Athens is also a very safe city at night, but try to avoid the Exarchia and Omonia neighborhoods at night, and be cautious in Monastiraki Square and the green metro line. Is Athens safe for travelers? Some protests get pretty rowdy, withattacks against policeand damage to property. Obviously, safety is a very personal thing and it is often a lot more complex than just a simple yes/no answer. Most visitors will choose to stay in one of just a handful of areas. You can do that here: Welcome Taxis. When cab drivers see that you are a tourist, they may make up a price on the spot, drive without turning on the meter, take you on a roundabout route around town, or give a heavily inflated quote. These are listed below. This entire blog is dedicated to promoting Greece so by no means is it implied that crime is a Greek condition. Check out more advice on traveling to Greece here Greece travel tips for first time visitors. 10160 Athens, Greece Telephone: +(30)(210) 721-2951 Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +30 210 729-4444 or +30 210 729-4301 . Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Rest assured, you are in good hands here. Visitors should be alert when walking around popular monuments and on public transport just like in any other big city. COVID-19 Update | The Official Athens Guide - This is Athens Greece hasone of the highest rates of road accidents for any European city, and safety measures like seatbelts and bike helmets are regularly ignored. Again, not unsafe, but just to be aware of. Is anyone there now that can advise? Try to avoid staying in Monastiraki square, Omonia, or Exarchia if you can as these areas are not ideal for walking back to your hotel at night. Thanks for understanding. On top of that, the the Greeks are, at heart, a very warm and friendly people, even if many of the men you meet in Athens will probably come on a bit too strong. COVID-19 Information - U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Greece Report inappropriate content 11-20 of 39 replies Sorted by World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. Athens Travel Guide | U.S. News Travel Athens Tourism Athens Hotels Athens Bed and Breakfast Athens Vacation Rentals Flights to Athens Athens Restaurants Things to Do in Athens The crime rate is extremely low, and you will feel safe as long as you follow common sense precautions. Perhaps one area where heightened awareness is definitely recommended is when it comes to driving in Greece. Scams differ from petty theft such as pick pocketing, as they often rely on personal interaction in order to carry out the con. It's not completely crazy to wonder, "Is Athens safe?". It has not been written by someone who simply passed through just once. What I would suggest though, is checking out a couple of Facebook groups. But, if. As a tourist, the main thing you should be aware of is petty theft/pickpocketing, although there is plenty of guidance to help you avoid being a victim of such things in this article. More importantly, it doesnt cost you anything extra. Is Athens safe for solo female travelers? } Somebody posts that they've lost their wallet to a pickpocket or they've seen some homeless people, and all of a sudden Athens is unsafe. Is Athens Safe? Athens Safety Tips for 2023 - Travelling Jezebel Petty crime, such as pickpocketing, is the most common type of crime. The general answer is yes. (You can download the Uber app and it will connect you with a driver but they are only licensed yellow cabs). Perhaps it's because of this. This is perhaps because I am always hyper-vigilant and aware of my surroundings and you should be too. The 9 Best Tavernas In Santorini For Your Hit Of Greek Take out a travel insurance policy. (This entire website is written by a solo female traveller based in Greece).Violent crime in Greece is very rare and most people that you will encounter are warm, friendly, and hospitable. You dont have to trawl through all of the reviews but generally speaking, if somewhere has an average overall rating of 4 stars, you know its pretty decent. As with all cities in the world, there are two sides to Athens. In fact, the Greek capital has risen to become something of a hub for digital nomad workers in the post-pandemic age remote-worker destination aggregator NomadList ranks it as the 44th most popular destination out of 318 in Europe! "acceptedAnswer": { Athens is one of the world's safest cities. Thats it. Mine was not an isolated incident either, the metro staff know this happens regularly and are quite casual about it. Is this area safe at night? If not, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! For a better frame of reference, we can compare Athens safety ratings to other global cities. Is Daytime Use of Metro Safe for Tourists? - Athens Forum Be mindful but not on edge. For instance, cape Sounion, Delphi, or Nafplio. Eventually, you put your phone down on the table to talk to the person you are with (depends how interesting Instagram is I suppose!). Is Athens dangerous? Travelers brought31.8 billion eurosinto the Greek economy in 2019 and the powers that be are constantly looking to push that number up. Again, it only connects you with authorised local yellow taxis but it confirms the route and the price before you get in the vehicle. On the first day of my trip to Greece I lost everything by thieves at the Larissa train station in Athens. Scams against tourists are relatively common in Athens. Theyre among the sort of petty crime thats most likely to have a negative impact on your trip. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. They are often overly friendly and offer to show you a magic trick or offer you a friendship bracelet and then demand money. I feel much safer in China than in Greece.) In the summer, the southern suburbs of Athens fill up with locals and tourists relaxing on the amazing beaches. The law of averages suggests the longer you live, the more things are likely to happen to you at some point I guess. Taxi BEAT is the best local taxi app to use. It offers a high quality of life, good cost-of-living to earnings ratios, and that enthralling cultural side. Athens has a safety rating of 44.34 which is pretty good for a large city that is home to 3.15 million people. }] Most people are not out to scam tourists in Athens because tourism is so important for the Greek economy. Check my local's guide to taking the Athens metro for some insights. We had Uber in Athens up until around 2018 but it was short-lived. You mentioned to avoid the green line at night. A selection of reputable Athens tours is detailed below for your consideration. It is not uncommon to see drivers that do not wear seatbelts or motorcycle riders without helmets. So how true are the negative stories about Athens? Is Athens