What to Do If You Get Sick in Paris: Your Complete Tourist Guide to Emergencies, Doctors & Pharmacies

Are you planning a trip to Paris and wondering what to do if you get sick, injured, or have a medical emergency and need to see a doctor while you're there? 

Figuring out how to access another country's healthcare system can be challenging - especially in an emergency situation where you may feel stressed or perhaps panicked. 

But even if you just catch a bad cold that turns into possible bronchitis, injure your big toe by tripping on a cobblestone, or wake up in the middle of the night with bad indigestion after drinking too much espresso (and yes, all of these are situations I've experienced personally during my many visits to Paris), you will benefit if you already know exactly how and where to get the medical help you need instead of trying to figure it out during your moment of need. 

French medical care is excellent, easy and fast to access, and generally affordable.  As a bonus - and it's a big one if you don't speak French - in Paris, getting the help you need in English is also usually not a problem.

Here's everything you need to know, organized by the type and urgency of your medical need, starting with the most serious.

Article contents:

• What to Do for a Life-Threatening Emergency: Call 15 (or 112)
• Not Sure How Serious Your Medical Need Is?  Call 15 Anyway
• Need a Doctor?  Three Ways to Easily Get One
• For Minor Issues, Your First Stop Should Be a Paris Pharmacy
• What If You Need a Prescription?
• Paris Hospitals: Emergency Rooms and What to Expect
• Costs, Insurance, and Paperwork: What You Need to Know
• More Medical Emergency Contacts for Paris
• FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions) About Getting Medical Care in Paris

Top photo:  Paris ATM machine outside a local bank, (c) Paris Discovery Guide

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If You Have a Life-Threatening Emergency: Call 15 (or 112)

For an urgent life-or-death type situation in Paris, such as a possible heart attack, stroke, sudden-onset excruciating pain of an unknown origin, shortness of breath, severe asthma, severe injuries or trauma, or uncontrollable bleeding, call 15 from your mobile phone (or a landline, although I don't think I've seen one in France for years).

This number is the fastest way to reach SAMU (Service d'Aide Médicale Urgente), the national French healthcare center that handles emergency calls, coordinates medical and other services, and sends appropriate resources if needed.

The person answering the phone will speak English or transfer you to someone who does.  After you describe your symptoms or the situation, they provide the information to a physician who will assess the urgency.  Based on the doctor's assessment, SAMU may send help immediately. 

In the most urgent situations, the ambulance sent by SAMU may be one of their own specialized SAMU - SMUR units equipped with advanced life-saving medical devices and emergency physicians such as anesthesiologists, cardiologists, or pediatricians, depending on the situation.  You'll most likely be whisked straight to a specialized care center when you reach the hospital so that you get the type of medical expertise you need as fast as possible.

In other situations, SAMU may send an ambulance provided by a private company, or possibly the fire department.

This could be an ambulance to take you to a hospital, which SAMU will also contact to ensure that you will be admitted or they might send a doctor from SOS Médicins (more about that service in a moment) to your hotel, apartment, other location.

So if you're wondering if, as a visitor, you will have access to excellent medical emergency care in Paris if you become critically ill or suffer life-threatening injuries, the answer is "yes."

If your situation is less serious, SAMU will give you advice about what to do and where to go to get the medical care you need.  Your call (and the advice) is free.

There is also a universal European number, 112, for this type of assistance which you can use if you're outside of Paris.

My Most Important Tip for Getting Emergency Medical Care in Paris 

Don't rely on your memory to recall these numbers when you urgently need them in the midst of an emergency. 

Add these numbers for medical help to your mobile phone contacts right now:

Contact Name:  Medical Help: Paris
Phone number: 15

Contact Name:  Medical Help: Anywhere in EU
Phone number: 112

You may also want to add the numbers to report police and fire emergencies.

Not Sure How Serious Your Medical Need Is?  Call 15 Anyway

What if you're not sure how urgent or life-threatening your medical situation is?  

Call 15 to reach SAMU anyway, explain your symptoms, and let them triage your needed care and recommend what you should do.  They won't judge you for calling about a non-emergency situation!  Instead, they'll advise you about where to get the care you need.

This is a wonderful service which Parisians use all the time, because most of us are not physicians and don't necessarily know what's an emergency and what's not - much less where to get the correct type and level of care.

