The metros that pass through Omonia and the northern suburbs are particularly notorious for pickpockets so always be on alert. Greece hasone of the highest rates of road accidents for any European city, and safety measures like seatbelts and bike helmets are regularly ignored. Although some travel blogs like to present Greeces first city as a den of vice and corruption, its easy enough to stay safe in Athens. It is prudent to ensure that you have comprehensive travel insurance before you travel anywhere. Here's: These are some of the most commonly asked questions readers have when it comes to finding out whether Athens in Greece is safe to travel to. This capital city of Greece has nearly 3.7 million inhabitants - crime almost seems inevitable right? I'm travelling to Athens tomorrow & stay a couple of days on the islands to return next WE to Athens to see some friends. A couple of years ago, Exarchia was a lot worse but today, a lot of hipsters and students from the nearby Athens Law School come here to hang out and drink beers so it has changed a lot. "@context": "https://schema.org", Watch this Topic Browse forums All Attica forums Athens forum Bobby112 Bengaluru, India Level Contributor 10 posts 4 reviews 4 helpful votes Is Athens safe for Indian tourists right now (in 2013)? These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Be smart and only use ATMs in reputable hotels or banks that require card entry. Athens is one of the world's safest cities. Is Athens dangerous? Pickpockets, however, rush towards these protests, knowing theres always a few panicky tourists far too distracted to worry about their wallets. Athens. Does this make the area unsafe for visitors? I avoided where the situation was and just focused on what I wanted to do! On the first day of my trip to Greece I lost everything by thieves at the Larissa train station in Athens. The short answer is yes, but there are caveats. More than 30 million tourists visit Greece every year and most visits to the country are trouble-free and memorable for all the right reasons. Petty crimes and corruption are a concern. Is Greece safe for . There are also a lot of rough sleepers around Monastiraki station. You might also find it useful to join my Facebook group All Greek to Me which helps travellers and expats plan their adventures around Athens and wider Greece. However, once again, pickpocketing is a significant problem. Athens is very safe for solo travellers of all ages and genders. This is not a nice area of Athens even during the day, but it is especially sketchy at night. Take the usual precautions to avoid pickpocketing and scams when exploring Athens and you'll have a great time! I was in the city once when there were a lot of protests, and those types of situations are isolated. Do you still have any questions or concerns about safety in Athens, Greece? They are often overly friendly and offer to show you a magic trick or offer you a friendship bracelet and then demand money. The tap water in Athens (and most of Greece) is safe to drink. These are listed below. The article was simply written for travellers who may be wondering if Athens was safe. People sometimes ask if Monastiraki is safe, and I would say yes it is. How to get from Treviso Airport to Venice. Motorbikes often take shortcuts across pavements (sidewalks), and red traffic lights are seen more as a polite request than a legal requirement. But so long as you maintain your usual levels of awareness, Athens is considered just as safe as most large European cities for a lady traveling solo. Taxis in Athens are very safe. 1 year ago Save We want to use the Metro to get from the ATH airport to the city center and then from the center to the Piraeus port a few days later. Conversely, I have been living here for years and have (*touch wood*) never been a victim of a crime or petty theft. People often eat dinner here as late as 10-12 pm and Greeks always make the most of their free time after work. Useful contact information is detailed below for your reference. Plenty of people move or travel to Greece by themselves. In particular, look for the Foreign Girls Living In Athens group which is very active and helpful. 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. "text": "Visitors should be aware that the neighborhoods of Omonia and Exarchia become a little rough around the edges at night. In general, yes. What crime there is tends to be petty crime. If you are an introvert and you want to spend your time in Athens solo, thats great. A comprehensive safety guide Published by:Bounce8 February, 2023 Athens is the Greek capital and also its biggest city. The biggest risk for tourists in Athens is the risk of being a victim of petty crime like pickpocketing or theft. And whilst I have no figures for this (I did spend a lot of time trying to find some! On average, Athens is a safe city as long as you take precautions as you would in any other city in the world. Don't be. Is anyone there now that can advise? { Some areas of Monastiraki, Ermou, Psiri, and Syntagma Square, although central, are also pretty sketchy. Welcome OnVacationSRQ. I totally understand that nobody is at the top of their awareness game if they've just stepped off a ten hour flight and onto a busy metro. A selection of reputable Athens tours is detailed below for your consideration. This is perhaps because I am always hyper-vigilant and aware of my surroundings and you should be too. Athens Travel Guide | U.S. News Travel And sign up for my free travel guides to Greece, which I'm sure you'll love! Bicycle Touring Electronic Gear For Iceland. Urban Abroad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.de. