Paris scams: what to watch for

Paris is a safe city for its size, and almost all of what follows costs you a few euros or a phone, not your trip. The pattern is the same everywhere: someone starts a conversation or hands you something, then asks for money. The fix is to keep walking and keep your hands on your bag.

Ranked by how often a visitor meets them, with what to do.

Scams cluster where crowds are slow and standing still: the steps below Sacré-Cœur, the Trocadéro esplanade facing the Eiffel Tower, the pyramid at the Louvre, the Champs-Élysées and the Seine banks. In the metro, the pressure points are Châtelet-Les Halles, Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon and the Line 1 corridor between Louvre-Rivoli and Charles de Gaulle-Étoile.

Approximate coordinates for the main clusters, useful for planning a route that avoids standing around with a bag open.

Carry a small zipped bag across your body, in front, and keep your phone in an inside pocket rather than a back pocket or an open tote. On the metro, stand away from the doors when the train is crowded and hold your bag with your hand over the zip. If someone bumps you hard, check your pockets immediately.

Split your money: a card and some cash in one place, a backup card and a note of your bank's emergency number somewhere else. Photograph your passport and card numbers and store them in your email. Do not keep everything in one wallet.

For tickets, use the machines or the official app, and keep the ticket until you exit, since inspectors fine you for a lost or invalid one. For taxis, use the official ranks at stations and airports or a licensed app; the fixed fare between the airports and central Paris is posted at the rank, so a meter that is 'broken' is a reason to walk to the next car.

At restaurants, service is included by law, so a printed 'service not included' line on a terrace menu near a major sight is a warning to read the rest of the prices before sitting down. Tipping is a round-up or 5–10% for good service, not a requirement.