If your situation is an emergency, SAMU will typically send an ambulance, but if that's not necessary, they'll tell you exactly which hospital ER (emergency room) to go to based on the type of care you need and the availability to be seen quickly, and will alert the hospital that you're coming.

If instead you decide to rush to an ER on your own, the hospital may tell you when you arrive to call SAMU in order to be triaged, which means that best case, you'll have a longer wait, and worst case, they may tell you to go somewhere else - or call a doctor.

Need a Doctor?  Three Ways to Easily Get One

If SAMU advises you to see a doctor for a medical situation that's serious and needs evaluation and possibly treatment but is not the type of urgent emergency that requires an ambulance, there are several fast, easy, and affordable ways to get the help you need, starting with a wonderful service that includes doctors who will visit you.

Ask Your Hotel Reception Staff

The hotel may be able to recommend a nearby doctor for you, and even make an appointment. 

SOS Médecins Will Come to You

SOS Médecins is a private company that provides house calls to your hotel or apartment, urgent-care appointments (ie, within 12 hours or less) in one of their clinics, and teleconsultations for medical medical emergencies and needs that don't require visiting a hospital, and are available 24x365 (meaning every day of the year, including major holidays). 

If needed, SOS Médecins also offer xrays, ultrasounds, and other diagnostic and treatment services.

Call 01 47 07 77 77 to schedule the type of care you need.  If the person who answers doesn't speak English, they will connect you to someone who does.  You can see times for their first available appointments on their website.  Request an English-speaking doctor.

If you have any difficulty reaching SOS Médecins by phone, ask the staff at your hotel's reception desk for assistance.

Although you can also make an appointment on the SOS Médecins website, there's a catch: you must first register in their system - and that requires a French phone number starting with 06 or 07.  However, you can get one by loading an eSIM with data and call services for within France into your phone - Orange is a solid choice.  SOS Médicins will validate your number before allowing you to continue registering.

For anyone who's part of the French healthcare system and therefore has a carte vitale and mutuelle, these services are basically free - but that's probably not you if you're an English-speaking tours.  However, charges are affordable and currently range from about €30 - €130.  You'll see the estimated amount for the type of appointment you want when you register in their system.  You will be asked to pay the charges up front, so get receipts if you have travel or other emergency medical insurance such as TRICARE so that you can file a claim for reimbursement later.

Contact Your Travel Medical Insurance Company for a Recommendation

If you have travel insurance that includes medical coverage, they will may be able to help you find a doctor.  They will also remind you about the types of documentation you will need to provide to them later for reimbursement.

They may also be able to provide a teleconsultation with one of their doctors.

Find an English-Speaking Doctor through Doctolib and DoctorsinFrance

Doctolib is a online booking and scheduling platform for doctors, who pay a monthly subscription fee to be part of it.  For patients, it's free.

It's basically a registry of doctors, including those who are accepting new patients. 

Before you use it, you first must register, similar to SOS Médicins.  You can filter to find doctors by location and by languages that they speak - but the language filtering capabilities are not robust, so it is a good idea to check the profile for each doctor that you want to consider to see what languages they list.

Fees vary.  Those who are affiliated with public hospitals will charge no more than the amount approved at the national level by the French government.  Those who are affiliated with private hospitals may charge more (although if you're American, it's still probably likely to be far less than what you'd pay without insurance at home).

DoctorsinFrance is a similar service, and can connect you with doctors who do everything from quick online consultations for as low as €20, and up to €150 - €300 for in-person exams. 

They state that they are not affiliated with the national health system, so you'll be paying typical (for Paris) private rates.  They also provide house calls if requested.

Although both Doctorsa and DoctorsinFrance sound like useful services for anyone who is in Paris for awhile and needs non-emergency or routine care (I haven't personally used either of them, but I dug through crowd-sourcing sites and found positive comments from people who have), SOS Médecins is typically a better choice for urgent care as you'll probably be seen faster and may get lower rates. 

For Minor Issues, Your First Stop Should Be a Paris Pharmacy

Your strongest unique section. Covers: green cross identifier, what pharmacists can do (exam, temperature, recommend medications), the 1-pharmacist/1-pharmacy law and why it matters, the small back-room exam space, 24/7 pharmacy availability and how to find one, cost of medications vs. U.S. Brief note on homeopathic vs. conventional products and how to ask for what you want. Note on parapharmacies (no medications at all). One-sentence note on blue cross = veterinary, not human.