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Yes, you can drink the water in Athens. Athens is very safe for female tourists. In fact, Greece is one of the safest countries in the world in regards to homicides. Some visitors may however prefer the taste of bottled water. ), So, is Athens safe to visit? Urban Abroad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.de. Official sources state that the terrorist threat in Athens is moderate but this is an overall generalisation for Europe, rather than a concern about the risk of terrorist activity taking place in Greece. The U.S. Department of State recognises Greece as a low-risk country to travel to and the UK Foreign Travel Office does not flag any reasons for concern in Athens. Please distinguish these categories properlyevery ethnic group has its negative qualities and, CRIME IS NOT ONE WHICH IS INHERENT IN ETHNIC GREEKS. From Athens Larissa train station to Thissio/Monastiraki, you are looking at a price of around 10, and from Athens airport to the city centre, there is a day rate of around 40 and a night rate of 55. Local food and drinks How good is the WiFi? Heres a look at some of the most common scams that go on in the city: There are thousands upon thousands of expats currently living and working in the sprawling city of Athens. In addition, the bar scam' does still sometimes happen. 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. The embassy information for British and American travellers is provided below. Greek driving can seem erratic and aggressive, especially if you are from a country like the US, UK or Europe where driving is a lot more tame! For the most part, visitors to Athens tend to want to explore the historic center so they also stay in these areas as well. At my age of 82.in fairly good health(no arthritis except low back pain).although walk rather slow because I dont want to fall ..how much walking should I expect? If you are limited on time, or you are visiting the city for the first time, opting to choose a hotel with a central location means that you are in the heart of the action. Things have been up and down since the financial crash of 2008, which hit Greece very hard. Stay alert, secure your belongings, and be cautious of anyone approaching you with unsolicited assistance or overly friendly behavior. Here are the top 7 things you need to know before visiting Athens: Did you know Athens has many beautiful beaches to explore, which often get overlooked for the more popular sands of the Greek Islands. They quickly learn to avoid Omonoia, Exarchia, and the rundown port areas of Piraeus among others. Is Athens Safe For Tourists? 2023 Athens Safety Guide - Dave's Travel Pages You can find a summary wikipage here, but of course check out the original sources cited on that page as well. Dont rely on a random tablemate to keep an eye on them for you. Similarly, having an Athens expert guide on hand means that you have someone to ask for recommendations on the best places to eat, drink and hang out in Athens. "text":"Scams differ from petty crime such as pick pocketing, as they often rely on personal interaction in order to carry out the con. Use a hidden wallet to hide your credit cards and bigger amounts of money. 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. 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. "name": "What tourist scams in Athens are there? Dont go wandering off down dimly lit streets and sketchy-looking alleyways. Choose a blog page for more travel inspiration and practical tips and insights: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. "@type": "Question", Thanks for your comment. Theres no hiding from the fact that Greece, at many levels, is a corrupt country. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Greece.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi, I'm Dave, and I've been creating helpful travel guides and itineraries for independent travelers on Dave's Travel Pages since 2005. So that begs the question: is Athens safe when it comes to drinking water from the tap? Athens has a safety rating of 44.34 which is pretty good for a large city that is home to 3.15 million people. Seriously though Enjoy your time in Athens. Travel insurance should be one of the items to check off on your preparation list before traveling to ensure that you're covered while on vacation. Locals state that they feel very safe walking around Athens alone, although they are concerned about an increase in crime over the last three years. "@type": "Answer", In general, however, Athens is very safe late at night in the historic center which is where most tourists will tend to want to spend their time." Its an underrated place to spend an afternoon and is home to some interesting sites. You are far less likely to be ripped off this way and drivers on the platform care about their ratings. Is Daytime Use of Metro Safe for Tourists? - Athens Forum Crime statistics point toward the fact that it's actually quite a safe city for travellers, as Athens is not included on lengthy lists of the world's most dangerous cities, and a 2019 crime index from Numbeo put the Greek capital at number 130 on the list, rating . Is Athens Safe To Visit? But from a personal point of view, I find Athens to be extremely safe. It also receives approximately 6 million visitors each year. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There is a strong police presence in Central Athens. }, { Scams can occur around Monastiraki, Syntagma, and Glyfada when tourists .
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