Nice - dangerous?
Discussion
Going to Nice this weekend and saw this warning on Wikitravel. It wasn't something we'd really considered. Anyone been recently and have any thoughts?
Once regarded as an average French city with regards to crime, Nice has recently been plagued by a reputation as one of the country's most dangerous cities, with numerous statistics to prove it. While murder is usually uncommon, theft, burglary, and assault are now rife, and it is increasingly advised to not go out at night alone, even for men.
You can generally stay safe by following a few pieces of advice:
Take precautions against pickpockets, who are a constant, serious, and growing problem on the Cote d'Azur. They operate usually in teams in any crowded areas like buses, train stations, and tourist sites. Be vigilant at the tram station Gare Thiers where pickpockets prey on travel-weary tourists. They may well look like harmless fellow passengers but are extremely skilled and will lift your wallet from either your front or back pants pocket without your noticing. You are strongly advised not to carry anything valuable or annoying to replace in your pockets. Use pouches underneath your clothing for anything valuable, including cash. In restaurants and cafes opportunist theft of handbags is a constant risk - keep them close at hand.
Do not go to the sea front at night after 22:00 unless you are a group of at least 5. It's a dangerous area and you are likely to get in trouble.
Once regarded as an average French city with regards to crime, Nice has recently been plagued by a reputation as one of the country's most dangerous cities, with numerous statistics to prove it. While murder is usually uncommon, theft, burglary, and assault are now rife, and it is increasingly advised to not go out at night alone, even for men.
You can generally stay safe by following a few pieces of advice:
Take precautions against pickpockets, who are a constant, serious, and growing problem on the Cote d'Azur. They operate usually in teams in any crowded areas like buses, train stations, and tourist sites. Be vigilant at the tram station Gare Thiers where pickpockets prey on travel-weary tourists. They may well look like harmless fellow passengers but are extremely skilled and will lift your wallet from either your front or back pants pocket without your noticing. You are strongly advised not to carry anything valuable or annoying to replace in your pockets. Use pouches underneath your clothing for anything valuable, including cash. In restaurants and cafes opportunist theft of handbags is a constant risk - keep them close at hand.
Do not go to the sea front at night after 22:00 unless you are a group of at least 5. It's a dangerous area and you are likely to get in trouble.
The Stiglet said:
x2
Interesting that there's no mention of terrorism in that. Again, applicable almost everywhere these days.
The thing with Wikitravel I guess is that it's crowd sourced and updated when people feel like it - if it's not been updated for a few months, then terrorism wouldn't be a specific threat. Interesting that there's no mention of terrorism in that. Again, applicable almost everywhere these days.
joshleb said:
If driving I'd keep the doors locked and just have general wits about you.
Don't go getting smashed then try to walk home on your own
Won't be driving, a friend on FB had said the same thing. Don't go getting smashed then try to walk home on your own
I guess I have misjudged the place. I'd thought Riviera, near Monaco, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels etc. I thought the biggest risk to my wallet was going to be paying €25 for a glass of champagne with a view!
The trip was planned as a general scope of the area to see if we fancy it for a holiday home/potential retirement place (a long long way off!). It may have slipped down the short list a little.
Nice is like many cities I guess with areas that you wouldn't want to go to. But then you could probably say that about any city with 300,000+ population.
However I was in Nice last year, my stag do was in Nice and I go quite regularly and I have never been involved in or seen any trouble.
If you want to visit the cote d'azur it is fantastic and there are nicer placer than Nice all along the coast from Monaco to St Tropez.
However I was in Nice last year, my stag do was in Nice and I go quite regularly and I have never been involved in or seen any trouble.
If you want to visit the cote d'azur it is fantastic and there are nicer placer than Nice all along the coast from Monaco to St Tropez.
I suggest going along the coast a bit to Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu-sur-Mer if you're looking for somewhere to consider as a holiday home/potential retirement place somewhere along the line. Beautiful little coastal towns minutes away from Nice.
The first line of the wikitravel "Stay Safe" section for Rome tells us that: "Rome is generally a safe place, even for women travelling alone. However, there have been rape cases around Termini station, so be careful (especially at night time)" sure you have to keep your wits about you but where haven't there been rape cases?
You'll find at least one wikitravel entry describing an ISIS-controlled Syrian town as having an atmosphere that is "very friendly." and pointing out where to buy Beer and Wine. Take the contents of wikitravel with a huge pinch of salt.
The tripadvisor health and safety advice for Nice is a bit less hyperbolic https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187234-s206/Ni... it carries the same warnings about watching your bags etc. but I suppose that's the 21st century.
I was last in Nice at the start of July and lived to tell the tale. I really wouldn't worry.
(You'll have to excuse the lack of posts and take my word that I don't work for the Nice tourist board
but having somehow found my way from SP&tL into the travel forum your concern sounded so absurd I couldn't help but comment. )
The first line of the wikitravel "Stay Safe" section for Rome tells us that: "Rome is generally a safe place, even for women travelling alone. However, there have been rape cases around Termini station, so be careful (especially at night time)" sure you have to keep your wits about you but where haven't there been rape cases?
You'll find at least one wikitravel entry describing an ISIS-controlled Syrian town as having an atmosphere that is "very friendly." and pointing out where to buy Beer and Wine. Take the contents of wikitravel with a huge pinch of salt.
The tripadvisor health and safety advice for Nice is a bit less hyperbolic https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187234-s206/Ni... it carries the same warnings about watching your bags etc. but I suppose that's the 21st century.
