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How safe is Greece for travelers? Rebecca Hall, a solo traveler who has lived in Greece since 2008, shares her tips on the ever-changing safety situation.
Photo © Getty Images/George Pachantouris
Travelers and crime in Greece
Since 2015, Greece has experienced a financial crisis and, due to its geographical position, shouldered the majority of people involved in Europe’s refugee crisis. This had led to many Greeks blaming "foreigners" for pickpocketing and petty crime in the country. Crime gangs tend to be attracted to the easy pickings of tourist destinations.
You can avoid becoming a victim of petty crime by not looking obviously like a tourist. Don’t hang a large camera off your shoulder or constantly look at your phone. Walk with purpose and as if you know where you are going. If you need to check directions, sit at a café, don’t stand in the middle of the street.
- Always keep your belongings in sight, and avoid putting your wallet, money or phone in your back pocket
- Be especially alert for pickpockets in the large cities
- The potential for pickpocketing is high on public transport. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your valuables while waiting at the airport, cruise terminals, major bus and train stations, and the port of Piraeus
- To mitigate issues with theft, consider using a decoy wallet so if it does get lifted, thieves won't get the money and cards you have hidden. Spread out any cash and cards over your body and invest in a money belt worn under your clothing. There is also excellent anti-theft travel clothing with secret pockets where you can hide your valuables
- Keep your bags locked at the hostel, and expensive items locked in a safe.
The nightlife scene is safe in Greece, however, you should always drink responsibly and keep your wits about you. Owing to its warm climate most of the year, Greeks tend to mix outdoors in village squares filled with tables and cafés and whole families congregating. It’s a very inclusive café society. If sitting outside at night, be sure to keep an eye on your belongings.
Protests and civil unrest in Greece
The financial crisis in 2008 meant many Greeks saw their income and pensions significantly reduced after restrictions were imposed on the country by the E.U.
Greeks have not been known to sit down and take adversity lightly, hence demonstrations – mainly peaceful – would take place outside Parliament in Syntagma Square in Athens and in cities such as Thessaloniki.
In the unlikely event you find yourself in the midst of a demonstration or protest that you feel might turn ugly, pop into a café and wait it out. The owners usually shut up shop until it’s all over and safe for you to leave.
Common travel scams in Greece
Be alert when using crowded public transport
During peak hour while squashed together on public transport, it’s common for someone to bump into you, and while you are distracted or looking the other way, the person apologizes and their accomplice opens your bag (even if it’s close to your body) and steals from you.
It happened to me on the Metro in Athens on a busy night – but I tend to only carry a card and small amounts of cash. And in 12 years of living in Greece, it’s only happened once.
The nun scam
Beware of the little old lady dressed as a nun who will want to give you a cross – she’s not a nun and will swipe your belongings while you’re distracted. If you are approached, just be very firm and outrightly say ‘no’ as they walk towards you, no matter how insistent they may be.
The café scam
Do not put phones, cameras or wallets on a table while having something to eat or drink. There is a scam, usually involving young children, who will approach you with a map for you to look at while they either ask for directions, tell you about places you should visit, or hold up a sign written in English begging for money. The sign or map is held above your phone and while you are distracted, their accomplice takes your valuables.
Also, never soften if a woman approaches you with a baby – it is particularly common for women to operate this scam.
Taxi scams in Greece
Beware of being charged too much when traveling to and from the airport or port. There are taxi ranks at both places, and they charge a standard fare to travel to the center of Athens. There are signs in the taxi stipulating the charge rates, and drivers are not allowed to go over these rates.
Another scam occurs when you hand over the cash, and drivers have been known to switch higher denomination notes with smaller ones, suggesting you paid less than you did. So, always count out your money when paying the driver.
Alternatively, download the Beat app before you travel and use it to book ride-share taxis in Greece. Just like UBER, (which is banned in Greece), you can add your credit card details and book a car in the same way. It’s much more reliable and with the option to Rate Your Driver, drivers have been known to increase their level of customer service.
