Embassy of the United States

American Citizens

Security Tips for American Travelers

Don't be fooled: crime happens here too!

The south of France is one of the world's most preferred tourist destinations. But the region's lovely climate, well-maintained historical sites, delicious cuisine, and other pleasures can be misleading. Like everywhere in the world, crime happens here. It occurs on the French Riviera and its sunny beaches, at Alpine ski resorts, in the beautiful back-country villages of Provence, within medieval fortresses, and along modern super highways.

Travelers sometimes forget that many criminals specialize in targeting tourists, who can be easily identified because they speak a foreign language, by their dress, physical appearance, use of rented cars, etc. Although most crimes against tourists do not involve violence, they can be a traumatic experience nonetheless, and the cost is often high in psychological and material terms.

The best defense is good old common sense

Each year the United States Consulate General in Marseille issues hundreds of passports and provides other kinds of assistance to U.S. citizens who become victims of criminal actions in the south of France, Corsica and Monaco. Such actions range from simple purse snatchings to attacks resulting in physical injury. We are working closely with local officials to enlist their support in providing increased police protection in known problem areas, and in investigating quickly all crime reports. But the best defense is always good old common sense. Many tourists can avoid becoming victims if they follow simple, every day rules for personal security.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nice/Cote-d'Azur, one the most popular tourist destinations in the Marseille consular district, has issued a brochure with a number of valuable tips for travelers. These tips are printed below. We encourage you to read them carefully and to put them into practice. We also include tips on protecting your American passport, and on how to obtain rapidly a new passport at the Consular Agency in Nice or the Consulate General in Marseille should you lose, or be robbed of, this valuable document. Finally, we have prepared a list of important telephone numbers as a handy reference. Don't leave it at home!

Tips to avoid being robbed

Prepared by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nice/Cote-d'Azur

When using a rental car:

• Never leave valuables within sight.

• Always lock your doors, both when driving and upon leaving a parked vehicle.
• Practice heightened security awareness when stopping at traffic lights or when caught in a traffic jam.
• Be extremely careful regarding motor bikes (cycles, scooters, etc.). Some criminals on motor bikes are known to pull up alongside cars, waiting for the car to stop to open a door, and then snatch handbags, cameras, computers, etc.
• When parking the car, make sure it is locked, the alarm is on, the steering-wheel is blocked, and the car-radio is removed (if you have the lift-out type radio).
• Do not leave valuables in the trunk.

When in public places:

• Avoid carrying handbags with shoulder straps and walking too close to the edge of the pavement. In crowded places, watch out for pick-pockets.

• Do not carry on your person large amounts of money, traveler's checks, or jewelry. Leave these in the hotel lock-box or in another secure location (but not in the car trunk).
• When using debit or credit cards, make sure others cannot see you as you key in your PIN. Be extra careful when withdrawing money at a bank, currency exchange office, or ATM machine. Do not leave behind or throw away receipts for debit or credit card transactions.
• Never lend your mobile phone or handbag to a stranger.
• While on the beach, do not leave belongings unattended.
• Leave at home any personal items you will not need on your trip such as account cards that cannot be used abroad.

• Always fill in the information regarding your permanent address and that of a contact person on page 4 of your passport (on some passports this is on the back of the front cover). Do this in pencil to easily make changes later. Lost passports and recovered belongings are often returned when this info has been filled in.

• All travelers should carry a photocopy of the data pages of their passport (the pages with photograph and issuance information). Some merchants and officials will accept the copy as ID in lieu of a passport, and it will speed issuance of a new passport as it allows consular officials to verify U.S. citizenship. Keep the copy in a safe place.
• Always leave a photocopy of your passport with a relative or friend at home. In this way, someone can fax a copy of the passport to the consulate if necessary.
• Pack useful documents that attest to U.S. citizenship: an expired passport, birth certificate, military ID, copy of naturalization certificate. Keep such documents in a safe place. Social security cards and driver's licenses do not prove American citizenship.
• Avoid leaving your passport with clerks, merchants, etc. who ask for it to process hotel registration or commercial transactions. Many passports are innocently misplaced and lost this way; others are stolen.
• Naturalized U.S. citizens should pack a copy of their naturalization certificate. (It is better not to travel with the original certificate.)
• "Green card" holders (non-citizen Legal Permanent Residents of the United States) should travel with a photocopy of their Alien Resident Registration card. Before traveling they should also obtain information regarding the location of the nearest embassy or consulate of the country they are a citizen of. American consulates cannot replace non-U.S. passports (which may be required to leave France), nor can they formally assist non-Americans vis-à-vis French authorities. They can, however, help to facilitate entry into the U.S. when the "green card" has been lost or stolen.
• If two or more people are travelling together, they should exchange copies of the passport data pages between them.

