This Instagram-Favorite Destination In Paris Can Be A Dangerous Place To Be At Night

It feels like everything warrants a photo in the heart of Paris, from huge monuments like the Arc de Triomphe to smaller details like café exteriors. Among the popular and definitely photogenic parts of Paris is Les Halles. Iconic spots like the Louvre, Place du Carrousel, Centre Pompidou, and Jardin du Palais Royal surround Les Halles. However, petty criminals can prey upon unsuspecting tourists at popular places like this. At night, Les Halles can become even more riddled with pickpocketing or other crimes.

Aside from being surrounded by some of the most popular attractions in Paris, it is home to the Châtelet-Les Halles train station. This station connects to the Charles de Gaulle International Airport, which means lots of travelers (especially tourists) enter and exit this station all day long. This makes it a double whammy of sorts because tourists are most likely to encounter pickpockets around a big city's major attractions, but also around epicenters for mass transportation like a train station with routes connecting to an airport. As crowds disperse around Les Halles from this train station, remain aware of your surroundings.

The Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall is in the middle of Les Halles. In fact, the Châtelet-Les Halles train station is almost entirely surrounded by this mall. The shopping here is great, but as with malls in the United States, Westfield Forum des Halles tends to see a few loiterers who might try to scam tourists. Pickpocketing is one thing, but other tourists scams savvy travelers must avoid include someone giving you a bracelet or a rose and then demanding payment for the unwanted gift. Les Halles in general is a bit ominous at night as well. Paris might be the City of Light, but the few streetlights in the area don't make Les Halles feel inviting after dark.

In a forum on Rick Steves' website, opinions from those who have spent time in Les Halles are mixed. Some explained that maintenance projects have improved the area, especially Rue Montmartre, a lovely street with plenty of restaurants and shops. Others seemed to agree that you might encounter less-than-lovable characters, but also believed most to be harmless and found this to be an issue in all big cities. If you're still wary, remember there are plenty of underrated tourist destinations to visit in France.