The Editors
The main city of Greece can also be the true home of ancient globe treasures, including the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Hadrian’s Arch. Found near Greece’s southern tip, Athens is filled with all of the beauty that accompany troves of ruins and antiquities, most of them dating back to into the fifth century BCE, which places these present times into appropriate viewpoint. Athens has contemporary marvels also, plus an inviting mediterranean climate that lends it self to visiting any moment of the year.
But people who will be considering scheduling a visit frequently end up wondering, “Is Athens safe to visit?”—especially in the years since Greece has struck difficult financial times, and since European countries has seen terrorism surge.
Be assured that Athens is not specially dangerous. Crime data point toward the very fact it safer than cities such as Tampa, Florida and Dublin, Ireland that it’s actually quite a safe city for travelers—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.
Nevertheless, there are particular items that tourists to Athens need to keep in your mind to guarantee the best visit that is possible.
Methods for Remaining Safe in Athens
- Pun intended areas which are considered to be dangerous in Athens, like the nightclubs of Glyfada Square, plus the semi-frequent protests and demonstrations that happen near governmental facilities.
- Stay vigilant for pickpockets along with other petty thieves, because these will be the most frequent crimes focusing on tourists in Athens. Be specially careful at crowded tourist attractions, on general general public transport, plus in taxis, where motorists often scam their people.
- Know that prostitution is appropriate in Athens—but that a lot of regarding the town’s prostitutes operate outs
Anti-Theft Backpack
Travel Money Belt
Protection Whistle
Secure Places—and Places to Avoid—in Athens
Whenever remember areas to prevent in Athens, understand that Omonia, Exarcheia, Vathi, and Kolokotroni Squares have actually high criminal activity prices and really should be prevented at evening, or even entirely. These aspects of Athens may be dangerous in component because they’re frequented by anarchist teams, along with medication dealers and thieves—even children that are thieves. In terms of areas of Athens in order to prevent, Monastiraki and nearby the railway stations of Larissa and Peloponissos are crime hot spots, whilst the nightclubs of Glyfada Square are connected with prepared criminal activity.
Protests are semi-common in Athens, particularly at Syntagma Square, which is often the governmental center of things. Tourists should be aware that governmental protests can happen randomly and occasionally turn dangerous—so guide well clear. In the event that you somehow end up near a big gathering, be excessively careful, try not to get across authorities lines, keep a minimal profile, and monitor regional media for updates and directions.
Tourists also needs to be familiar with neighborhood frauds in Monastiraki, Syntagma, and Glyfada; the primary one involves luring tourists right into a club while guaranteeing unique rates on cocktails. Alternatively, clients are offered a extremely exorbitant tab for their beverages and threatened with violence when they will not spend. A few Athens bars where this particular extortion was proven to happen add Reina Bar and Hollywood Pub.
As well as understanding the areas that are dangerous Athens, it is additionally good to learn in which the city’s best places are. In north Athens, a nearby of Kolononaki is safe also during the night, and boasts high-end restaurants and free galleries. Metaxourgio, previously a neighborhood that is impoverished has been gentrified and it is now a well known and safe destination to explore throughout the daytime, especially for fans for the arts. In addition, Plaka and Psirri provide friendly cafes where you could obtain a lively flavor of greek life and tradition.
Ways to get Around Safely in Athens
The absolute most form that is prominent of in Athens is, while you might imagine, pickpocketing. By all reports, pickpocketing, bag snatching, as well as other kinds of petty theft are typical, particularly at crowded attractions, nightlife locations, as well as on buses and trains, for which you need to simply just take additional care to guard your possessions. Be specially vigilant if somebody seems you; meanwhile, someone else may be reaching into your purse like they’re trying to distract. Keep your wallet in your front side ( perhaps perhaps perhaps not the back) pocket, and consider investing in a slash-resistant backpack with a zipper that is reliable.
Whenever you’re down on the way, take into account that Greece has comparatively high prices of traffic fatalities, due mostly to motorists that are speeding, sidetracked, or just perhaps not after the guidelines. Hefty traffic and highway that is obscured are additional issues that affect security on Athens’ roads. Drive defensively—or generally not very, if it can be avoided by you.
Be careful, too, if you’re about to just take taxis in Athens, as taxi frauds are extensive here. Though Athens taxis are usually safe in terms of your real well-being, the exact same is not said when it comes to security of the money. Athens’ taxi drivers, particularly those that grab through the airport, are notorious for gouging tourists, billing their people more than they’re really owed.
Therefore once you enter into a taxi in Athens, ensure that it is licenced and formal, that your particular motorist turns regarding the meter as he begins driving (not prior to, rather than never), which you along with your driver have decided on at the least a ballpark range for the fare, you are aware the instructions to where you’re going (talk up if for example the motorist starts to take a roundabout route), and that you’ll be indian mail order brides willing to phone the police if you’re being ripped off—this will most likely get the taxi motorist in the right path once again.
Other Athens Scams and Protection Guidelines
As you create your method through Athens, there are various other frauds that tourists should know to keep safe and away from criminal activity: keep from purchasing the pirated and fake items which are offered in droves from the roads of Central Athens and Thessaloniki—it’s unlawful to get these products in Greece, also it’s unlawful to move them in to the united states of america. Don’t use ATMs in Athens unless they’re in a hotel that is reputable bank, as a current uptick in charge card skimming was reported throughout Greece.
Though Athens provides a mostly protected climate for feminine tourists, females traveling right here could find that guys are more ahead in Greece compared to other nations. In the event that you decrease their improvements, guys will most of the time apologize and go along. Nevertheless, females should work out some caution in Athens at night—especially in Monastiraki, Omonia, Psirri, Mextaxourgio, and any poorly lit place—and keep belongings close.
Prostitution in Athens
Prostitution is theoretically legal in Greece, beginning in the chronilogical age of 18. Legal intercourse employees must certanly be registered and carry a card that is medical has to be updated every fourteen days. Nonetheless, there’s lots of unlawful prostitution right here too; customers looking for escorts in Athens have actually reported seeing victims of intercourse trafficking and slavery that is human brothels.
In the past few years, Greece is becoming a location point for females and kids stolen from Eastern and Southern Europe, Southern Asia, Africa, and China, who will be put through intercourse trafficking in unlicensed brothels along Solonos Street, Theatrou Square, and Evripidou Street. Remember that a majority of these females (and men) don’t take the appropriate precautions—in that is medical, it is maybe maybe maybe not well well worth the chance.