In an emergency, call 112. This number also works from cellphones and is in French and English.
To find an English speaking doctor in your area, call the Riviera Medical Services hotline at 04 93 26 12 70.
For 24/7 housecalls (yes, they still do that here and it’s only around 60€), call 04 93 52 42 42, or SOS Medecins at 0810 85 01 01, but in both cases they may or may not speak English.
If you want to go to the emergency room but don’t need an ambulance, you can call a taxi at 04 93 13 78 78 (from a foreign cellphone you’d dial 00 33 4 93 13 78 78) and have them take you. Hospital Saint Roch is the closest to the Old Town, or if you don’t mind a little longer drive, the Clinique St George up on Cimiez is 10 minutes farther, and is a much nicer private hospital (and with better rooms if you have to stay overnight). For a pediatric emergency, go to Hospital Lenval on the Promenade des Anglais, where Angelina Jolie had her twins.
Most pharmacies close at 7pm, but there is one just off Place Massena that stays open until 9pm: 46 Jean Jaures, next to Bay Cafe. There are two all-night pharmacies in Nice: one’s at 7 rue Massina, 04 93 87 78 94, and the other is across from the tram stop near the train station (Tram stop: Gare Thiers)
Dealing with a Theft
For an emergency, call 112. This number also works from cellphones and is in French and English. Unlike in America (where the police come to you, write up the report, and, boom, you’re done), here the police only come if it is an emergency, and will ask you to go to the nearest police station to make a report. Bring a book, as this will take half your day as you wait your turn with all the other victims, but it’s necessary if you need documentation for insurance, or want to have a chance of the perp being caught and punished. The hassle in reporting is one reason that the crime statistics in France are artificially low.
To report a stolen credit card, call Visa Global Assistance at 0800 901 179, MasterCard at 0800 901 387 and American Express at 0800 830 822. The local American Express office at the airport will provide cardholders with emergency cash.
The Lost and Found (Objets Trouves) is in the Old Town at the corner of rue de la Prefecture and re de la Terrasse Terrasse, 04 97 13 44 10. If you have been the victim of a purse snatching it is worth it to check here as the thieves often just take the cash and toss the purse; if someone then finds it they would normally take it to the police and it would end up at Objets Trouves.
If your passport is stolen, go to the US Consulate at 7 avenue Gustave V, 04 93 88 89 55.
5 Easy Ways to Protect Yourself:
- While in Europe, empty your your wallet/purse of things that you don’t need to carry with you: photos, address book, agenda, unnecessary ID and cards, etc. These things are a pain in the ass to replace, and are often a worse loss than the money.
- In a sidewalk café, put one purse strap under the leg of your chair, and don’t set your wallet or phone on the table or it could get whisked away in a blink of an eye.
- In the tramway, or any crowded place, keep a hand on your wallet, and your backpack in front. These guys are good: your wallet will be gone and you’ll never even feel it.
- Don’t be fooled by the petition scam, ring scam, etc., and give gypsies a wide berth.
- If you rent a car, be sure to immediately lock your doors from the inside (opening the passenger door in parking lots and at stoplights and snatching the purse/wallet/phone is an unfortunate local specialty). See related post on this type of theft (it happened to the Mayor!) with a video.
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