Natural hazards in Greece
Earthquakes
Greece sits on the Eurasian and Aegean Sea Plates, and tremors can occur, especially in the Ionian islands and down in Crete. Some tremors are little, and can often be mistaken for a large truck rumbling past.
However, large earthquakes have caused widespread damage in the past. In September 1999, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred near Mount Parnitha, a mountain range north of Athens. The earthquake caused more than US $3 billion of damage, 143 lives were lost, and 1,600 people were treated for injuries.
In the unlikely event of a larger earthquake occurring during your visit, follow the instructions of your hotel staff, who will offer earthquake safety advice, and keep an eye on local news for updates.
Air pollution
Athens can be notorious for air pollution. However, authorities in Athens have pledged to ban the use of diesel vehicles in the capital area by 2025 and inroads have been made to improve this in the summer of 2020 by pedestrianizing much of the city center.
Asthmatics or travelers with respiratory illnesses should avoid Athens in July and August, the worst months for pollution. If you find yourself in Athens on any heavily polluted day, stay indoors as much as possible. Make sure you pack the medications you need to make breathing easier while traveling.
Beach safety
Take care when swimming. Don't get too close to the rocky outcrops and cliff faces, as waves can smash you against the rocks, and the barnacles and oysters attached to them are razor-sharp.
Very few beaches have a lifeguard on duty, so swim within your capabilities. If you're not sure if a beach is safe for swimming, ask a local.
Watch out for small craft and motorboats near to shore. Not all, but some, skippers seem to believe it's the responsibility of the swimmer to get out of the way of their boat. Don't argue the point – a spinning propeller will win every time.
Motor scooter safety in Greece
Hiring a motor scooter is a great way to get around on the islands. However, dusty, narrow, winding, poorly-lit roads are not the place to learn to ride.
Inexperienced riders are often involved in accidents and rarely wear proper protective clothing. If you do plan to hire a scooter, you will need a valid driver's license and you must wear a helmet.
Quad bikes are particularly dangerous. Their center of gravity is different from a two-wheeled bike, and can easily throw the rider off at a sharp turn. It's quite common for the quad bike to then run over the rider, or tip over and trap the rider underneath. Be extra careful if you do choose to enjoy either of these activities and check your travel insurance policy to make sure you are covered.
Is Greece safe for solo women travelers?
As a solo traveler myself, it can be considered anathema for a woman to want to eat alone in a restaurant and she’ll often get asked to join a family table – especially if there are elderly people there. It’s the Greek philoxenia they exude – to look after you and literally translated as ‘kindness to strangers’. It also stems from linguistics as interestingly; there is no Greek word for ‘privacy’ – meaning there is little understanding of the concept.
If you really do want to be alone, then politely tell them so – but to be honest, Greeks love to practice their English skills, especially if they have young children who can translate for older members. It’s a lovely opportunity to meet new people.
Is Greece safe for LGBTQ+ travelers?
Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015, and same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Greece since 1951. Anti-discrimination laws in the employment space have been in place since 2005.
Greek people are particularly tolerant and from personal experience, open their hearts to any and everyone, regardless of gender and sexual preference. So long as the Greeks are treated with respect, it is reciprocated.
So, just how safe is Greece for travelers?
This is a roundup of things to be aware of when traveling in Greece. It is not to say that these things will definitely happen to you. As with big cities anywhere, there is always the likelihood of petty crime, even within your own country.
My tip is to try to ‘look’ confident and be very firm if anyone approaches you to beg, especially with the map on table example. Don’t feel sorry for people begging with children, and don’t be afraid to be impolite.
Greece enjoys a fantastic year-round climate, offering various summer and winter activities for visitors, and is a very safe country to travel.
Before you buy a travel insurance policy, check your government travel warnings and health advice – there may be no travel insurance cover for locations with a government travel ban or health advice against travel.
