Greece : Safety by City
Greece is a European country often referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and culture.
It has had a huge impact on European art, culture, history, philosophy, language, etc.
It is brimming with historic artifacts and remains of its history that tourists and visitors rush to see every year, and to top it all off, it also flaunts its gorgeous turquoise coastline, one of the prettiest ones in entire Europe.
It’s got around 6,000 islands, sandy beaches and clear waters, bright as day.
Greece really is a dream for tourists, and while it is generally safe, there are parts of it that should be avoided if possible.
However, following basic common sense and watching out for any possible dangers should get you through the trip smoothly.
Warnings & Dangers in Greece
OVERALL RISK: LOW
Greece is a very safe country to travel to. Tourists are unlikely to experience any crime or violence. The only concern is petty crime on the streets, but if you apply the basic precaution measures, your trip should go smoothly.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
Taxis and other means of transportation are, overall, very safe to use in Greece.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
Pickpocketing and bag snatching does exist, but it's not as common as you would expect. Picpockets usually lurk around popular tourist destinations and big cities like Athens, but applying simple precaution measures should minimize this risk.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
Other than the ever-present risk of drowning at sea, there are no other threats in Greece when it comes to natural disasters.
MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
Greece is relatively safe when it comes to mugging or kidnapping. It rarely happens to tourists, but you should avoid dangerous areas. Ask around for advice or in local tourist organizations regarding what parts of Greece to avoid.
TERRORISM RISK: LOW
Even though there haven't been any terrorist attacks in Greece's recent history, they shouldn't be ruled out.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
Since Greece is a top tourist destination, it is no wonder that people will try to scam you, especially during summer when the number of tourists increases. Watch out for street vendors trying to rip you off and overcharge for their service, double check the authenticity of everything you want to buy as well as the change you receive and negotiate everything in advance.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
It is very safe for women to travel to Greece. Just following common sense and applying basic precaution measures (not walking around in the dark, in empty streets, not finding yourself alone with strange men) should ensure that your travel goes without any incidents.
So... How Safe Is Greece Really?
Greece is very safe to visit.
Ranked 39th on the ranking of world’s safest countries, it is very welcoming towards its tourists and risks that are listed here are unlikely to happen, and even more so to tourists, but they shouldn’t be ruled out due to the serious economic crisis Greece is in and due to the fact that it really is a top tourist destination.
Pickpocketing and bag snatching are serious issues in Greece, especially around tourist landmarks and in crowded places, so it would be best to either leave your money at your hotel or just carry it in a very safe place near your body so it couldn’t get snatched.
Never carry all your money in the same place. Even though petty crime is common, violent crime is unlikely to happen.
The only thing that can happen is fights between intoxicated tourists on the streets and even that doesn’t happen more than it would in any other country.
Since the economic crisis, there have been some organized protests happening in Greece, which can lead to fights between the police and the protesters so you should avoid any kinds of public gatherings connected to the politics, for your own safety.
Apart from looking out for your belongings and staying vigilant for any pickpockets, you are unlikely to experience any crime in this gorgeous country.
How Does Greece Compare?
| Country | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Greece | 73 |
| Morocco | 54 |
| Czech Republic | 88 |
| Latvia | 80 |
| Cyprus | 75 |
| Slovenia | 87 |
| Bulgaria | 80 |
| Vietnam | 73 |
| Portugal | 57 |
Useful Information
Visas
Visas for Greece are usually not required for any stays lasting less than 90 days, and EU residents can stay in the country for as long as they like. Your passport should be valid for at least six months past the date of your return from the country you are visiting. However, if you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need visa based on your nationality.
Currency
Euro is the official currency in Greece. You can exchange your money in exchange offices and banks all around Greece, and use ATMs normally. There are, however, some restrictions when it comes to the amount of money you can withdraw per day. Greece is relatively cheap compared to other European tourist destinations, so you can count on spending between 60 and 80€ per day.
Weather
The weather in Greece is sunny and warm during summer, mild during autumn and spring and cold during winter. It has all four seasons of the year, although they are milder. The best time to visit is during summer, from May to September, although you should count on major crowds along the coastline at that time of year. Major cities can be visited all year long.
Airports
The busiest airport in Greece is Athens International Airport, located in Athens, and the second busiest one is Heraklion International Airport.
Travel Insurance
Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Greece, since it covers not only the costs of medical problems, but also theft and loss of valuables.
Greece Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 13 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 23 | 18 | 15 |
| Low °C | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| High °F | 55 | 57 | 61 | 68 | 77 | 84 | 91 | 90 | 84 | 73 | 64 | 59 |
| Low °F | 45 | 45 | 46 | 52 | 61 | 68 | 73 | 73 | 68 | 59 | 52 | 46 |
Greece - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Athens | 66 |
| Heraklion | 82 |
| Kos | 81 |
| Rhodes | 83 |
| Thessaloniki | 63 |
Stunning islands, recommended
My family visit Greece every other year! Last time we went to Kos, and although the vacation was boring compared to others, it’s still a very safe and beautiful country. We’re going to Naxos next year following the advice of my parents. I’ve also been to Rhodes, Corfu and Santorini, always a pleasure. Just be careful of street scammers, there are quite a few but are usually easy to spot.
Crete island,you love it.
Safe and beautiful
I travel to Greece once a year to visit my father who never wanted to leave his homeland. I go to Ikaria which is a stunning island with a beautiful blue sea. The ratings on this page are correct but I have to point out that there have been terrorist attacks in Greece, although most have been non-fatal. That aside, you won’t have problems in Greece.
what terror attacks?
What terror attacks?!!
Where?
