The Editors
The main city of Greece can also be the true house of ancient globe treasures, such as the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Hadrian’s Arch. Found near Greece’s southern tip, Athens is filled with most of the beauty that accompany troves of ruins and antiquities, quite a few dating back to towards the fifth century BCE, which sets these present times into appropriate viewpoint. Athens has modern marvels aswell, plus A mediterranean that is inviting climate lends it self to visiting any moment of the year.
But tourists that are considering scheduling a vacation usually end up wondering, “Is Athens safe to visit?”—especially in many years since Greece has struck hard economic times, and because European countries has seen terrorism surge.
Be confident that Athens is not specially dangerous. Crime data point toward the very fact so it’s really quite a secure town for travelers—Athens isn’t included on lengthy listings regarding the world’s many dangerous metropolitan areas, and a 2019 criminal activity index from Numbeo put the Greek capital at quantity 130 from the list, rating it safer than metropolitan areas such as for example Tampa, Florida and Dublin, Ireland.
Nevertheless, there are specific items that people to Athens need to keep in your mind to guarantee the best feasible see.
Strategies for Staying Safe in Athens
- Prevent the areas which are considered to be dangerous in Athens, such as the nightclubs of Glyfada Square, along with the protests that are semi-frequent demonstrations that happen near governmental facilities.
- Remain vigilant for pickpockets along with other thieves that are petty as these will be the most frequent crimes focusing on tourists in Athens. Be particularly careful at crowded tourist attractions, on general public transport, as well as in taxis, where drivers often scam their people.
- Remember that prostitution is appropriate in Athens—but that many associated with the town’s prostitutes operate outs
Anti-Theft Backpack
Travel Money Belt
Protection Whistle
Secure Places—and Places to Avoid—in Athens
Whenever bearing in mind areas in order to avoid in Athens, understand that Omonia, Exarcheia, Vathi, and Kolokotroni Squares have high criminal activity prices and may be prevented at if not altogether night. These aspects of Athens could be dangerous in component because they’re frequented by anarchist teams, in addition to drug dealers and thieves—even kiddies that are thieves. In terms of the areas of Athens in order to avoid, Monastiraki and nearby the railway channels of Larissa and Peloponissos are crime hot spots, as the nightclubs of Glyfada Square are connected with planned criminal activity.
Protests are semi-common in Athens, particularly at Syntagma Square, which is often the center that is political of. Tourists should be aware that governmental protests can occasionally occur randomly and turn dangerous—so guide well clear. In the event that you somehow end up near a big gathering, be incredibly careful, usually do not cross police lines, keep a reduced profile, and monitor regional media for updates and guidelines.
Tourists also needs to be familiar with regional frauds in Monastiraki, Syntagma, and Glyfada; the primary one involves luring tourists in to a club while guaranteeing unique costs on cocktails. Alternatively, clients are served with a tab that is overly exorbitant their beverages and threatened with violence if they will not spend. A few Athens pubs where this sort of extortion was proven to happen consist of Reina Bar and Hollywood Pub.
As well as understanding the areas that are dangerous Athens, it is also good to learn in which the city’s best places are. In northern Athens, the area of Kolononaki is safe also during the night, and boasts high-end restaurants and free galleries. Metaxourgio, formerly an impoverished community, has been gentrified and it is now a well known and safe spot to explore throughout the daytime, especially for enthusiasts of this arts. In addition, Plaka and Psirri offer friendly cafes where you could get a lively flavor of greek life and culture.
Ways to get Around Safely in Athens
Probably the most prominent as a type of crime in Athens is, while you might imagine, pickpocketing. By all reports, pickpocketing, bag snatching, as well as other kinds of petty theft are normal, particularly at crowded attractions, nightlife locations, as well as on buses and trains, in which you need to simply take additional care to defend your possessions. Be specially vigilant if some body seems like they’re attempting to distract you; meanwhile, somebody else could be reaching into the bag. Keep your wallet in your front side ( maybe perhaps not your straight back) pocket, and give consideration to buying a slash-resistant backpack with a zipper that is reliable.
Whenever you’re down on the highway, remember that Greece has comparatively high prices of traffic fatalities, due mostly to motorists that are speeding, sidetracked, or simply perhaps not after the guidelines. Hefty traffic and highway that is obscured are additional conditions that affect security on Athens’ roads. Drive defensively—or never, if it can be avoided by you.
Be cautious, too, if you’re about to simply take taxis in Athens, as taxi frauds are extensive here. The same cannot be said for the safety of your cash though Athens taxis are generally safe when it comes to your physical well-being. Athens’ taxi drivers, particularly those that grab through the airport, are notorious for gouging tourists, recharging their passengers much more than they’re really owed.
Therefore if you go into a taxi in Athens, be sure that it is licenced and formal, that your particular motorist turns regarding the meter as he begins driving (not prior to, rather than never), you along with your driver have decided on at the least a ballpark range for the fare, you know the guidelines to where you’re going (talk up when your motorist begins to have a roundabout route), and therefore you’ll be willing to phone the police if you’re being ripped off—this will most likely ensure you get your taxi motorist regarding the right course once again.
Other Athens Scams and Safety Guidelines
While you create your means through Athens, there are various other scams that tourists should become aware of to remain safe and far from criminal activity: Refrain from purchasing the pirated and fake things that can be bought in droves regarding the streets of Central Athens and Thessaloniki—it’s unlawful to get these products in Greece, also it’s unlawful to move them to the united states of america. Don’t use ATMs in Athens unless they’re in a hotel that is reputable bank, as a recently available uptick in charge card skimming is reported throughout Greece.
Though Athens supplies an environment that is mostly safe feminine tourists, females traveling right here could find that guys are far more ahead in Greece compared to other nations. In the event that you decrease their improvements, guys will most of the time apologize and move along. Nevertheless, ladies should work out some care in Athens at night—especially in Monastiraki, Omonia, Psirri, Mextaxourgio, and any poorly lit place—and keep belongings close.
Prostitution in Athens
Prostitution is technically appropriate in Greece, beginning in the age of 18. Legal intercourse employees must certanly be registered and carry a medical card that has to be updated every fourteen days. But, there’s lots of unlawful prostitution right right here too; consumers searching for escorts in Athens have actually reported seeing victims of intercourse trafficking and individual slavery in brothels.
In the past few years, Greece has grown to become a location point for females and kids taken from Eastern and Southern Europe, Southern Asia, Africa, and Asia, who will be put through intercourse trafficking in unlicensed brothels along Solonos Street, Theatrou Square, and Evripidou Street. Remember that a number of these females (and males) don’t make the appropriate precautions—in that is medical, it is not well well worth the indian mail order bride chance.
