Terrified American model reveals nightmare of being stuck in France during riots… trains going backwards and chaos that has made Paris so terrifying she’s sticking to villages instead

DAILYMAIL.COM • 56m ago

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER 21:56 19 Oct 2026, updated 22:43 19 Oct 2026

France is the most visited country in the world, but right now, it is riddled with dangerous riots that have left tourists with no choice but to hunker down.

Ashley Wynn, an American model and influencer, was looking forward to her time in the City of Love, but her journey left her rattled and confined to the village where her rental is.

The Tampa native was on her way to Paris from Barcelona on Friday when the train suddenly stopped for hours before speeding backwards because rogue vandals had cut the lines, she told the Daily Mail.

Wynn, 35, and other passengers were stuck for about three hours before the train suddenly moved in the other direction.

‘We noticed that we had gone backwards for about 30 minutes after that, and then we started going forwards again, and then we were told over the speaker that an act of vandalism had occurred where the lines to the train had been cut and that we had to get on a different track.’

But the terror didn’t stop there because, according to Wynn, the suspected vandals also tried to hack into the train system.

‘It could have caused a collision with another train, it could have caused us to derail. It was an act of very serious danger towards people.

‘I know that they say that their goal is to disrupt government systems so that the government has to bend to the issue, but causing a situation where we’re now collateral, and we’re in danger, and essentially could be put in a situation where we’re now on a runaway train, was very intense,’ she stated.

Wynn instantly felt a sense of panic, stating that as an American, the first thing that came to her mind was that this could have been an act of terrorism.

At the same time, nearly everyone onboard came together to obtain as much information as possible about what they were about to walk into once they finally arrived in Paris at 3am Saturday and were taxied to their final destinations.

And now that she’s made it to France, Wynn hasn’t been able to truly explore because danger looms over the area.

Nationwide unrest has broken out across major cities as demonstrators protest the cost of living, President Emmanuel Macron’s government, and education standards for students.

But at the same time, people have decided to use the moment to loot and destroy businesses and cause unsafe conditions for locals and tourists alike.

Wynn had planned to go to the famous Louvre Museum on Monday, but she is instead staying put in Batignolles, a neighborhood in northern Paris.

‘I thought I could go to a museum, and I saw a video on TikTok that they have barricaded the Louvre. That’s happening this morning, on a Monday morning, so it has not calmed down,’ Wynn said.

She added: ‘Given that, I am in the Batignolles neighborhood, I cannot leave this neighborhood. After everything that happened on the train, things just got worse for the whole town. The 17th was incredibly dangerous.’

Wynn said she moved up her trip a day after hearing that there were scheduled demonstrations in the area on Saturday.

As non-violent protestors entered the village, Wynn said she could hear the chaos downtown.

‘There was smoke, clouds, there was noise, there were constant sirens all day. And then yesterday, it was about half of that, but it was still too active to go out,’ she stated.

Wynn sent an urgent warning to anyone who might have a trip to France coming up.

‘You can’t have a vacation here right now… I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. I support the issues that they have so far, such as the cost of living and the quality of schools, like America’s having the same issues, but I don’t support the violence. I don’t support using people as collateral. I don’t support them destroying local stores. That’s not a means to an end.’

Although she can’t venture out like she hoped she could, Wynn said she is just grateful that she is safe, and hopes that the chaos settles soon.

‘I wanted to see certain landmarks and museums and do some early holiday shopping in places that are only unique to Paris, but I am making the most of getting to live as a local in this neighborhood.

‘It feels inappropriate as an influencer and model to post tourist and aspirational vacation images during a time in the city, and its people are reeling through a hard time.’

After raiding name-brand shops and local businesses, looters have gone on to list the stolen items on the resale website Vinted. The adverts also make it clear that the items were snatched during the riots.

France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted on Monday that police ‘lost control’ in some cities during violent protests.

A curfew has since been enforced from 8pm to 4am (GMT) in Paris on Place de la République and in the streets around Les Halles.

The Paris police prefecture said the partial curfew would be in effect in several other neighbourhoods of the French capital.

Elsewhere, curfews are in place in the cities of Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain in northern France.

Several governments, including America, have warned their residents to avoid France as the unrest continues.

Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Nordic nations have done the same.

Italy advised its citizens to register their presence in France on a website so they can be located, while other countries warned against visiting areas where demonstrations are taking place.

The US State Department has issued a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory because of the chaos.

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