Paris

Someone is trying to scare you. I've never seen a rat in Paris. I'm sure there are some, but no more than in any other large city.

According to the New York Times (some regard this as a credible source) December 15 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/world/europe/paris-rats.html?_r=0
It is true. I hope you bought a refundable ticket.

Yes, Paris has a rat problem. So does Seattle. I would not hesitate to spend time in either of these lovely cities. There is a very active eradication program ongoing in Paris. Will it eliminate them? No. Paris is on the water and will always have rats. They are easily spooked and you'd be hard pressed to see one during the day. If you want to travel to cities that are rat free, good luck finding one.

One night I looked out my bedroom window, onto one of the main thoroughfares in Montreal, and I saw an enormous rat sauntering along on the sidewalk. Well, he wasn't exactly sauntering ..... he was skulking. There are rats in every city and town, probably even where you live.

Gosh, anyone worried by rats would not want to come to Australia, where we have deadly snakes, spiders, jellyfish, stingrays, sharks, crocodiles and octopus. Then again, I was astounded to read how many people die from bear attacks in the northern hemisphere each year. However, mosquitoes, as carriers of disease, remain responsible for 2-3 million human deaths annually.

I've seen rats in many cities here in the US and in other countries. They are there, everywhere there is a food source, if there are sewers, or garbage dumps, or grain storage places, or a harbor used by commercial shipping anywhere near by, there will most likely be rats. Our apartment management sets traps for them here in my small town in Oregon and I saw them in Minneapolis when I lived there. Authorities can usually control them but cannot eradicate them. You don't often actually see them but occasionally you do. When I see one I get a little shiver (they are creepy) and then just move on and get over it.

Both of the articles linked quote someone who is apparently anti EU and that may color their responses to issues. You hear the same kinds of comments here about the FDA and EPA if they want to ban or change rules about poisons and pesticides currently being used. If I see a State Dept warning about not going to Paris because of the rat issue, or if they find some carrying plague, I might think twice about going there, but not at this time.

Rats have a bad rap but other critters like squirrels and bats also carry diseases (including plague). Not that big a deal.

Our 10 lb terrier LOVES rat hunting in Chicago. I have to keep a firm hold on the leash when she spots one during evening strolls by the Chicago River, right next to the Trump Tower. She can't figure out why I don't let her chase them. I'm just no fun at all!

But the most rats I've ever seen was during a walk along the Rhine River in Mainz at night. Swarms of them hiding under cars parked along Conrad Adenauer Ufer. My wife insisted on a hasty retreat.

And if you see a pack of crooning rats, going by the names of Sammy, Frank and Dean .... book 'em for a show.

I've never seen a rat in Paris but have seen a rat more than once in downtown SF.

Bonjour, Thank you for your replies. So far our trip is still on but will pay close attention to any warnings, hopefully by August it will not be a worry!

hopefully by August it will not be a worry!

But there isn't anything to worry about now. There are no big health or air concerns; just more visible rats than usual. As the others have said, these critters are in virtually every city whether you see them or not. Interestingly enough, disease-carrying rodents (rats, chipmunks, squirrels, etc.) are more of a caution in rural western U.S. states and National Parks in those areas than in Paris.

To put things in perspective, there was an unusually high number of plague cases right here in the U.S. last year. I haven't found any at all reported in France.

https://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34398099

LOL, if anything, it's strikes in Paris/France that can throw one for a loop. Heck, striking workers closed the Eiffel for 5 days this past week!

Goodness, I live in Nova Scotia and had a bird seed loving rat (as well as a few mice) hanging out under my deck! (Now - that was a shocker to see that relatively large rat come bustling out from under my deck while I was out tossing peanuts to the birds...). Rats are everywhere - remember seeing one run across an alley in Venice and the lady in front of us jump about 3 feet in the air!

Speaking of that, we were chatting with one of the sales-persons at the BHV department store on Rue de Rivoli. She was raving about her vacation the previous summer in Yosemite NP, but surprised to have received a letter from the Park Service telling her that she should get tested for hantavirus, as there had been and outbreak that year at the cabin park where she had stayed. Hantavirus is spread by dried rodent droppings. It cuts both ways.

I fear the OP has not been convinced by our posts. Lucky her to live in such a pristine part of the world where no vermin exist and the air is always pure.

I was there in Sept/Oct. I did see some rats. Specifically, I saw rats on the sides of the Seine during an evening River cruise. I've seen more, and bigger, rats in Venice around the water. I don't think it's an issue, health or otherwise. In old areas, there will be rats. They can never be completely eliminated. In college I worked at a restaurant, on the river, in Old Sacramento and there were too many rodents (small mice and huge river rats). I never heard of anyone getting sick but I was always careful to seal any stored food up tightly.