Is Athens Secure? Areas in order to avoid along with other Warnings

The Editors

The main city of Greece can 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, most of them dating back to into the fifth century BCE, which places these present times into appropriate viewpoint. Athens has contemporary marvels too, plus A mediterranean that is inviting climate lends itself to visiting any moment of the year.

But people that are considering reserving a visit frequently end up wondering, “Is Athens safe to visit?”—especially in many years since Greece has struck difficult times that are economic and because European countries has seen terrorism surge.

Be confident 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 specific items that tourists to Athens should keep in your mind so that the best feasible see.

Strategies for Remaining Safe in Athens

• Prevent the areas which are considered to be dangerous in Athens, such as the nightclubs of Glyfada Square, plus the protests that are semi-frequent demonstrations that happen near governmental centers.
• Remain vigilant for pickpockets along with other petty thieves, because these will be the most typical crimes focusing on people in Athens. Be particularly careful at crowded tourist attractions, on general general general public transport, plus in taxis, where motorists often scam their people.
• Remember that prostitution is appropriate in Athens—but that many of this populous town’s prostitutes operate outs

Anti-Theft Backpack

Travel Money Belt

Protection Whistle

Safe Places—and Places to Avoid—in Athens

Whenever bearing in mind areas to prevent in Athens, realize that Omonia, Exarcheia, Vathi, and Kolokotroni Squares have actually high criminal activity rates and really should be avoided at evening, if you don’t completely. These aspects of Athens could be dangerous in component because they’re frequented by anarchist teams, along with medication dealers and thieves—even kids that are thieves. In terms of the areas of Athens to avoid, Monastiraki and close to the railway channels of Larissa and Peloponissos are crime spots that are hot as the nightclubs of Glyfada Square are related to arranged criminal activity.

Protests are semi-common in Athens, specially at Syntagma Square, which is often the center that is political of. People should keep in mind governmental protests can take place randomly and occasionally turn dangerous—so guide well clear. In the event that you somehow end up near a sizable gathering, be acutely careful, usually do not cross authorities lines, keep the lowest profile, and monitor regional media for updates and directions.

Tourists also needs to know about regional frauds in Monastiraki, Syntagma, and Glyfada; the one that is main luring tourists as a bar while guaranteeing unique costs on cocktails. Alternatively, clients are offered a tab that is overly exorbitant their beverages and threatened with violence when they will not spend. A number of Athens pubs where this particular extortion happens to be recognized to happen add Reina Bar and Hollywood Pub.

As well as understanding the areas that are dangerous Athens, it is additionally good to learn where in actuality the city’s best places are. The neighborhood of Kolononaki is safe even at night, and boasts high-end restaurants and art galleries in northern Athens. Metaxourgio, formerly an impoverished neighbor hood, has been gentrified and it is now a well known and safe spot to explore throughout the daytime, specially for fans for the arts. In addition, Plaka and Psirri provide friendly cafes where you could get a taste that is lively of life and tradition.

Ways to get Around Safely in Athens

The absolute most prominent type of criminal activity in Athens is, while you might imagine, pickpocketing. By all records, pickpocketing, bag snatching, along with other types of petty theft are normal, specially at crowded places of interest, nightlife locations, as well as on buses and trains, for which you ought to simply simply take additional care to guard your possessions. Be especially vigilant if some one seems like they’re attempting to distract you; meanwhile, somebody else might be reaching into the bag. Keep your wallet in your front side ( maybe maybe not your straight back) pocket, and think about purchasing 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 who’re speeding, sidetracked, or just maybe not after the rules. Hefty traffic and highway that is obscured are additional issues that affect security on Athens’ streets. Drive defensively—or generally not very, if it is possible to avoid it.

Be cautious, too, if you’re intending to just simply simply take taxis in Athens, as taxi scams are extensive here. Though Athens taxis are often safe with regards to your real well-being, similar is not stated for the security of the money. Athens’ taxi drivers, particularly people who grab through the airport, are notorious for gouging tourists, charging you their people much more than they’re actually owed.

Therefore if you enter into a taxi in Athens, be sure that it is licenced and formal, finding a wife that the motorist turns regarding the meter when he begins driving (not prior to, rather than never), which you along with your driver have decided on at the very least a ballpark range for the fare, you are aware the guidelines to where you’re going (talk up in case the motorist begins to have a roundabout route), and therefore you’ll be happy to phone the police if you’re being ripped off—this will most likely get the taxi motorist regarding the right course once again.

Other Athens Scams and Protection Recommendations

While you create your method through Athens, there are more frauds that people should know to remain safe and far from criminal activity: keep from purchasing the pirated and fake things that can be purchased in droves in the roads of Central Athens and Thessaloniki—it’s illegal to get these things 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 recently available uptick in charge card skimming was reported throughout Greece.

Though Athens provides a mostly protected surroundings for feminine people, females traveling right right here could find that guys tend to be more ahead in Greece compared to other nations. In the event that you decrease their improvements, males will generally apologize and go 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 theoretically legal in Greece, beginning in the chronilogical age of 18. Legal intercourse employees needs to be registered and carry a card that is medical should be updated every fourteen days. But, there’s lots of unlawful prostitution right here too; consumers looking for escorts in Athens have actually reported seeing victims of sex trafficking and peoples slavery in brothels.

In the last few years, Greece is now a location point for ladies and kids stolen from Eastern and Southern Europe, Southern Asia, Africa, and Asia, who’re afflicted by sex trafficking in unlicensed brothels along Solonos Street, Theatrou Square, and Evripidou Street. Remember that a number of these ladies (and males) don’t simply take the appropriate medical precautions—in short, it is perhaps maybe maybe not well worth the danger.