Is it safe in Paris?

With all the riots going on in Paris and buildings getting burned I hope it is safe for the skaters and everyone who is going to TEB. The US issued a travel warning that Americans don't take the train to/from the airport as it goes through the neighborhoods that are rioting. I know that Paris is a big city but don't really know the geography of the area. The news makes it look like the whole city is burning when I know it isn't.

Anyone in France or elsewhere have any more info?

Paris safety

As I understand it, all the rioting is 45minutes or more out of downtown. None of the tourist areas have been affected.

Not any more. Rioting, looting and burning has spread to the center of Paris, and tourist areas have been targeted. There has been rioting in other French cities such as Lyon and Marseilles as well.

The competition is being held in Bercy, a SE suburb well away from central Paris. The problem is getting from the airport to Bercy. Already travelers are being warned not to take the train from the airport, since it goes by the worst of the rioting. But buses have also been attacked, and with the rioting spreading, who knows what conditions will be like in another two weeks, especially if the French government is unable to get control of the situation.

about Bercy

I went to Trophee CEB last year and Bercy, the sports complex, is in Paris proper, not some suburb. It's accessible from the Paris metro lines and is near the business district. I'm sure that security will be tightened and will be just fine for the competition.

Don't know if it's true, but on FSU someone posted that there is now a travel advisory to France. I guess it's possible the American athletes may pull out, but the competition is still two weeks away, so time will tell.

At this point, the advisory is only for staying away from the riot areas, not from France or Paris itself.

Right. I just saw that that post on FSU has been disputed.

The riots are mainly in SW suburbs of Paris. True, it popped up in other areas but that's where most rioters live.

I would dispute the post that non of the tourist areas have been affected - the center of all riots is St. Denis. St. Denis monostery is where a large number of French royalty is burried. That was the first place I wanted to visit. When I mentioned it to my hosts (and that was a number of years ago) they laughted at me, saying that nobody in their right mind would enter the town of St. Denis anymore. So you could argue it was affected a long time ago. At the way it's going, who knows if St. Denis would still be called St. Denis? It could be renamed.

Back to the topic - I think it will be absolutely safe. Charles De Gaulle airport is the major regional airport, I just can not imagine French goverment not putting extra security measures to protect transportation to/from the airport. After all, tourism is a huge part of Franch industry.

Smaller airport Boueves (sp?) is really close to the "bad" areas. (at least the trip to Paris takes you close).

Good luck to French goverment in fixing this major problem.

Yana

I visited a friend in St. Denis when I was in Paris some time ago. It's an interesting part of town - a bit run down, and inhabitated mostly by N.African immigrants but worth a 'see'. They told me the Pope on his visit to Paris wanted to say Mass in the cathedral at St.Denis. The French Government had to quickly clean up the whole area.

Well, that's the way it is in sainttown.

Joe

St. Denis is one of the major riot areas!

We French people are amazed by the reports from the international press about our urban violence crisis. Hey folks, France is not under fire !
I live in Lyon, and work as a teacher in one of the most violent districts in France (Les Minguettes, in Vénissieux, south of Lyon, which is our local South Bronx LOL)
Yes hundreds of cars burn every night in the country, but 95% of the violence is located in these areas where you wouldn't go at any time unless you have a good reason to. (unfortunately I have one : I work there)
Two days ago we had a major black-out in Lyon (half of the city was out of electricity for a couple of hours) because of malicious activity in an electric center and yes, I was a bit worried and didn't leave the window to make sure my car wasn't burning. But honestly, worrying about a trip to Paris, especially a sportsman's trip is a bit ... stupid.
The worst thing that could happen to Jeffrey, IMHO, is to come back home without the gold.

Edit : yes, the train running from the airport to Paris (RER B) crosses unsafe areas. It's safer to take a shuttle. (the unsafe areas are concentrated in the NE of Paris : [Seine St Denis, 93 department] not the SW)

STL_Blues_fan, Saint-Denis is not that touristic although what you mentionned is true. It's known as an unsafe area. I wouldn't go there at night at any time of the year. Anyway, keep in mind that the violence we see these days only happen after dark.

Mehdi, thanks for the first hand reporting.

DG