Paris at Night

We are in France, having spent 5 busy days and nights in Paris with our 14 and 16 year old. We rented an apartment near the seine in the 6th arrondissment. Due to jet lag we were out and about at midnight several times. The only time I felt we better get a cab and get home was when we were at the Trocadero at about 11:30 after a big gathering of soccer fans watched the euro 2012 games there. A lot of hawkers and just felt a little deserted and creepy, but great view of the Eiffel tower. In the Latin quarter and around Notre dame and the seine in that area we have stayed out late often and it was fine. The view is beautiful, keep your hand on your money and give a firm no to the scam about signing petitions and you will be fine. Enjoy!

I've roamed all over Paris at night and didn't find it threatening at all. The nightlife is what you'd expect from a world-class city. There's a million bars and clubs that vary greatly. If you're really interested in nightlife, I'd look for an english-speaking expat group online (assuming you don't speak french) - such groups usually meet up at bars or clubs on the weekend, it's a nice way to meet people and they're usually very welcoming. My favorite "bar" in Paris is sitting on the banks of the Seine on the Ile de Cite with everyone else on a warm evening with a bottle of wine. Can't be beat!

I've spent years in Paris, both living there and visiting often, and I feel totally safe anywhere in Paris, from the 1st to the 20th arrondissement, at any hour of the night. The areas you will be in as a tourist are very, very safe. Really, the only thing a tourist needs to be careful of are pickpockets... on the Metro and in crowded tourist areas.

I too have visited solo and consider Paris a very safe city by night, but I will admit I stick to populated areas at night ( so most of central paris) I personally prefer not to stay in the outlying areas as walking back to hotel at night on deserted streets is not my thing, I like seeing lit cafes etc around me and other folks wandering around too.
As Susan said, your main concern should just be being aware of pickpockets,, they aren't going to confront you, they are sneaky and operate by stealth, so its not a safety of person issue at all.. but a safety of stuff, lol Common sense will see you through a lovely visit solo, no worries there.

I agree with all the other replies. There is no need to fear "roaming" the streets of Paris after dark. After 11 PM or so, you may feel more comfortable taking a cab, although there will still be plenty of people walking around. Paris is a walking city; at night, just like during the day, people aren't shut up in their cars, but on the street going to and from restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. And people live in almost all parts of the city; Paris is not like some American cities, where there's a downtown that empties out at 5 PM sharp and becomes a ghost town. What sort of "nightlife" were you looking for? There's a large assortment of bars and dance clubs, movies (many subtitled, but sometimes dubbed, so check before you go), live theater (sometimes even in English, although of course most is in French), opera, symphony, etc. The Pariscope magazine, which comes out weekly and is sold at newsstands, is a good resource. Rick has a section in his guidebook on how to "decode" it if you don't speak French.

Dear Irene, I was in Paris with a friend at the beginning of June. We were two women together. We had a run in with two young gypsy girls in the subway in broad daylight.Luckily I had heard that you should shout if the gypsies hassled you. They were very persistant, they approached my friend twice then came toward me. We moved over to the ticket agent's desk and told him what was happening. He said they are from Romania and the Paris police can't do anything about them. He said they were around every day.A few minutes later they snuck through the turnsyle and in another 2 minutes a young girl came ru ning out of that subway gate crying that all her money for her whole trip was stolen.It was very upsetting. In addition, two different young women approached us outside the Louvre and the Musee de Orsay telling us they found a ring of ours and asking for money.This is a scam, they also will rob you. Ignore the ring and keep walking. Finally, other young women may approach you with a clipboard asking you to sign for some cause. Ignore these women too. As you are signing they will pick your pocket.Day or night, you need to be aware of your surroundings in Paris. It was also very crowded and by now will no doubt be even more crowded.I have been to Paris three times before this June and I never saw it so crowded or so dangerous. Be very careful,
Chris

Thank you everyone for the replies! It's so awesome to get great feedback.

Roamed around Paris at night and never felt unsafe. Have a great time.