- Abortion legal status
- Legal
- Emergency contraception
- Without a prescription
- Emergency number
- 112
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: npr.org, francetravelblog.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- The 3919 national helpline is not an emergency number — for immediate danger, call 17 (police/gendarmerie) or 112.
- The closest full sexual-health/family-planning centre and the only 24/7 gynecological emergency department for the Biarritz area are both located in neighboring Bayonne, roughly a 15–20 minute drive away, not in Biarritz itself.
- Any pharmacy in Biarritz can dispense emergency contraception over the counter without a prescription — no appointment needed.
- The 3919 line's website added an online chat option in 2026 aimed partly at French women living/traveling abroad who find phone calls difficult.
- France's abortion limit is 14 weeks of pregnancy (16 weeks since last period) for surgical abortion, and up to 9 weeks amenorrhea for the medication method — plan timing accordingly if this applies to you while traveling.
- If you're not enrolled in the French social security system, abortion care won't be automatically free — call ahead to a clinic or GP to confirm what you'd be charged as a visitor.
- Biarritz has several gynecology practices in town for check-ups and consultations, but for hospital-level obstetric or surgical procedures, the closest full-service hospital is in nearby Bayonne.
- Booking platforms like Doctolib are the standard way locals book gynecologist appointments in Biarritz and are useful for nomads too.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment Is a Recognized National Problem
France passed a national law in 2018 making street harassment, including catcalling and following or pestering women in public, a fineable offense, with on-the-spot fines that can run from EUR 90 (about US$98) up to EUR 750 (about US$816) for repeat offenders up to EUR 3,000 (about US$3,263). This is a country-wide legal protection rather than something specific to Biarritz, but it applies here as it does anywhere in France.
Walking Alone at Night
A Biarritz-focused travel safety guide advises against walking alone through empty or poorly lit streets at night, noting that most visitors stick to walking the pedestrianized center, beachfront, and shopping streets during the day without issue. The same source describes Biarritz as generally comfortable for solo women travelers but recommends caution around unfamiliar strangers after dark. This advice comes from a single travel-guide source rather than an official safety body, so treat it as general caution rather than a documented crime hotspot warning.
Petty Crime and Valuables
The same Biarritz safety guide notes that street crime is not common in the town, but it still advises keeping an eye on passports, credit cards, and other valuables, and carrying bags across the body rather than on one shoulder, particularly in busier tourist areas. This is a general precaution against pickpocketing rather than evidence of violent crime risk.
Public Transport Harassment (Country-level Context)
National surveys cited by French media found that a large majority of French women report having experienced some form of harassment, such as catcalling or unwanted comments, while using public transport such as buses, trains, or the metro, and that many women change their routines (clothing choices or avoiding certain hours) as a result. This data reflects France as a whole rather than Biarritz specifically, and Biarritz is a small town without a metro system, so the scale of the issue is likely to look different here than in a large city, but it's useful context for women using regional buses or trains to and from Biarritz.
Abortion Law
- Country
- France
- Legal Summary
- Abortion (IVG - Interruption Volontaire de Grossesse) is legal on request in France and has been decriminalized since the 1975 Veil Law. In March 2024, France became the first country to enshrine the freedom to abortion in its constitution.
- Regulatory Status
- Fully legal and regulated
Access Routes
- Minors
- Minors under 18 have the right to an abortion without parental consent, though a counselling appointment is mandatory for them.
- Process
- Two appointments are generally involved: an initial information/counselling appointment and a confirmation appointment where written consent is given; the mandatory one-week reflection period has been abolished.
- Telemedicine
- Early medical abortion can be carried out via remote consultation under the law.
- Cost To Patient
- Abortion care is fully reimbursed by French social security (Assurance Maladie) for those enrolled in the French system; travelers/nomads without French health coverage should expect to pay out of pocket and should confirm costs directly with a provider, as public pricing data for non-insured patients was not found.
- Who Can Perform
- Abortions can be performed by a physician or, since a 2022 law expansion, by a trained midwife; midwives can now also perform surgical/instrumental abortions in health facilities.
Abortion Time Limits
- Surgical Abortion
- Legal up to the end of the 14th week of pregnancy (16 weeks from the last menstrual period / amenorrhea).
- Medication Abortion
- Legal up to 9 weeks of amenorrhea (7 weeks of pregnancy since conception).
OB-GYN Options Biarritz
- Note On Hospital Level Care
- Biarritz itself does not have a large public maternity/surgical hospital; the nearest full-service hospital handling maternity care and surgical abortion procedures is Centre Hospitalier de la Côte Basque in Bayonne, roughly a 15-20 minute drive from central Biarritz.