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21 Comments
If anyone wants to go to Greece, be aware of thieves in groups in subways and train station! Tourists are not safe in Greece! (I am American and working in China. I feel much safer in China than in Greece.) On the first day of my trip to Greece I lost everything by thieves at the Larissa train station in Athens. I asked the station staffers to call the police. They did not care. Someone outside the train station called police. Three cops on motor bike came and told me to go to a police station to report! So, I went to the police station to report. The police at the station told me that I have to go to the other police station to report. The police station in Athens looks like run-down house. There are a lot of police motor bikes on the street. I think they are just to show to the people. Police in Athens, Greece is a joke!
Watch out for scamming hotels like Oia Mare Villas on Santorini...
In October 2016 I booked four nights at Oia Mare Villas on Santorini. I paid in full €836, non refundable rate. It was taken off my visa credit card. For my whole five week trip I booked in advance and paid all accommodation so I didn't have to worry. In that 8 months I cancelled that card and left that bank and got new credit cards with my new bank. On arrival they said I had to pay again as I didn't have that card anymore. So 2 x €836! They insisted on taking new credit card details and taking payment again even though I have no way of getting the first €836 back. With nowhere else to go I had to pay twice! There's no way I will get the attempted refund as I don't have the card or bank account anymore. I'll be out of Greece before they realise it didn't work by which time they will have two x the room money. When I was presented the receipt from the second card being debited I was forced to sign it. I was also asked to fill in a form giving authority for the second card payment. I was forced to sign saying I received the refund. I wrote on it that as at 23/6 I had not received the refund yet. The receptionist at this point got really aggressive. She scribbled out 'not received as at 23/6'. I asked to take a photo of the receipt as they weren't giving me one and as I went to sit down to take a photo of the receipts (my hands were shaking so much as I was so upset) she came at me from around the desk and snatched them ripping them out of my hands and ripping the paper and scratching my arm! When I pointed out the security camera and that her Manager George might like to watch that, she started behaving and giving me advice of where to eat and what tour I should do! A seriously expensive hotel with the worst customer service ever! If I wasn't so tired and it wasn't so hot and they didn't have 2x€836 I would have stayed elsewhere and called the police. I can see $1300 AUD has already been taken off my new card! The Manager had said on the phone (he refused to meet me and still hasn't met me) they wouldn't take it until they knew if the first amount got refunded. That hasn't shown up of course as I don't have the bank account anymore!
If I wasn't out $2600AUD for the small single room and yes it is incredibly small, I would have left.
The actual hotel is poor too and not worth the money.
On my last morning the Visa card company tried to resolve the issue by calling to speak with Manager George and I. The receptionist put them on hold with music playing for 30 minutes! While I stood there! George kept calling her at the desk and she kept putting them back on hold. They had 3 people trying to call all at once. She left them on hold on the phone so the issue could not be resolved!!! And she hung up on the others trying to get through! I was emailing with the bank as I stood there looking at the red lights where they were on hold! Oia Mare Villas also charged me €35 on my Amex credit card for my departure transfer even though I paid in cash!!!
So sorry to read that............you can get an official complaint form from Greek National Tourist office or google where you can complain offically...........I assure this will get solved in your favour.............all Hotels must register with the HATTA and GNTO..........you can get their registration no aslo...............Anita what you are wrting is seriously fraudlent and must be reported through the Australian Embassy in Athens and you should also go the Greek Embassy in Australia and really kick up a fuss about this..............I was In Tourism In Mykonos and have assisted countless travelers from all over the world......... I have never read such behaviour in Greece........especially such high profile island.....why didn't you go to the Mayor's office or the Tourist Police............they are on every island and TOUGH on the hotels behaving disgustingly..........Let me know if you need any further help...........Hash
On May the 9th, my wife and I were robbed on a bus travelling from Thira to Kamari in Santorini. The bus was packed and a gang of three men were pushing against us. When we arrived in Kamari we realized that our wallets were stolen. All the credit cards, over 900 Euros in cash, driver's license etc..were gone. Watch out for thieves in Santorini!!!
