourist areas are okay, but without local knowledge, I wouldn't venture outside of them personally.

GrianGealach · 14/04/2026 22:25

Paris is a big city like any other. The areas around major railway stations are not often renowned for their glossiness.