Named Clinic
- Name
- GYN & SENS - Centre Gynécologique et Obstétrique
- Type
- Multi-practitioner gynecology and obstetrics medical practice (cabinet médical), bookable via Doctolib
- Address
- 3 Avenue Jaulerry, 64200 Biarritz
Other Individual Practices
Gynécologue Obstétricien(ne), Independent Practice
- Address
- 21 Rue de l'Estagnas, 64200 Biarritz
- Billing Note
- Listed as "Conventionné Secteur 2" (partially covered by French social security, with balance billed at the doctor's discretion)
Gynécologue Obstétricien(ne), Independent Practice
- Address
- 3 Boulevard de Cascais, 64200 Biarritz
- Billing Note
- Listed as "Conventionné Secteur 2"
Local Services
Urgences Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Centre Hospitalier De La Côte Basque (CHCB)
- Phone
- 05 59 44 38 13
- Location
- Bayonne (Site Saint-Léon) — the public hospital serving the Biarritz/Côte Basque area
- Description
- 24/7 gynecological/obstetric emergency department; the after-hours fallback for sexual assault-related medical care, forensic exam, and emergency contraception for the whole Biarritz–Bayonne–Anglet conurbation.
- Proximity Note
- Located in neighbouring Bayonne, roughly a 15–20 minute drive/bus from central Biarritz — there is no equivalent 24/7 hospital gynecology unit inside Biarritz itself.
05 59 44 40 94
- Name
- Centre de Santé Sexuelle (formerly Centre de Planification et d'Éducation Familiale), CHCB
- Description
- Free, confidential consultations covering contraception, emergency contraception, gynecological follow-up, pregnancy testing, and post-assault support; staff are bound by medical secrecy.
- Proximity Note
- Same Bayonne site as above.
Emergency Numbers
17
- Description
- Police / Gendarmerie — for immediate danger. Free, 24/7.
112
- Description
- EU-wide emergency number, free, 24/7, works on mobile even without a local SIM.
114
- Description
- SMS-accessible emergency number for people who cannot make a voice call, 24/7.
National Hotlines
3919 – Violences Femmes Info
- Number
- 3919
- Hours
- Free and anonymous, and as of the 2021 government reform is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Notes
- Run by the Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes.
- Description
- France's national reference helpline for women experiencing any form of violence (domestic, sexual, psychological). Not an emergency line itself.
SOS Viols Femmes Informations
- Number
- 0 800 05 95 95
- Hours
- Free, anonymous and confidential, Monday–Friday, 10:00–19:00 (Paris time).
- Description
- National helpline specifically for women who have experienced rape or sexual assault, run by the Collectif Féministe Contre le Viol (CFCV).
Arrêtons Les Violences (Online Reporting/chat)
- Hours
- 24/7 online chat.
- Description
- Official government platform to report sexual or gender-based violence anonymously online and chat with trained police/gendarmerie officers, available to victims, witnesses, and expatriates/foreigners.
Contraception Access
- Female Methods Available
- Pill, IUD, implant and emergency contraception are all available in France by medical prescription (doctor, gynecologist, midwife) or, for emergency contraception, directly over the counter at pharmacies.
Family Planning Center
- Phone
- 05 59 44 40 94
- Name
- Centre de Santé Sexuelle du CHCB (Bayonne)
- Services
- Free medical consultations for prescribing or dispensing contraception (including emergency contraception), preventive gynecological follow-up, and pregnancy testing.
- Note
- This is the nearest public planning-familial style centre for Biarritz residents; it is sited in Bayonne, not Biarritz proper.
Emergency Contraception
- Cost
- €0.00
- How To Get It
- Emergency contraception ('la pilule du lendemain') can be obtained without a prescription directly from any pharmacy in Biarritz.
- After Hours Fallback
- If pharmacies are closed, the CHCB's 24/7 gynecology emergency unit in Bayonn (05 59 44 38 13) can provide emergency contraception.
Standard Methods Pill IUD Implant
- Access Route
- Prescription needed (doctor, midwife, or gynecologist); can be obtained through the Centre de Santé Sexuelle in Bayonne or any private GP/gynecologist/pharmacy in Biarritz.
- Cost Note
- Consultation and method costs are largely covered by French national health insurance (Assurance Maladie) for enrolled residents; short-term visitors without French social security coverage should expect to pay privately for the consultation and device/prescription out of pocket. We could not confirm a reliable current out-of-pocket price specific to Biarritz for non-residents, so no figure is given here.
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Biarritz
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.