For relatively minor conditions, neighborhood pharmacies provide first-line treatment in Paris (and the rest of France) because pharmacists are trained to provide basic medical care and can take care of many routine issues.

Finding a pharmacy is easy in Paris - just look for their neon green cross signs and, of course, the word pharmacie displayed prominently.  Each pharmacy's green cross sign, typically mounted perpendicular to the building for better visibility, flashes to signal that the pharmacy is open.

Wherever you stay in Paris, you'll usually have your choice of several pharmacies within easy walking distance.  They're an essential part of Parisian life - and French medical care. 

For that reason, at least one pharmacy in each neighborhood stays open 24x7, as required by law.  If your medical need arises after regular closing hours, ask the Reception staff in your hotel (or your apartment host or rental agent) for the location of the closest one that's open.

How to Get the Help You Need at a Nearby Pharmacy

If you're visiting Paris and develop a bad blister, sprained ankle, a rash, a sore throat, urinary tract infection, possible bronchitis, fever, a relatively minor injury, sleep issues, an upset stomach, a sinus infection, eye irritation, a bad cough, seasonal allergies, a headache, or any other minor concern, go to a nearby neighborhood pharmacy and describe your problem to the pharmacist.

The pharmacist may do a minor exam, usually right at the counter although most do have a small back room for this purpose if needed. For example, they'll examine your blister or other injury, take your temperature, ask you to cough a few times, or check out your rash, and then make recommendations including any needed medications. 

They can even prescribe antibiotics (once they've confirmed that you're over 10 years old) for certain bacterial infections such as some sore throats, cystitis not accompanied by fever, or angina, after first doing simple tests to confirm the bacteria. 

In my experience, no concern is too trivial, and a timely visit to the pharmacist can avoid more serious problems.  I discovered this when I visited a pharmacy a couple of years ago to ask advice for an infected fingernail cuticle. 

After a brief exam, the pharmacist plucked a small liquid-filled bottle from a shelf, and gave me detailed instructions for soaking my finger in it.  She expressed concern about the state of the infection (it felt quite painful) and to come back for antibiotics if my finger didn't improve within 24 hours - although thankfully it did.

Do French Pharmacists Speak English?

In central Paris plus a few other areas with a lot of English speakers such as most parts of the 16th arrondissement and Montmartre in the 18th, most pharmacists speak at least basic English (or have someone on staff who does), although I've also visited pharmacies in these locations where I mostly communicated with hand gestures as my mastery of French doesn't extend to terms like "sore throat." 

It does to know at least the French word for "sick" - malade (pronounce it: mah-lawd).  Even better: use the translation tool on your phone.  And don't forget, it's always important in France to start every conversation with a greeting: Bonjour (boh-jhure.)  And leave with an equally polite: Merci, bonne journée (mare-see, bohn-jhure-nay.)

After asking you a few questions to rule out contraindications, and to confirm that you're over 10 years old, French pharmacists can test to confirm certain conditions that require antibiotics, such as a bacterial sore throat, cystitis that's not accompanied by fever, or bacterial angina, and then get you the needed antibiotics.

Where Else Besides Pharmacies Can You Buy Medications?

No where.  Unless you want basic bandaids, which you can usually find in supermarkets, you must buy everything else related to health care in pharmacies. 

2 More Things You Should Know about French Pharmacies & Pharmaceuticals

French Pharmacies Are NOT Self-Serve

French pharmacies are not self-serve for most items.  Even mild pain killers such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), or Tylenol are items you'll need to ask the pharmacist for. 

At first, I used to miss the convenience of just grabbing whatever I wanted off the shelf.  But the advantage of having to ask the pharmacist for what you want, you may get something much better than what you'd select yourself.  

I experienced this recently when I hobbled into a pharmacy with a very bad, very painful blister on my heel that I'd been ignoring for a few days (bad move, but let's don't dwell on that).  The pharmacist was busy with someone else so I found the bandaid section and picked out what I thought was the right size.

At that point, the pharmacist finished with the other customer and came over and asked me what I needed the bandages for.  When I showed him the blister, he shook his head and took the packet of bandaids from my hand, disappeared for a few minutes, and came back with an antiseptic spray and a packet of Compeed bandages, which I'd never tried before.  For a total of about €15, I got instant relief.  (Here's a link for Compeed bandages - since you'll likely to be walking a lot in Paris, I recommend buying them before your trip and them with you.)

