How safe is Paris' Le Kremlin Bicetre area & Novotel Paris Porte d'Italie?

Question

I'm heading to paris with my family for a few days this season and I wanted to know how safe Le Kremlin Bicetre area & Novotel Paris Porte d'Italie are ... By safe I mean of pick pockets and theives in hotels.

Also how safe is using the metro in that area.

Answer 1

Safety is relative.  You are generally safe from muggings and physical assaults in Paris.  Pickpockets however are a different story. They are quite common in Europe and tend to prey on the weak and helpless (i.e. tourists, elderly, people that appear lost or scared, etc.)  The best protection is an ounce of prevention as they say.  Put your billfold in a front pocket, use a pocket system that fits under your clothes, wear a purse with a strap that you can throw across your chest, don't carry a backpack or f***y pack, keep an eye on your fellow travelers... there are lots of hints on the subject on the Net.  As for thieves in the hotel, Novotels are generally pretty safe as they are part of the Accord chain.  Again, leave the 'bling' at home and don't set yourself up as a target and you should be fine. I have traveled extensively in Europe and South America (another place where property thefts are common but physical threats are rare) and never had any trouble.  Not that there haven't been attempts, but they were so obvious that they were easy to protect myself from.  Some of the folks that I have traveled with, who didn't heed my advise, HAVE lost items... Live and learn!