About ten years ago we had written in this space that “Greece is one of the safest countries in the world.” But this is not true any longer. Through a meteoric rise and a thunderous crash of the economy in the last decade, Greece has changed for the worst in this respect.
Since we have to answer questions regarding safety in Greece often, we put together some thoughts and advice based on our own travel experience. We offer this advice as a supplement to your government’s and other expert agencies’ advice. So, in addition to reading this page, you should seek advice from many sources before your travel.
Crime in Greece
About twenty years ago we had written in this space that “Greece is one of the safest countries in the world.” Regrettably, this is not true any longer.
Through a meteoric rise and a thunderous crash of the economy, Greece has changed for the worst in this respect.
To be fair, Greece is no different than any other southern European country in terms of safety, but the transformation, especially in Athens, has been dramatic.
Political violence is confound to the occasional demonstration (that can be easily avoided), and foreign visitors don’t have to worry about being targeted because of their ethnicity.
But petty crime, theft, burglaries, and robberies occur with much more frequency today than last decade, so you should exercise common sense precautions the same way you do when you visit any other European country.
It would be more appropriate to separate Athens, Patra, and Thessaloniki from the rest of Greece when we discuss safety.
Once you depart from the biggest urban centers and especially if you visit smaller islands, you’ll find that Greece is indeed a peaceful and relaxing place.
Safety in Athens
Large cities like Athens have experienced an increase in crime during recent years, and there are some areas you should avoid when you visit.
There are areas where drug use and exchange happens in the open, and unfortunately some of them are near, or even adjacent to places that tourists visit in the heart of Athens.
You can cross off your travel map the area between the School of Law and the “Spiritual Center of Athens” in Massalias street, the streets of Marni and Stournari, Iasonos street, the entire area around Omonia square, and Menandrou street.
They are well known junkie handouts where drug exchange and intravenous usage happens in broad daylight on benches, under trees, and apartment building recessed entrances. While murders and such violent crimes are still rare even in these areas, you will definitely feel uncomfortable walking around the above-mentioned streets.
You know the government has issues functioning when drug use takes place openly right next to one of the most visited sites of Athens: The National Archaeological Museum.
Tossitsa street flanks the beautiful museum with a nice (in its day) pedestrian area that has become an open air drug bazaar.
If you visit the museum avoid venturing on this side of the building. That’s the right hand side as you face the entrance of the building – the street to your left, Vasileos Irakleiou, is safe.
Unfortunately, the entrance to the Epigraphic rooms of the museum is on Tositsa street so if you have to visit this part of the museum be a little more alert.
The best way to enter the National Archaeological Museum is through the large open park in the front entrance and there is absolutely no safety concerns there, so don’t cancel your visit to this amazing collection of ancient art because of side-street concerns.
If you are staying in a hotel in the center of Athens you should be extra cautious when you come and go, especially late at night. If you have a choice, choose hotels that are close to the metro (subway).
Locking valuables in safes at the hotel is always a good idea, and it goes without saying that you should be locking the door to your room and the balcony no matter what part of the world you are in.
Car and especially motorcycle theft is rampant in Athens, so if you travel by car don’t leave valuables in plain view in your vehicle, and park in as well lit areas as possible. If you are renting a car, don’t skimp on the insurance.
Safety in Athens Metro
The Athens metro is the best way to move about in the city and violent crime is non-existent in its lines.
Pick-pockets however are another matter. Based on media reports, pickpocketing has reached epidemic proportions in the Athens metro.
Use extra caution when you stand in the crowd on the platform or in the train, and especially as you enter the car.
Most pickpockets operate in crowded platforms and cars, and especially when crowds bunch up to enter the cars. They always work in groups.
A common trick is to use one person to impede your entrance to the train. As you frantically try to find your way around them before the doors close (probably pushing yourself onto others) another accomplice relieves you of your valuables.
Remember that it’s impossible to tell who is a pick-pocket just by their appearance.
They look like ordinary people, the kind of which you would never suspect: a well dressed young lady that looks like she is going to work; an elderly man who looks like your grandpa; a mid-aged man in professional overcoat, a disabled person asking for your hand to negotiate the gap, etc.
Always place valuables in places that are hard for others to reach, preferably in front of your body.
There is no need to be paranoid at the train stations or the metro, where security is always nearby anyway, but there is no need to be naive either.
What You Can Do to Stay Safe From Pickpockets
There are some simple things you can do to minimize chances of being a pick-pocketing victim. For starters, be extra alert when you are in crowds, and keep your valuables away from view.
Opt to keep your money in a secure place rather than a convenient one.
Remember that if your money is in a convenient place for you, it is in a convenient place for a pickpocket as well.
There are plenty money and passport pouches
When we travel to Greece, we use this kind of money belt
In addition to hiding your valuables, be alert to who is around you and who is likely to enter the same door as you are.
A nice trick we like is to casually approach the platform as the train slows down and people begin to bunch up to a spot they anticipate the closest train door will stop. But as soon as the doors open, we hurry to the next one.
The thinking is that potential pickpockets who might have targeted us will not rush to follow us from fear of drawing attention to themselves.
Walking around town
Walking is generally a healthy activity unless it takes place in a large Greek city like Athens where traffic is heavy.
In Greece there seem to be no laws giving pedestrians the right of way, and if they exist, they are completely ignored by vehicles.
Greek pedestrians are aware of this fact, and don’t expect a driver to give way. Consequently, drivers don’t expect someone popping up in front of them at a crosswalk.
This can be dangerous for tourists who are accustomed to vehicles slowing down and stopping when pedestrians cross the street.
Oddly enough, pedestrians are not safe even on roads closed to vehicles.