French Pharmaceuticals Are Relatively Cheap

In my experience, antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals are relatively inexpensive in France; especially if you're from the U.S., you may feel shocked by how cheap they are. (The same is true for doctor's visits.)

Drug prices in France are regulated by the government, and typically cost much less than in the U.S.  Prices are set when the drug is first approved, and by law, cannot be increased over time.  They may vary slightly by pharmacy - but not enough to be a reason to choose one pharmacy over another.

What if the Pharmacist Can't Treat Your Condition?

If the pharmacist thinks you need to see a doctor before getting medications, they will recommend one nearby who speaks English and give you the address and contact information, or they may recommend that you call SOS Médicins.  

Either way, you'll typically be able to see a primary care/general practitioner (GP) doctor on the same day or very soon thereafter - at least, that's been my experience and I've heard the same from others.

More about French Pharmacies

In case you're wondering why Paris has so many small individually-owned pharmacies and no "big brands," it's because French law requires that each community pharmacy be owned by a licensed pharmacist, and each pharmacist can own only one pharmacy.  In other words, no chains are allowed.

Based on what I've observed, in smaller pharmacies, the pharmacist-owner will be behind the counter throughout much of the day, dispensing advice along with medications.  They will even check your blood pressure if you ask.  Perhaps needless to say, they know all of their regular customers well, often by name.

Larger pharmacies typically hire additional pharmacists and nurses as well as assistants.

French pharmacists receive training in both conventional and homeopathic approaches - in fact, France has historically been the world's largest market for homeopathic medicine per capita.  Depending on your condition, the pharmacist may suggest either a homeopathic product or a conventional pharmaceutical. 

If you have a preference, just say so directly: "Je préfère un médicament conventionnel," or in English,"something pharmaceutical, not homeopathic."  Either way, the pharmacist will accommodate your request - no judgment.  Otherwise, since you won't be familiar with French products, you may not know what you're getting - and the pharmacist can't read your mind to determine your preference.

A few pharmacies specialize in just homeopathic and botanical remedies while a few others focus primarily on adaptive devices - braces, crutches, and other items to help with recovering from physical injuries.  You can usually determine this looking at their window displays before you walk in (occasionally you may even spot an "herboliste" sign), but otherwise, as far as I'm aware, there's no way to tell as they all display the neon green cross.

What Else Can You Buy in a Parisian Pharmacy?

Self-care products such as shampoos, conditioners, basic cosmetics such as mascara (in general, Parisian women maximize their skincare but go light on makeup), perfumes, and my personal favorite reason to go into a Paris pharmacy, skin care products.  

In general, most pharmacies carry high-end brands such as La Roche Posey, Nuxe, Caudalie, Dr. Hauschka, SVR, Vichy, Avène, Darphin, CeraVe, Klorane, and Bioderma. 

Although you can also buy many of these products in parapharmacies including the parapharmacie sections in Monoprix and Citypharma (which also operates as a pharmacy due to a separate floor devoted to medications) and beauty product stores, their prices in actual pharmacies tend to be a few centimes cheaper and selections are better curated - at least for the brands I'm interested in.

Most pharmacies also have a staff member, either a pharmacist or an aesthetician, with training in skincare and deep product knowledge who can advise you about the best choices for your own skin type.

Is a Parapharmacie the Same Thing as a Pharmacie?

No.  Parapharmacies sell non-medicinal items, skincare products, makeup and other cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and herbal remedies. They are not required to be owned or staffed by pharmacists and are prohibited from filling prescriptions, selling over-the-counter medications, or medical device. 

They are also not legally allowed to display the neon green cross signs that distinguish pharmacies - although I've spotted some that use the same shade of green that pharmacies use, as though they're trying to confuse tourists (Parisians know the difference).

They may be stand-alone shops, or located within another store, such as the cosmetics/skincare sections in Monoprix. 

What If You Need a Prescription?

Here's a common scenario: during the frenzy of last-minute packing, you forget to add a needed medication to your bag - but then realize your error while you're mid-flight to Paris.  Can you just call your doctor as soon as you land and ask her to email you a copy of your prescription? 

Well, maybe, maybe not.  If you're from another EU country, then yes if the medication is available in France and has market authorization.  If you're from the U.S. or another non-EU country, then the answer is no.  To get your medication, you'll need to make an appointment with a French doctor and the doctor will need to write a new prescription, or ordonnance, for you.