Taxi from Athens airport to the city and vice versa is a flatrate of 38 euro - this includes all luggage and tolls etc. (As of may 2018). This is the dayime rate which i believe is 5am to midnight.
We caught a taxi from the official taxi rank outside the airport and the driver turned on his meter, took the long route to our apartment near the acropolis and tried to charge us 69euro.
We knew it was 38euro as we had used taxis earlier in the week going to/frombthe airport and had two honest taxi drivers who both confirmed he flat rate. We refused to pay 69euro and said we knew the flat rate was 38, i pointed this out on the fare card on his dashboard and he got verbally aggressive and tried to argue that we were not in the city centre and that it was a long drive.
We insisted and in the end only paid 38euro.
We visited Santorini in April and rented a car for two days from Santosun in Perissa. We paid in cash, left some credit card info just in case, and headed across street with their agents to check the car. We all noted minor damage and scratches in the front and back of the car, made sure it was on their documents. Finally, we agreed that all we needed to do with the car was leave it at the airport when we were leaving. Everything was fine, we had a nice drive, and we returned to London and got rid of our copy of the receipt after several weeks.
BIG MISTAKE.
Santosun charged us €208 on my friend's card, and when we finally tracked down their phone number the staff gave us the run around. Despite leaving them our email address, they would not send us a copy of the receipt or send us photos of supposed damage we did to the car. We sent them the photos of the car and scratches that we had taken prior to driving off the lot, and this was their response:
"Those pictures are taken at the airport area before you picked it off to us. The car didn’t have those damages before you took it from our office and this is the reason you took the pictures there and not in the central road in front of the office. Why you didn’t come to take your guarantee card from the office and show us the damages, but you left the car in the middle of the road and escaped?
My boss is smarter than you because he does this work since 1982. This is what my boss told me to send you. I repeat that those photos are taken from you at the airport before you left our car because we know very well that area."
Left me shaking and seeing red. We sent them a more detailed explanation, including screenshots of the metadata of the photos showing time and date that the photos were taken, and now they've gone dark on us. The office won't respond to our questions anymore, the number they gave me to reach their boss goes to a FAX MACHINE, and no one is responding emails.
Worst of all, HSBC wouldnt dispute the issue because we don't have records of our cash transaction with this company, which makes no sense because doesn't it show even more fraud if a random company can charge €208. We are going to try again with HSBC after this email exchange, but this experience has left such a bitter note to our vacation. This is the by far the worst customer service experience we've had in Europe. I cannot believe a company can be so fraudulent and flagrant about it - to add insult to injury, they don't even have a google or tripadvisor profile to warn others!
I just landed in Athens, checked into Hotel Neos Olympos following this, I was standing outside the Hotel checking local dining options on my phone when a guy on a cycle snatches my phone and disappears into an alleyway. I run after him but he was too fast and I had to give up... I go back into the hotel and ask Savvas(guy at reception) to call the police, to this simple request he looses his temper and mutters something in Greek, and rudely tells me to go to the police station which is a couple of mins down the road. I also request him if I could call my service provider and block my phone, I am prepared to pay for the call. To this, I again get a rude no. I went to this police station and they tell me they are traffic police(surely savvas should have known this), I had to go to Ommonia police station who told me I had to go to a tourist police. I went to a tourist police and reported the incident. The police were least interested, they did not want to know the description of the criminal, just what was stolen. There were lot of other people there whose passports have been stolen or phones have been stolen. There was a couple(on their honeymoon) who were mugged at knifepoint on Philopappos hill, they lost around 1000 dollars, jewellery, cellphone(s) everything gone, and police just wanted to know what was stolen. They were literally in tears. The police in Greece are a joke. If you want your holiday ruined, run after thieves, potentially stabbed or visit multiple police stations then please visit Greece.