dangerous? Do you still have any questions or concerns about safety in Athens, Greece? Most visits are trouble-free, but the theft of passports and wallets are common on the metro and in crowded tourist sights. The stats bear it out, too. The number of people who go on vacation without travel insurance is staggering, and they only have themselves to blame when something valuable goes missing. Plenty of people move or travel to Greece by themselves. the Acropolis or a market), pay attention to people around you. Walking around Athens is very safe. You might now be worried that Athens is too safe, and you won't have an exciting story to share. Athens is considered a very safe destination to visit with a low crime rate. Is It Safe to Vacation in Greece? | USA Today But there is some common sense travel safety that you should practice when you travel anywhere, and Athens is no exception. "name": "What tourist scams in Athens are there? Thats pretty good, and its true that Athens isnt a popular spot for expats for nothing. The nightlife hub of Exarcheia might also sound tempting for those on the hunt for rock bars and alt nightclubs, but its not the place to flash expensive phones. Each city is awarded a safety rating from 0 to 100 where 0 feels very safe and 100 feels dangerous. Similarly, each city is given a crime rating from 0 to 100 where 0 means there is no crime, and 100 means that crime is a major concern. It does not store any personal data. Let's put things into perspective. Its cheap and its usually super-cold from the fridge (a gift in the hot Greek summer sun). It offers a wonderful blend of old meets new with its world-famous archaeological sites, contemporary museums, a varied nightlife scene, incredible Athenian restaurants, and modern city living. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Its held in a different neighborhood each day, so just find out where that dayslaikiis, then avoid it! My personal experience is having been pickpocketed twice - almost three times within 2 days which caused my entire trip to be a living hell. Althoughprostitution has been legal in Athens since 2010, there are still many illicit brothels (usually advertised as studios) throughout the city. Im staying in Athens for 4 months and Im a little worried because my house will be near Kato Patissia metro station and Im going to work near Ano Patissia metro station. I always struggle to answer this question when asked, because I honestly don't know what the question means. It is also a good idea to check your countrys government travel advice before travelling to a new place. These travel tips will help you avoid scams, let you know which areas to avoid at night, and inform you as to different scenarios where you should pay extra attention. Locals are accustomed to seeing foreigners explore alone so rest assured you wont get weird looks, comments, or be hassled for going solo. They include: (And heres the hack) At the end of a metro trip, put on some obvious headphones. The 7 Best Luxury Vacation Spots for Couples. Is Athens Safe to Visit? A Local's 2023 Guide - High Heels & a Backpack After a brief conversation, you tell the person you are not interested and they take the piece of paper away and wander off. Don't be. Short answer: Yes, Athens is safe. The same website states, due to several cases of pickpocketing inside the Metro system [] you are advised to be constantly aware of your belongings and your pockets, especially in central stations and inside trains.. Theres plenty thatmakes Athens worth visiting: Its relatively cheap among European capitals, the food is delicious, and the history is awe-inspiring. Metaxourgio Athens was once a thriving industrial district of Athens but once a lot of the factories and warehouses in the area started to close down, it became a bit of a no-go zone that saw a lot of crime, drug dealing, and solicitation. Choose a blog page for more travel inspiration and practical tips and insights: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The official answer is yes, anda 2011 reportpresented to the International Conference for Environmental Science found that the finished water meets the existing sanitary regulations in EEC countries. However, well aware that figures in official reports can be changed with a fewfakelakibribes, most Athenians are wary. Based on homicides alone, the question shouldn't be is Greece safe, but HOW is Greece SO safe! Best Flower Captions For Instagram Theyre Blooming Good! Ultimate Greek Capital Safety Guide. A comprehensive safety guide Published by:Bounce8 February, 2023 Athens is the Greek capital and also its biggest city. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. You then talk to your companion about how irritating it was, and then a couple of minutes later realise that the person (who is no longer to be seen) has taken your phone. They include the Plaka, the most touristy part of the capital that resembles the look and feel of a traditional Greek village, and Monastiraki, a bustling metro interchange thats got good walking access to the old sights and the new town. We are planning a trip to Athens next year (2020) and had heard all kinds of stories about safety. Personally, I've seen this about to happen only once, and managed to step in between the pickpocket and the tourist before anything happened. Since the Parthenon sits on the opposite hill, you can get great photos of the Acropolis from up here, and the spot is perfect for watching the sunset. "text": "Serious crimes such as gun crimes are extremely rare in Athens. Short answer: Absolutely! "@type": "Question", Travelling across Athens by cab is very cheap. Is Athens safe for tourists right now? - Athens Forum How long can you stay? Its true that Athens is not as safe as other big countries but all you have to do, is to be a little more aware of your . Forest fires are common, especially during the dry summer months, . Koukaki and Makrygianni sit in the shadow of the Acropolis, however, they are more low-key and peaceful. Backpacks and money belts like those offered by Pacsafe boast safety factors that other backpacks simply do not have. Violent crime is very low across Greece on the whole and things like homicides, assaults, or property/vehicle break-ins are uncommon. Greece is one of the safest countries in the world. Only ever use licensed, metered taxis, and double-check the route using a map app on your phone. A lot of this is common sense and is good practice wherever in the world you travel, but it is worth reiterating here . That said, those looking to buy property, sort residency visas, and other official things should be wary of the bureaucracy and corruption thats rife in the Greek system (more on that later).

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