No need to stress, though, because there's an easier and faster way to get your meds: you can use Doctorsa, an online service that provides access to local French doctors who will do a video call with you to discuss your needs and then send you a prescription right after your call that you can fill in a French pharmacy.

Here's how it works.  You go to the Doctorsa website, fill in basic information such as your age and location (city and country), and describe what you need.  Appointments for most types of prescriptions run about $20-40 (USD). 

After the doctor writes the prescription, they'll email it to you in a .pdf file which you can either show to a pharmacist on your phone or print it (most 3-star and higher as well as some 2-star hotels will do this for you) and take the printed copy to the pharmacy. 

I haven't personally used this service either, but as with Doctorlib and DoctorsinFrance, I found a number of positive reviews for it online.

Paris Hospitals: Emergency Rooms, Where to Find Them, and What to Expect

Paris has 38 public hospitals (including many that are teaching/research centers) as well as a number of private hospitals and institutes. 

Although you should not go to a Parisian hospital for emergency care unless SAMU tells you to and gives you the hospital's name and location, or arranges ambulance transport for you, here are some of the major public hospitals where they may send you:

• Hôpital Universitaire Pitié Salpêtrière - 47–83 Boulevard de l'Hôpital (entrance on Rue de Mazarin), 13th arr 
• Hôpital Necker - Montparnasse, 149 Rue de Sevres, 15th arr; renowned pediatrics and maternity hospital
• Hotel-Dieu Hospital - Ile de la Cite across from the plaza in front of Notre Dame, 4th arr
• Hôpital Cochin - Denfort-Rochereau neighborhood, 27 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 14th arr
• Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou - Balard neighborhood, 20 Rue Leblanc, 15th arr
• Hôpital Paris Saint-Joseph - Montparnasse, 185 Rue Raymond Losserand, 14th arr
• Hôpital Bichat - Claude-Bernard - 46 Rue Henri Huchard, 18th arr
• Hôpital Saint-Louis -  Goncourt neighborhood, 1 Avenue Claude Vellefaux, 10th arr
• Hôpital Lariboisière - Barbès neighborhood, 2 Rue Ambroise Paré, 10th arr

In addition, here are a few of Paris's private hospitals including two English-language options where you can seek care; at least one of them includes estimated fees:

• Institut Mutualiste Montsouris - Montsouris neighborhood, 42 Boulevard Jourdan, 14th arr
• Clinique Internationale Parc Monceau - 21 Rue de Chazelles, 2 blocks from the park, 17th arr
• American Hospital of Paris (English speaking) - 84 Bd de la Saussaye, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, less than 1 mile from Paris's 17th arrondissement
• Hôpital Franco-Britannique-Fondation Cognacq-Jay (English-speaking) - 2 locations in 92300 Levallois-Perret, less than 1 mile from Paris's 17th arrondissement

You can expect generally excellent medical care at all of these hospitals. 

The public hospitals will may feel rushed and impersonal, similar to top teaching/research hospitals in the U.S.; the private hospitals will feel more posh, which is part of the value-added experience that induces patients to pay the higher fees.

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Medical Care Costs, Insurance, and Paperwork: What You Need to Know

Whether you get needed medical care in Paris in a public or a private hospital, from a doctor who charges public or private rates, the cost will most likely be much lower than what you would be charged in the U.S. - but it's still not free, which is why you may want to consider getting travel medical insurance before you leave home. 

Most private insurance policies as well as Medicare and other public health insurance (other than TRICARE for active duty and retired military) do not provide overseas coverage. 

If you need emergency care in a public hospital, you'll receive care and treatment first, and then be asked for payment when you leave; private hospitals will expect you to pay upfront.  You'll pay doctors either when you book if there's a set fee, or when you leave the office.  Even with travel insurance (or TRICARE), you'll be expected to pay upfront and file for reimbursement when you return home.

So before you travel, make sure your credit card limit can accommodate the cost of unexpected medical care while you're away by paying off any unpaid balance and/or getting your credit limit increased if necessary. 

If you do need medical treatment while you're in Paris, make sure you get and retain copies of all bills, prescriptions, and receipts. 

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Where to Stay in Paris

Need to find a hotel or apartment for your stay in Paris?  Use this hotel map by Booking.com - just enter your travel dates to see available rates in all parts of the city:

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Fun Paris Activities