Emergency addresses and phone numbers

In addition to the numbers below, travelers should always keep their own lists of emergency phone numbers to cancel credit cards, make insurance claims, etc.

The following list is not exhaustive. We will update it regularly so as to include as much information as possible. Please keep this list in a safe place.

When dialing from outside France, use the overseas access number, then "33" (country code for France) and the rest of the number without the "0."

U.S. Government offices:

Nice: United States Consular Agency
7, Avenue Gustave V (across from the Albert I park)
TEL: 04 93 88 89 55
FAX: 04 93 87 07 38

The Consular Agency accepts passport applications which are then sent to Marseille for immediate processing, provided that necessary documents are presented to prove U.S. citizenship. Travelers in the Nice area who can wait 3 days for a replacement passport should use the Consular Agency in Nice. Otherwise, they should go directly to Marseille.

Marseille: United States Consulate General
Place Varian Fry (across from the Prefecture)
Tel: 04 91 54 92 00. Please listen to automated switchboard instructions carefully to ensure your call is forwarded to a consular officer.
FAX: 04 91 55 09 47

Passports can be issued immediately (2-3 hours) in Marseille upon presentation of documents necessary to prove U.S. citizenship.

French Police Authorities

Police reports are not required to obtain a replacement passport but they may be needed to file a claim with your insurance company. In certain situations you may wish to contact the police to help local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to prosecute criminals, or to seek their protection. Please remember that English-speaking personnel are not always available at French police stations.
The following list contains the address and phone number of police stations in many localities in the south of France.

NOTE: For cities not listed below, please dial 17 (the emergency number for police assistance) or the local police ("Gendarmerie") operations center: 04 93 18 42 30

• Nice: Central Police Station: 1, Avenue du Maréchal Foch 06000 Nice - Tel: 04 92 17 22 22

• Nice International Airport: (Police aux Frontières) Aéroport Nice Côte d'Azur - Terminal 1 - Tel: 04 93 72 71 71
• Villefranche sur mer: Cité Administrative, Avenue Albert 1er 06230 Villefranche sur Mer - Tel: 04 93 76 30 80
• Menton: Villa Mathilde, 8 Rue Patourneaux 06503 Menton Cedex - Tel: 04 93 28 66 00
• Beausoleil: 25, Bd de la République 06240 Beausoleil - Tel: 04 93 78 24 22
• Roquebrune Cap Martin: 61, Avenue Paul Doumer 06190 Roquebrune Cap Martin - Tel: 04 93 35 60 01
• Cannes: 1, Avenue de Grasse 06406 Cannes Cedex - Tel: 04 93 06 22 22
• Le Cannet-Rocheville: 66, Bd Carnot 06110 Le Cannet Rocheville - Tel: 04 93 45 44 10
• Grasse: La Palmeraie - 12, Bd Carnot 06130 Grasse - Tel: 04 93 40 31 60
• Antibes: 7, rue des Frères Olivier 06600 Antibes - Tel: 04 92 90 78 00
• Vallauris: Le San Sebastien Avenue Jean Moulin 06220 Vallauris - Tel: 04 92 95 35 10
• Cagnes sur mer: 14, rue Anatole France 06800 Cagnes sur Mer - Tel: 04 93 13 56 10
• Saint Laurent du Var: Bd Georges Pompidou 06700 St Laurent du Var - Tel: 04 93 31 16 87
• Vence: Rue du 08 mai 1945 06140 Vence - Tel: 04 93 58 05 05