Is Nantes safe?
Safe and relaxed with normal city care. Petty theft and some late-night disorder near the main station.
Key facts
- SoloSquare safety rating: 4/5, safe with normal care.
- US travel advisory: Level 2: Exercise increased caution, updated 2025-05-27.
- Homicide rate in France: 1.3 per 100,000 people (2023, UNODC via World Bank).
- Road deaths in France: 5.1 per 100,000 people a year (2019, WHO).
- Emergency numbers: Police 17 · Ambulance 15 · Fire 18 · All emergencies 112.
Safety in Nantes at a glance
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| Overall | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Crime | Pickpocketing in crowded shopping streets and on trams, bike theft and occasional disorder around nightlife areas. |
| At night | The center and Bouffay are busy until late. Trams run until about midnight; use a taxi or Uber later. |
| Solo women | Comfortable for solo women. Normal care at night around the main station and nightlife areas, and use taxis after trams stop. |
| Other risks | Autumn and winter rain and storms; Flooding along the Loire and Erdre in rare winters; Cyclists and trams on shared streets |
Scams, areas and local laws
Common scams
- Petition or clipboard groups near Place du Commerce covering pickpockets
- Fake charity collectors on the main shopping streets
- Unlicensed rides offered at the train station
Take care
- Gare Sud and Bouffay late at night: drunks and fights
- Some northern suburbs like Bellevue or Malakoff late at night
Calmer areas to stay
Laws visitors break by accident
- Police can demand ID; without it you can be held up to four hours, so carry your passport.
- Smoking is banned on beaches, in parks, at bus shelters and near schools; fines apply.
- Covering your face in public (balaclava, niqab, mask) is illegal, with fines up to €150.
How Nantes compares in France
| Place | Safety |
|---|---|
| Annecy | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Colmar | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Carcassonne | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Brittany | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Dordogne | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Paris | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Nice | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Provence | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| French Riviera | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Lyon | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Bordeaux | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Cannes | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Strasbourg | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Chamonix | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Corsica | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Aix-en-Provence | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Toulouse | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Loire Valley | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Normandy | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Montpellier | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Avignon | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Biarritz | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Saint-Tropez | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Antibes | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Nantes | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Lille | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Marseille | 3/5 · Take real precautions |
Quick answers
Is Nantes safe for solo female travelers?
Comfortable for solo women. Normal care at night around the main station and nightlife areas, and use taxis after trams stop.
Is Nantes safe at night?
The center and Bouffay are busy until late. Trams run until about midnight; use a taxi or Uber later.
What is the crime rate in Nantes?
Pickpocketing in crowded shopping streets and on trams, bike theft and occasional disorder around nightlife areas. Nationally, France records 1.3 homicides per 100,000 people a year (2023).
What number do I call in an emergency in Nantes?
Police 17 · Ambulance 15 · Fire 18 · All emergencies 112.
More about Nantes
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Sources
- US State Department travel advisory
- TAN (Nantes transit)
- Nantes Atlantique Airport
- CHU de Nantes
- Nantes Tourisme
- World Bank: intentional homicides (UNODC)
- World Bank: road traffic deaths (WHO)
Safety ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment from official advisories, crime data and local reporting. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.