Safety in Avignon

Where did you hear these reports ?

My stepdaughter was just there and warned us. Several crime stat websites confirmed our fears.

https://francetravelblog.com/is-avignon-safe/

I have never found Avignon to be particularly unsafe.

I was in France in 2015, staying in the 10th Arrondissement of Paris. A couple of weeks after we departed for Nice, the nightclub shooting took place, claiming the lives of 130 people. On the TGV to Nice, a person stepped in front of the train, resulting in his death. In Nice, we stayed in an apartment on the Promenade des Anglais, about 100 yard from where the truck terrorism act took place some months later, resulting in the deaths of 86 people. We visited a supermarket in Trebes, as part of our canal trip down the Canal de Midi, and about 2 1/2 years later, a terrorist killed 4 in the same supermarche where we shopped for bread and cheese.

Life is dangerous, so be aware of your surroundings and take reasonable precautions.

Would I stay in the 10th in Paris again? Absolutely.
Is a TGV ride in my future? Yep.

Do I feel that it is safe to stay on the Promenade des Anglais? I do.

If I need groceries in Trebes, will I return to the same market where I shopped on my canal trip? Yes.

Life is about living and enjoying. Be safe but not paranoid.

Thanks for your observations and advice. Happy travels.

We were in Avignon last month and felt perfectly safe. Avignon is a lovely town, and we enjoyed our two-night stay. Our hotel was a short walk from the train station, and we walked all around never once feeling uneasy.

Avignon isn't idyllic.
We know Americans who live there and love it because they are theater people, an Avignon specialty. However, since their French language skills are low, their awareness of community problems is low, also. We know French people who live there who warned us against buying there, citing many problems and municipal ineptness. This local couple favors smaller towns and touristic villages. Just take the same precautions you'd take in a city.

"Feeling safe" is not the same as being safe. A quick Google turned up several sites that announced Avignon as dangerous. I couldn't find any with official statistics (maybe because I was searching in English). Instead they cited such things as a survey of how visitors felt. The sensation of being secure is when visitors let their guard down. Keep your head up, don't walk down dark alley-ways at night and don't go searching for drugs. Stay in the light, where other people are. Odds are you will be okay.
PS: In Paris, where pickpockets and snatch-and-grab can find you, don't hesitate to be rude to drive away those suddenly friendly petition teams or kids offering to help you operate the ATM on the street corner.

My husband and I just returned from 2 1/2 weeks in Provence. We spent 2 nights, 3 days in Avignon in an apartment within the walled city. Walked around each night until 9pm or so with no issues or concerns. Left our rental car in the free parking lots and took the parking shuttle back into town. Didn't feel any different from any of the other places we stayed...which is not to say that there is no crime, simply that as tourists, we experienced nothing untoward.

Thank you for your helpful and thoughtful reply!

The southern and southeastern parts of Avignon, along the "Charles de Gaulle" ring road, are quite rough. That's most probably where most of the statistics come from.
Stay inside the city walls, and you will be far from that, with nothing specific to worry about.

Very helpful and informative. Thank you!