I was last in Nice at the start of July and lived to tell the tale. I really wouldn't worry.
(You'll have to excuse the lack of posts and take my word that I don't work for the Nice tourist board
but having somehow found my way from SP&tL into the travel forum your concern sounded so absurd I couldn't help but comment. )Chucklehead said:
Nice is probably one of my favourite places in the world. I go at least once a year. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.
^^^^^This^^^^And I go there a dozen times a year on average and have family living there.
"Do not go to the sea front at night after 22:00"
My last experience was do not go unless you are skilled in the Argentian close combat known as "The Tango" Cos you may get roped into one of their seafront dance classes. The only danger I have ever experienced on the Prom was from locals on rollerblades.
MitchT said:
Quite surprised by some of the posts here. I always had Nice down as the kind of place where you'd sit out at a street café, sipping a coffee and people watching with your '69 Maserati Ghibli Spyder parked, top down, a couple of metres away.
Not Nice far too big and busy, maybe Villefranch, StJean, or Beaulieu. Love Nice though, I normally avoid cities, but make an exception for Nice. Really sorry to hear this OP.
Try to carry on and not to let it spoil your trip. Report it to the police, cancel your bank cards and get someone to wire you some money via Western Union if you've lost all your cash and you can collect it with your passport, assuming you still have that.
Bit late answering the original question now but Nice isn't dangerous at all in my opinion and is just like any touristy city; petty crime, pick pocketing and theft from unattended beach bags etc is all I've ever seen / heard about when I've been there, I've been going for years and aside from the memorials on the sea front and the park adjacent, you wouldn't even realise there had been any terrorist attacks, it's still as busy and beautiful as ever in my experience.
Hope you can enjoy the rest of your time there.
Try to carry on and not to let it spoil your trip. Report it to the police, cancel your bank cards and get someone to wire you some money via Western Union if you've lost all your cash and you can collect it with your passport, assuming you still have that.
Bit late answering the original question now but Nice isn't dangerous at all in my opinion and is just like any touristy city; petty crime, pick pocketing and theft from unattended beach bags etc is all I've ever seen / heard about when I've been there, I've been going for years and aside from the memorials on the sea front and the park adjacent, you wouldn't even realise there had been any terrorist attacks, it's still as busy and beautiful as ever in my experience.
Hope you can enjoy the rest of your time there.
No Face said:
Really sorry to hear this OP.
Try to carry on and not to let it spoil your trip. Report it to the police, cancel your bank cards and get someone to wire you some money via Western Union if you've lost all your cash and you can collect it with your passport, assuming you still have that.
Bit late answering the original question now but Nice isn't dangerous at all in my opinion and is just like any touristy city; petty crime, pick pocketing and theft from unattended beach bags etc is all I've ever seen / heard about when I've been there, I've been going for years and aside from the memorials on the sea front and the park adjacent, you wouldn't even realise there had been any terrorist attacks, it's still as busy and beautiful as ever in my experience.
Hope you can enjoy the rest of your time there.
Thanks. Had everything cancelled within 5 minutes of it happening. They were trying to use the cards in an ATM as I was on the phone to the card company. Unfortunately they could only tell me the name of the bank and not the location. I keep a 'tile' in my wallet that connects to my phone and was actually able to find it when I'd worked out where the cash point was. Unfortunately they'd also found it and had left it on a ledge near the cash point. I was hoping they'd just thrown the wallet in the bin with my driving licence, travel pass etc. No such luck.Try to carry on and not to let it spoil your trip. Report it to the police, cancel your bank cards and get someone to wire you some money via Western Union if you've lost all your cash and you can collect it with your passport, assuming you still have that.
Bit late answering the original question now but Nice isn't dangerous at all in my opinion and is just like any touristy city; petty crime, pick pocketing and theft from unattended beach bags etc is all I've ever seen / heard about when I've been there, I've been going for years and aside from the memorials on the sea front and the park adjacent, you wouldn't even realise there had been any terrorist attacks, it's still as busy and beautiful as ever in my experience.
Hope you can enjoy the rest of your time there.
Fortunately my passport, and all my girlfriend's money/cards etc were back at the hotel, so at least we had access to more funds.
Ultimately it's all insured, so I should only be down the excess, but it did leave a sour taste in the mouth and messed up our plans when we only had limited time there.
I think you are right and it's no worse than any other tourist destination for that sort of thing. Very ironic that I was forewarned and on my guard and it still happened.
bad company said:
eyebeebe said:
Pick pocketed getting on the train to Monaco.Typical! Quite professionally done. Plans for the day screwed up.
Really sorry to hear that. How was it 'professionally done'?OP - what do you mean 'tile' that they left at the cash machine?
This thread reminds me.... save all my numbers to cancel cards!
I tend to just take out a credit card and a small amount of cash each day on holiday. Minimizes the risk.
johnwilliams77 said:
I tend to just take out a credit card and a small amount of cash each day on holiday. Minimizes the risk.
Except that means leaving the remainder of your cash and cards in the room safe which is also vulnerable. The only safe way I know of is to use the hotel safe.bad company said:
Except that means leaving the remainder of your cash and cards in the room safe which is also vulnerable. The only safe way I know of is to use the hotel safe.
I would hope less vulnerable than walking about with it. Also, there are other ways of making it safe in the room (locking it in a case), not perfect but more effort for a third. Leave DND on the door. Hanging cash behind a picture in the room. Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff