safety

As long as all the manhole covers are in place.

thanks, Ed! will keep an eye on the pavement.

A variation of this question about walking at night gets asked all the time. I don't know. Is Duxbury safe to walk at night. Assume some places are better than others. Same with Europe. If asking about early evening prior to midnight, keeping to well lite areas where people are gathering, avoiding dark alleys, and using normal, reasonable precautions, probably safe to walk anywhere in Europe. Some of the large cities have areas that should be avoid but they are generally well known. If in doubt, ask your hotel.

It's an excellent idea to check with your hotel. France isn;t any more safe or unsafe than most of the modern world.

Phillippa - hi! I, too, was tempted to be flippant, but I note you are female... and maybe you are traveling alone? Or with female companions? I notice that many women are reluctant to travel - or when traveling, to leave the hotel at night - because of fear of pickpockets (and other types of assault) on the streets of Europe. Europe is just as safe - or unsafe - as America. In other words, you will be able to tell a sketchy neighborhood in Villefranche-Sur-Mer just as you'd be able to tell a sketchy neighborhood in Duluth, or Duxbury! Good advice here to ask at the hotel - they'll know if there are any "hot spots" to avoid. Since Villefranche-Sur-Mer is a fairly touristy place, and not inexpensive, I would imagine that the normal panhandlers and so forth will be in town as well, but if at night you pay attention, stay in well-traveled and lighted areas, and don't do anything stupid, you will be safe as houses! A final piece of advice from a New Yorker: stand tall, know where you are going, and walk with purpose. You are much less likely to be assaulted or picked on if you look confident and like you know where you are going. I.e. - don't stand there scratching your head, looking at the map! That can get you into trouble in the daytime as well as at night! Have fun!

When travelling in Europe, my daughter and I adopted the 'Don't Even think About It' attitude and posture. It worked a treat.

To those saying France is as safe or unsafe as the US, I'd argue it's FAR safer than the US. Gun crime is almost non-existant as are muggings and assaults, especially in touristed areas. Are there parts of Paris or Marseille I wouldn't venture at night? Yes, but tourists never see them even in daylight. You are far more likely to accidently step in an open manhole (LOL) than be a crime victim.

I wasn't exactly trying to be flippant. I have a wife, a daughter, and a daughter-in-law (all of whom are female) who wander all over the world alone - - or wander off alone for individual interests. I've never heard any of them say that they sweat safety, and all of them have regularly been to places a bit more sporty than Villefrance.