Last week I visited Santorini along with my family. we booked a private taxi. but at the airport, there was a lady with shared taxi service. She asked us to wait for another passengers. During the wait, an another taxi driver asked me something and we got distracted. When we turned back, our one of the 4 suitcases was missing. Surprisingly there is no police station at the airport. You have to call on certain numbers.
Anyway, we didn't lodge the complaint. I know it is not good but I was not having any energy to do so.
Just thought the share the experience so that others will be careful.
We got robbed yesterday by three men on train from airport to Athens. Stay away from them and catch a taxi
Professional robbers on the metro and zero security
Review of Syntagma Station
Pending review
Please take exceptional precautions when using the metro, particularly coming from the airport. I fell victim to a robbery that happened pretty much as described in earlier reviews here, that I unfortunately read only just now. These professional robbers worked in a group of three. I had to get off at Monastiraki and they created a diversion by somehow managing the doors to jam and whilst I tried desperately to get off the train, they took my wallet. Shame on the people operating the trains and the Athens city council that there is virtually no security including no apparent cameras on board.
Date of experience: May 2019
1 Thank amadeusm
I had exactly the same experience as Helmut last monday. At Syntagma we wanted to get off the train, a man was holding the doors open: they appeared defective, my wife went through, but just before me, he appeared to loose his grip of the doors and they shut. While I was distracted, trying to get out, they took my wallet. If you see someone messing with the doors, use another exit. We were sent to the tourist police, who made a declaration. They had a whole page of crimes against tourist s listed just on that day. Three days later, someone tried to distract my wife while another tried to steal her bag. Luckily, this time I was too quick for him and he ran off empty handed. Thieving in Athens is worse than anywhere else I have been (and that includes Bogota!)
thanks for the information and posts :)
Wow, these guys make Bucharest outlaws look like amateurs. Nevertheless, i will still visit Athens every now and then because i love it to no end. And i just can't wait to "experience" those metro door blockers this august (2019) so i will get back to you with updates. I honestly hope they have some sort of medical insurance.
On July 2nd, 2019 our 2 families chartered a yachting trip with Santorini Caldera Yachting company with 1590 Euro for a advertised new Lagoon 42, however it turned out we actually took a rundown Lagoon 421. Only by sorting the pictures 2 weeks later did we found out the fact.
Clearly we were considered as stupid tourists to deceive. And it’s arranged like a joke!
I have traveled Many countries ,this is the first country where I had nightmare with my family, I had booked my apartment in very nice touristic area Kolokotroni very close to Monasteraki , on the first day of arrival to the location on the corner of the side walk next to the road very close to the restaurants and the tourist walking around we where distracted by 2 men asking the direction of the hotel and the 3rd person from same group who was wondering on the road waiting for us to turn around took 2 back packs from the side walk floor where our luggage was and run away ,the bag contain all valuable items my profesional Camara with 3 lens, bose headphones, macbook my 2 hard drives with all my backup and other stuffs.
