Paris at night for couples: pickpockets, drinks, masks and drugs

Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world and after dark it deserves a little preparation. This guide is informative and educational for travellers: it does not recommend venues and contains no explicit content. It is based on the UK government's (FCDO) travel advice for France, consulted on 7 November 2026. That page does not cover specific scams or exhibitionism, and it does not mention 17 or 15, so we do not comment on them.

Pickpockets and transport

According to the FCDO, pickpockets can work in gangs: one distracts while another goes through your bag, and they operate on the Métro, RER lines and mainline stations. It recommends keeping passports and cards in separate places, carrying bags across your body and staying alert around tourist sites and ATMs. It notes that serious assaults have occurred on RER line B, which serves Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and Gare du Nord, and on line D, which serves the Stade de France.

Drinks and nightlife

The advice asks you to be alert to date-rape drugs such as GHB and liquid ecstasy: buy your own drinks, keep them in sight and know your limit, because drinks in French bars are often stronger than in the UK. It also lists nightlife venues among possible terrorist targets and rates the likelihood of attacks in France as very likely. Strikes and demonstrations can disrupt transport with little warning.

Laws that affect travellers

Possessing, using or smuggling illegal drugs, including cannabis, carries imprisonment and heavy fines, also in transit. You must prove your identity when asked, or within four hours at a police station. And a relevant detail if you are going to a masked party: covering your face in public is illegal, with fines of up to 150 euros, and it applies to tourists. The advice says nothing about the inside of private venues, so we do not extend the rule beyond what it states.

Emergencies

112 is the emergency number the advice cites. Save your accommodation's address on your phone.

Before you go

If you are looking for a venue, read our guide to libertine clubs in Paris, check the official website, and remember that French law on exhibitionism and consent has its own guide. Advice changes: confirm on gov.uk before travelling.