Safety in France: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 30 July 2026.
Safety
- Camper stops — For camper touring anywhere along the Mediterranean belt, the ministry says to stop only in equipped or supervised areas, and that applies right through the day, not just at night.
- Corsica — Wild camping is prohibited in many parts of Corsica and generally resented locally: use only authorised areas for daytime and overnight stops and respect the signs that mark where parking is allowed. Be careful in the outer areas of Ajaccio and Bastia, where cars and motorcycles are frequently stolen, along with anything left unattended. Inland the climate turns alpine with altitude, snow lies above 1,200 to 1,500 m in winter, winds are strong and ice forms on the roads, especially in the eastern regions.
- Wildfires — In summer, above all along the Mediterranean coast and in Corsica, fire risk is high and made worse by drought and heat, and the weather service publishes a fire alert map. The local authorities can order evacuations and close roads for safety, so check the local emergency procedures and follow what they say. The fire brigade is on 18 and emergency services on 112.
- Theft and suburbs — Thefts and pickpocketing against tourists are reported in particular in the urban areas of Paris, Marseille, Montpellier and Lyon and on the Côte d'Azur, Nice especially. Social tensions can create danger in the suburbs of all the big urban areas. Take maximum care around demonstrations, where incidents and clashes are a real risk.
- Terrorism alert — After the Moscow attack of 22 March 2024 the French government put the Vigipirate terrorism level back to its maximum, Urgence attentat. Checks have been reinforced, particularly around certain anniversaries, holidays and seasons, at places considered sensitive: airports, stations, the metro, large shopping centres, places of worship, markets and Christmas markets in particular, and busy tourist sites.
- Mont Blanc — In recent years high summer temperatures have led the local authorities to advise against climbing Mont Blanc from the French side on several occasions, because of major rockfall during the day. Follow their instructions to the letter and check the local media before setting out.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 30 July 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for France before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 30 July 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.