After realising our lose at 1 am I along with my wife walked towards the direction to local police station which was almost a 2 km from the location that was the only one opened at that time and we had to walk through some what dangerous areas to get there becauae that was the only one open 24 hours ,when we reached the station was in Horrible conditions, smell very bad , and 2 officers where on duty but they could not do anything they recommend us to go Tourism police which opens at 8 am, next morning my wife and I started looking for the Tourism police station on every street the coffee shops, and other commerce gave different directions ,finaly we found a great helping person who called police to reach his coffee shop the police arrived within 15 minutes and they gave the right direction , when we arrived the Tourism police station already there where many tourists with similar situation and only cop to attend to all those cases and he didn't even speak properly english language , he gave one form to fill to describe only the lose items there was no such space to right exactly how did happen , I filled the form he signed and gave me the original of the copy and I ask what will be the next procedure, he said try to get video footage from the neighborhood that will be a great help because the Govt camaras are damage and some places are not working ,after having the video footage go to main police station with your proof , I ask him are u sure the neighborhood will cooperate to give video footage, he said there will be no problem go with the police document with this they will help you, I reached the location on each and every street went to ask for help to coffeeshop and other shops the local people did not want to help and they said its waste of time because police will not take any action they are making you feel better and they themself are tired every day with robbery to poor tourist , finaly one of the shop from that area help me to provide video footage which was clear shows clear there where been 3 persons involved in robbery, as per instruction given by the Tourism police I took that video footage to main police station which I previously visited one day before while reaching I saw three different foreign families with similar situation one family had a baby of 3months , we where waiting someone to come and attend us because there where only 2 cops to attend the cases after 5 min one cop comes and listen the situation he takes us inside the office and make us wait because they where busy with other tourist after 15 min I explained the whole story and show the filed case in tourism police station and video food stage , after showing all this material he says its waste of time you will not get your things back because they are already been sold and the video quality is not good to track them , I told them that there are many camaras in neighborhood and I Think that's your duty to go and ask the video footage to the neighborhood they did not like my comment and they in rude tone told me the video footage of this type are ilegal and from where did you got from , I did not give them much detail because now the story was different, then they had a different story telling me that I should extend my stay so they have time to rebuild or expose the criminal faces to recognize , I told them I am very sorry I cannot do that because I have confirmed flight tickets to go back, I ask is there any way or they have technology to track my lost Mac through IP address and track faces with video footage , they said we don't have those resources , it really surprise me that been a European Country they did not have this type of resources or technology , I could understand with bad condition if the police station it was worst the Slum almost to vomit.
Next morning I went again to Tourism police station and explained them that I wasted my time going to the main police station with all the proof provided and instructed by you , but they didnt accept the footage because as per law it is ilegal , after hearing what the main police station cop said , the tourism police say that's its totally legal and they have to accept the video footage ( As tourist I felt helpless because 2 police station and 2 different procedures) I told them that the neighborhood has good camaras but they hesitate to cooperate is there any possible way to reach them with legal written document , they said come later we will make you a written document and with this you can proceed to get us more proof with clear faces ,
I went 8.30 pm to tourism police station almost closing Time there were lot of tourist with similar situations lost their belongings including jewelry and passports and more tourist keep on arriving that police station and only one cop was on duty to attend a bunch of tourist , I explained the whole story and ask the letter they promise me , the coop said sorry its closing time I have to attend this people and come tomorrow , finaly he gives an advice that he don't mind preparing a letter but it is waste of time because they have all the video footages of public cafeterias, trains, metros, supermarket but they cannot do anything because all those thief's are refugees from Armenia ,romani(Gypsee) and they know who are those thiefs their gang leaders but their hand are tied because the authorities protect them more then the locals and the tourist , all this gang members have support from lawyers and Human rights they arrest them with proof next morning they are out ,in small words they make fun of Greek Law.
The local greek people are wonderful people , many of the restaurants after hearing what happened with us felt sorry many of them offered us free food for complete stay and this type of situation they live through and see everyday how the tourist are victims getting their belongings stolen and sometimes they see with their own eyes the victim and their but they cannot do any thing because they feel fear from the gangs and also the law protect them for being refugees , they are really worried that in the future they might lose tourist coming to Greece because every day it's getting worst and critical and the Govt is not helping to control the crime
After what happen we cannot judge on local greek people but yes we can blame greek Govt for not cobtribuiting on fixing the issue and the police is gets better wages than lot of greek people and they receive bribe yet they refuse to help , with my story it's clear and shows the attitude of the police giving me advice to forget what happen and your things are already been sold, this should not happen to any tourist visiting to greece to face this nightmare , we did live the worst nightmare of my complete trip having visiting other countries
My dream is to visit many places in Greece but until this country is not safe for tourist I don't feel comfortable to come, very sorry for Greek citizens who might loose more Tourism , because at present the country is in complete bankcorrupt and the only small source which is helping them is tourism, if the Govt and police is not supporting them I think the locals should take the law on their own hand to punish those thief's and gang members in many countries this practise is common because local people get fed up with this situation and get unite to take law by their own hand ,the gang members and thiefs will think twice to get in touristic areas to steal from them
We arrived in Syntagma Square last night with our luggage to catch the airport bus. As we were walking to the stop, a man approached us and pointed out that there was something wet on my partner's backpack. I saw it, assumed something from our bag was leaking and thanked him for noticing and said we'd take care of it. He offered to help, but I told him we didn't need it. We placed our bags down, but very close to us as we grabbed tissues to wipe off the mess. The man was still offering to help as we continued to tell him that we were fine. He left, the bus pulled up, and we realised he (probably they) managed to grab one of our bags containing several of our most important possessions, including passports.