This is because many Greek motorcycle riders (mostly), and vehicles of all sizes, use the pedestrian streets as comfortable shortcuts to get to their destination faster.
Women traveling alone should have no special problems, although they might be the object of desire for the Greek “kamakis” (men who spend their days courting foreign tourists with the goal of developing a fleeting relationship) who can be insistent, but are generally polite.
Driving around Greece
Commanding a vehicle on Greek roads can be one of the most hazardous activities a visitor can engage in.
Driving in the new highways is fairly safe, but in order to experience real Greece one must venture into the less traveled roads where the behavior of other Greek drivers, unexpected road conditions, insufficient signs, and stray animals of all kinds combine to transform a visitor’s driving experience into a nightmare.
We can’t emphasize enough that you must exercise much caution when behind the wheel in Greece.
Read more information in our Driving in Greece, and Driving in Athens pages.
Riding a motorcycle in Greece
The beauty of the Greek landscape, the hot summer climate, and the scenic roads make a motorcycle the perfect vehicle for getting around in Greece.
It is also a favorite transportation mode of many Greeks who take advantage of the small dimensions of a motorcycle in order to drive through places where a car could not fit — including driving between other fast moving cars at high speeds.
The good news is that most car drivers in Greece are always aware of the presence of the ubiquitous motorcycles, and they have learned to expect them in unusual places such as a mirror’s blinds spot.
In this sense it is fairly safe to drive a motorcycle in Greece, although the road condition in rural landscape can present many challenges for motorcyclists.
Rent-a-motorbike shops are present in every town in Greece, and many tourists find in motorbikes and mopeds the ideal mode of transportation.
With reasonable precautions, they can be the perfect vehicle for small towns and islands.
Riding a Bicycle in Greece
The mountainous terrain of Greece can be a formidable challenge for bicyclists.
You should take extra precautions if you plan to ride a bike around Greece since the roads are not very accommodating, and the drivers of other vehicles are not accustomed to sharing the road with such light vehicles.
Other Safety Concerns
Swimming in Greece is an activity that one performs at one’s own risk.
Few beaches have a lifeguard on duty, or first aid facilities nearby.
The best beaches are a bit out of the way, so pay extra attention to the wind, the wave height, and the sea currents when you swim.
In general, pay attention to what the locals are doing. They probably know the waters well, and they know when to swim, when to stay near the shore, and when not to worry. Common sense is usually the best advisor at a remote, unfamiliar beach.
Be extra alert when swimming near a rocky shore. A perfectly calm sea can change without warning with sudden swells if a large ferry passes offshore. They can can easily toss you upon the sharp rocks.
Swimming with company is always a good idea, and always be on the lookout for boats sailing nearby.
Small leisure boats near the shore are not only a nuisance for swimmers, but also very dangerous. Greek captains of small power boats, water taxis, small ferries, and vessels of all kinds tend to wander dangerously near even the busiest beaches with seaming disregard for the swimmers.
From our experience, amazingly enough, small boats expect the bathers to get out of their way. Not every boat driver acts this way of course, but in Greece enough do, so they establish a norm.
Some beaches have a little wood dock which could be a sign that small boats dock there. In some places for some strange reason the dock is built right in the middle of a beach that hosts thousands of bathers. To make matters worst, often buoys seem to be very ambiguous for the bathers and don’t provide enough information in regards to safe areas for swimming.
The Heat
Greece can get very hot during the summer. It is not uncommon for the thermometer to hover around 40° C for days, and to even reach 45° (about 112° F) often.
You will certainly experience such heat waves that last a few days if you visit Greece in June, July, and August.
Planning outdoor activities like hiking or visiting open air archaeological sites during heat waves can be dangerous.
Children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to such high temperatures, but even adults in good health can be affected. Heat stroke is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention. Learn more about heat-related illness from the CDC.
During days when heat waves settle over the land, it is essential to limit outdoor activities and to drink plenty of water and postpone all outdoor hiking activities.
Going to the beach provides a relief when the temperature reaches such heights, but a parasol is essential protection from the direct sun rays between 10am and 5pm.
When the thermometer reaches dangerous levels, the government issues warnings and makes available all air conditioned public building to everyone for relief.
Emergencies
In the unlikely event that you become the victim of crime, contact the Police by dialing 100.
In case of a health emergency visit the nearest Hospital or Health Center, or dial 166.
More information on health and emergencies may be found in our Know Before You Go page.
General Safety Advice for Travelers
- Use common sense. Go out with other friends and not alone whenever possible
- Don’t wear expensive jewelry
- Drink bottled water
- Alcohol: don’t drink and if you do, drink less than you would be drinking back home. Don’t find yourself impaired at any time. At a bar, café, or club, always be aware where your drink is and make sure no one tampers with it. Don’t drink hard liquor.
- Heat stroke/dehydration: Always keep a water bottle with you. Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. In archaeological sites bring two small bottles of water or one large one. They are not always available on site.
- Swimming: Don’t swim alone or in areas where locals don’t frequent. There might be hidden dangers such as currents or contaminants.
- Traffic: Be alert when on foot. Drivers in Greece don’t respect pedestrians, and they don’t stop for crosswalks. Be aware even when you cross with green light. Greek drivers are notorious for being aggressive behind the wheel and expect pedestrians to get out of their way.
- Use a money belt to keep money and passports hidden from view,
[#ad] and be aware of pickpockets, especially in crowded places (tourist attractions, subways, buses, street performances, or when someone asks you for something/money/light/directions, etc).
- Always let at least two people know where you are going to be when you are out by yourself. Take a cell phone along with you at all times and make sure it’s charged.
- Avoid demonstrations and political discussions with, or around locals.
- In airplanes, hotels, boats, and other buildings, be aware of the nearest exit and safety procedures.
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