STAY SAFE
Is Athens Safe?
Yes, Athens is as safe as any other large city of its size. Athens is the most populous and the largest city in Greece with a population of 3,7 million inhabitants. This is the city with a rich history and the magnificent heritage, which attracts visitors from the whole globe.
While Athens is generally considered a very safe city, even for solo female travellers, you will still have to use common sense and security precautions, especially about:
HIGH-SECURITY RISK - PICKPOCKETS
You will notice that locals travel with their hands on their bags and pockets and keeping their bag in front rather than on their side or back - you should be doing the same, since pickpocket is a very common and high-level risk in the metro and crowded tourist areas. You need to pay special attention at the interchange metro stations (Syntagma, Omonia, Monastiraki), as well as the trains and buses from/to the airport. Pickpocket gangs usually operate in groups by making crowds and jamming-up on the trains and buses, metro escalators. While part of the group distracting the attention of the victims offering friendly "help" - the rest of the group pickpockets them. Main targets are tourists, passengers with bulky luggage, confused and disoriented visitors.
Tips to avoid Pickpockets:
MEDIUM-SECURITY RISK - CAR BRAKE-INS
Car break-ins and thefts crime is on the rise in the past few years. Cars parked at the free public street parking sites are targetted by the thefts in all neighbourhoods of Athens and Attica region. The most common targets are cars with foreign registration plates and cars with rent-a-car stickers. If you park it on the streets - Never leave begs and any belongings inside the cars. Alternatively, use the paid secured parkings and garages. ... protected parking lots and garages can be found at the following link: https://www.parkme.com/athens-gr-parking
MEDIUM-SECURITY RISK - TAXI
Many taxi drivers tend to over-charge customers by illegal extra fees, expensive fixed rates, meter manipulations. Tourists need to insist on the meter and make sure the rate is correct: tariff 1 displayed on the meter for daily rides (most of the day from 5 AM until 12 AM) and tariff 2 displayed on the meter for the night rides (from 0:00 AM until 5:00 AM) only. If you realize that he/she has overcharged you, you can always report this to the police, once you take the receipt and registration plates. A taxi ride from/to the airport to the Athens centre (anywhere in the city centre) is at the fixed flat rate: 38€ per car (night airport flat tariff is 54€ per car for the rides from 0:00 AM until 5:00 AM). For more information about the taxi rates, please, check our Transportation page>>>
NEIGHBOURHOODS TO AVOID: link>>>