We were told this scam is happening increasingly here. Scammers are squirting paint, liquid, or in our case it was make-up onto your belongings and clothes. Someone will offer to help clean it off and make guesses as to what it is or where it may have come from in the hopes that you'll take it off to clean up and snatch something without you remotely realising until it's too late. Please watch out! We are pretty seasoned travelers and have traveled many places, but it really can happen to anyone.
We've loved Athens, so we're really making an effort to not let this ruin the city for us, but it's certainly difficult. Especially after reading the numerous scams that continue to happen here. I'm just sharing our unfortunate mishap in the hopes that it will spare someone from unnecessary misery.
Wow! It's incredible to hear all of this.......We were in Athens and Santorini in 2018. We had such a great time and met so many wonderful Greeks. Never once did we encounter anything bad on our entire trip. The time we were there was early Spring. Maybe that had something to do with it. Nevertheless, the few rotten jerks don't equate to the many warm hearted and friendly Greek people. Just be very aware, prepare for whatever may come, use common sense and don't let fear close you take away your joy of experiencing this country! We fell in love with Greece.
Hey everyone, I live in Greece and I feel so sorry hearing all those! 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 belongings and when you come here, first thing go and leave all pricey stuff in the hotel! Then, carry only the needed money, no more than you are willing to spend! If you... do not "look like tourists" you are going to be fine! Act like Greeks, this way picketers will get the message that they do not want to mess with you. Hope that helps, have a beautiful time in Greece! Love to you all!
I visited Greece with my husband in 2016 and before that I had gone as a young adult in 1986. Greece, especially Athens is now different. It’s obvious the country and its peoples philoxenia has opened up the gateways to refugees and all the social issues that accompany them. Greece is not equipped to handle the refugees, and unfortunately the neighbouring countries have closed their borders and refuse to assist in the refugee crisis. So let’s be kind and help the Greek economy, visit this beautiful country, contribute to their tourism and as the author said keep your wits about you. By the way I watched a pick pocket reach for my husbands back pocket in the subway. Fortunately we follow common travel suggestions and we keep our valuables hidden, so that pick pocket had nothing to reach for.
Thank you for your comments. I now will not be going to Greece in 2021. As a single female I would not feel safe there..so disappointed..but better safe than sorry
Last week , on the metroline from the airport, my wallet has been stolen from my bag. I am not a tourist, have been living in Greece for over 25 years. Am very aware of pickpockets etc.
These are professional thieves, they operate in groups. They observe you long before you get out of the train. Then, when you get up and walk to the doors, they suddenly appear, create chaos by blocking the doors. Your attention is no longer on you luggage/bag, but on the fact that you can't get out. When I saw the person who blocked the door I realised something was totally wrong there. Checked my bag, it was open and my wallet gone. Luckily my ID and bankcards were in another place.
The security persons at Monastiraki station told me this is happening about five times every day !
In my opinion there is not enough security on the trains, platforms etc.
Be very very careful when traveling on public transport. I am a 65 year old woman, but this can happen to anybody.