Travel in France
does not present any more problems than
elsewhere in Europe. Most visitors should
be aware of pickpockets and petty thieves,
particularly on the trains and metros.
Keep all valuables well hidden and ensure
all your bags are closed and out of reach
of others. Do not accept drinks or food
from strangers.
Useful Telephone Numbers
Ambulance 15
Fire 18
Police 17
France has strict laws about carrying
drugs and police can search you at any
time.
Places to Avoid
Tourists can be seen as easy target so
be wary at all times. Certain areas of
Paris should be avoided at night including
Les Halles, the Bastille area, Pigalle,
Barbès-Rochechouart, Montmartre,
rue St-Denis in the 2ème, or Belleville.
In general, the northern and eastern arrondissements
are less safe than the southern and western
ones, and the Right Bank less safe than
the Left. In Marseille, be especially
careful of the northern section of the
city, in the Quartier Belsunce. The south
of France, especially the Côte d'Azur
and Provence, has a reputation for being
more dangerous than the north. Exercise
caution. Keep your bags under your arm
and be wary in crowds. Dial 17 for police
in emergencies.
SECURITY
Padlocks: are great to lock your bags
to luggage racks in trains and buses,
particularly overnight services, or to
secure lockers or just to act as a deterrent
to would be thieves.
Passport and money: Keep these on your
person at all times, particularly when
sleeping on overnight transport. Money
is best divided through your bag so if
some is stolen or lost you have another
ready supply. Try sewing an emergency
stash of cash into your backpack.
Important documents: Documents should
be copied several times and left with
reliable people. Documents to photocopy
would include:
- important pages of your passport
- drivers license
- bank and credit cards
- other identification
- air tickets, bus passes, train passes,
other important travel cards
- birth certificate
- proof of residence
Daypacks: are better than shoulderbags
for deterring thieves
Money belts: are another proven security
method. If you can also pin these to the
inside of your clothes it is a secondary
protection measure. Some people now wear
these around their ankles.
Bum bags / Fanny packs: are not advisable.
In crowded areas these can easily be unzipped
without your knowledge. If you wear one
do not keep valuables inside.
TOP
KEEPING FIT
Fitness of body and mind helps you to
keep control of situations and to deal
with them rationally. Mental alertness
or quick thinking can help avert problems
as physical fitness can mean a quicker
or easier getaway. It can be difficult
to keep fit on the road. Great Italian
food, oily frites in Belgium, lazy days
by the seaside and tiredness are huge
deterrents. Walking with your pack, hiking
or touring a city is exercise but for
just a few minutes a day you can make
sure you don't put on extra kilos and
stay agile.
- Stretch each night or morning. Massage
sore and tight muscles with soap in the
shower or with a cream.
- Do pushups or situps in your room for
basic toning.
- If you know some yoga or aerobics develop
a small routine. You do not need much
room and you can use your walkman as a
silent accompaniment.
- Walk as much as possible, avoid getting
buses and trains unless really tired.
It's also the cheapest option.
- Eat good food, fruit and vegetables.
These are also your cheapest option.
Mental sluggishness can prevent you from
seeing trouble developing or responding
quickly to situations. It can develop
easily from lack of sleep or simply from
lack of use. For mental alertness:
- get to bed early
- keep your brain active through reading,
writing, cross word puzzles etc.
- create a mental challenge each day
- discuss philosophy, current events and
other issues with fellow travellers
ANXIETY AND STRESS
Every day, travellers face situations
which can be stressful. It may simply
be finding accommodation, food or the
right train; or it may be more complicated
like being harassed, confronting someone
for pushing in etc.
Here are some tips to help:
- Never appear angry or unsettled. Develop
a poker face.
- Take deep breaths filling your whole
body and releasing slowly
- Count to ten
- Walk through the steps in your mind
about what you have to do now
- Every day in your new environment take
a few moments to review safety situations
and how you will act. This helps prevent
panic if a situation develops.
SURVIVAL GUIDE
A big part of self defence is self confidence
and assertivenes which can help you avoid
physical measures to defend yourself.
Here's a few defensive tips:
1. Remember you are not invincible. Things
can and will go wrong. Learn from your
mistakes, don't be put off by them.
2. Learn some self defence and keep fit.
3. Set physical, verbal and other boundaries
and do not let anything past it, even
the most subtle of attempts. Do not let
anyone touch you more than you would a
complete stranger, regardless of their
customs.
4. If you are uncomfortable with someone
elses behaviour then say so. Learn the
phrase for "Leave me alone"
or "Don't touch me" in each
country you go to. The universal "No",
"nein", "Nay" gets
you a long way, especially a definitive,
assertive and loud one.
5. Wear a wedding ring or engagement band
regardless of your marital status. This
significantly reduces your rate of problems.
6. Do not accept invitations for drinks,
dinner or any other gifts. It is not worth
the risk.
7. Never say you are alone. You are always
meeting someone (preferrably male) either
back at the hotel, in the next city etc.
Stick to your story.
8. Don't go to lonely or out of the way
places, particularly at night. Avoid streets,
parks, dark alleyways. Be conscious of
your surrounds and don't wander far from
people.
9. Hook up with other travellers where
you can, particulary in unsafe areas/countries.
10. Carry as little as possible. Keep
your arms free so you can fight back and
without things people can easily snatch
from you.
11. Be prepared to scream, kick, holler,
or make any noise as soon as someone approaches
you in any way that makes you uncomfortable.
Usually any attempt to fight back will
scare most would be attackers away.
12. Try not to talk to people around or
near bathrooms. Don't visit out of the
way bathrooms.
TRAVELLING ALONE
Travelling alone can be a rewarding and
interesting experience. You meet new people
every day that you can pick up with or
leave behind. However there are some countries
where solo travel is not adviseable for
women for example some Asian countries,
the middle East and Africa. If you are
travelling alone here are some tips:
- sit near family groups on trains, buses
etc.
- don't go to out of the way places, stick
to the beaten track even in big cities.
Don't wander down dark alleys or secluded
places after dark.
- observe how the local women dress and
behave and try and act accordingly.
- do not speak to single men unless it
is absolutely necessary eg. a business
transaction, directions etc.
- don't drink too much. If you are unaware
of your faculties people can take advantage
of you.
- eat in restaurants outside peak time
if you don't want undue attention or try
and eat on the move or back at your hotel/hostel.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Spending a few moments each day reviewing
escape or emergency procedures on buses,
planes, trains and other situations can
save your life in event of fire, earthquake
or other emergency situations.
1. When you enter a building do a quick
check for means of escape. Count the number
of exits for the building and do a quick
mental rehearsal of how you will get to
them in an emergency.
2. If you are on a plane, bus or train,
count the number of aisles to the nearest
door exit so you can
exit quickly.
3. If you are staying somewhere overnight
always have your bag packed and ready
to go or at least have your valuables
easily at hand.
4. Always read emergency procedures.
5. Go through in your mind how you will
deal with an emergency situation and rehearse
as often as possible.
6. If an emergency situation develops
don't panic. Keep your head clear of extraneous
thoughts and keep breathing.
7. Accidents happen every day and you
are not immune. Try and keep active and
easily mobile. Consciousness affected
by drinking, overtiredness or irrational
thinking can hinder escape efforts as
can too much baggage or panic.