Nice country
I have loved every trip to Greece. I have been there a total of 5 times. I plan on going this year again. The only drawback is for people who are either allergic to cats or don’t like them. My wife, unfortunately, has a cat allergy so it made both our trips there together a bit tricky!
Why cats do they have too many
Only on miow miow island
Greece is not safe pick picketers all over please don’t go the police not friendly
mmed
you are right, its the heaven for pick pocketers, I have lost some 800 euros, police just written a complaint to give a receipt for getting insurance if possible..dry city, just ruins are there. not worth to visit as it was a name once.
THE TEAL GREECE....ITS FABULOUS
THIS SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE…….the Grrek people are lovely honest and friendly ….crime is very low and almost always carried put by immigrants from Africa or Arabia..even then this is restricted to pick pockets or bag snatching.. but this is just in the big cities…..on the islands the locals leave there keys in cars when parked!!!
Absolutely. You’re right. It’s very safe. I only ever had a few problems with children who threw stoned at me thinking I was a tourist. I think their parents must have had a bad experience with tourists and their children ganged up on me and pelted me with stones on the way home from supermarket in broad daylight. My husband later wen
Dry Dusty City with only relics? Not the Greece, I visited back in ’21. Went in early October weather was breezy towards the evenings but otherwise OK. Loved the beach on Naxos though the one on Paros was filled with jellyfish that hurt.
People friendly and helpful and even more when you can speak a little Greek, you’d be surprised how many doors that can open.
You must be a Turk
Beautiful Country, Beautiful People
The scammers and pickpockets are in the tourist-filled areas. Visit the villages and places that aren’t tourist traps and you’ll find that Greeks are good people who can be trusted.
Hospitals jammed if you getbsick or are injured, you are on your own. Save Greece for when pandemic is over. Andrew
Precisely
And if you are sick or meaten by a thug, hospitals are full. Don’t go to Greece, especiallynAthens ubless you are a glutton for punishment. Andrew
Pickpocket risks should be high
Got pickpocketed on the first day in Athens metro. Crazy cus we have taken extra precautions. Other places were amazing. Except we can’t hang around places like Monastiraki square without being bothered, approached or scammed!!!
To work
I wana hoi grcee
Amazing Greece
Amazing and safe place to travel
I would love it if you could send me a free Visa of one month to see how the counter is
Don’t knh abt it
Went to Rhodes for many years . Loved Pefcos ,but as we got older it became to hilly for us .So now we go to Zante. Love Greece and the people. They are so friendly
the safest and most beautiful country to visit on the Mediterranean Sea
Amazing capital city of Athens with Acropolis and all the ancient history, traditional food (souvlaki, gyros), the center of ancient Greek civilization.
The beautiful tropic Greek islands (over 3.000) with the combination of amazing Mediterranean weather, the crystal sea and wonderful beaches, the always shining sun and the night life (Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos, Crete etc)
you must visit Greece at least one time in your life and you defiantly going to enjoy it!
🤬🤮
This site is spreading total lies and misinformation.Do not believe it. Crime rates and road safety are at hell right now. You better go to Iran. Dressed as a Jew. No offense. Government doesn’t care and you’re better off with the hope of someone random finding you instead of the police. Overall, you’ll be mugged, murdered or driven to insanity by other drivers. Have a great evening everyone. Away from Greece .
u r right, i support yr statmnt
Based on what evidence / statistical data?
Imagine visiting Greece and thinking is just like Iraq / Iran ! I do not know where you live , but i do not think your view is representative of the country. Your name maybe Afroxylanthi , and maybe you live in some of the slums in Athens but the overall crime rate in Greece especially now is well below the average in EUROPE.
When arguing online about something so vital it is good to present facts and not just an opinion. This is the current trend of the crime rate.
It is the lowest its ever been. Greece is much more safer now than it was 10 or 20 years ago!
Do not mislead people. Its also good to mention that the overall C02 emissions of Greece have been reduced back to the 1980s period !
Do not assume that a situation affecting your specific region is the same for the whole country. Have a nice day ! I hope i shed some light in to this whole thing! Also if there are statistics that prove otherwise i would be happy to give them a thorough check ! i could not find any in my research!
I used Bing , Google and Qwant to find the aforementioned Results
Here to dismantle propaganda of Afroxylanthi
Your name is not Afroxylanthi and you most probably are a paid troll or somebody who just doesn’t like that Greece is getting so many tourists in comparison to your country (whatever that might be, doesn’t interest anybody). Just because a random troll like you writes a toxic comment without any proof, doesn’t mean we have to take your word for it.
Greece is overall very safe. You can google up US Travel Advisory and figure it out yourself. The crime rate in Greece has historically been amongst the lowest in Western Europe, and continues to be. in 2017, only 78 homicides in a population of 10.5mio. A record 10-year low. So you can shove your “overall, you’ll be murdered in Greece” somewhere else. Maybe in your third-world country you crawled out from.
Police corruption is the lowest in the Balkans. There is not a single case of police officers trying to get money from you. Maybe this happens in your country, so you are salty that Greece has a Western style, non-corrupt police force. Grow up and get over it.
Traffic is indeed a thing in Greece. You have to be careful, since most of the Greek people drive offensively. That’s why Greece has high accident rates. So somebody has to be extra careful when crossing a street or driving, especially two-wheeled motorbikes. But this is common sense, since you are in a foreign country.
You are totally wrong
I go to Greece every year !
My wife which is an USA citizen, loves Greece
No one bothered us
I have been going to Greece every year for the past 40 years. You are being mendacious.
Disinformation
Totally inaccurate. Otherwise how you explain that millions of tourists visit every year. I go regularly. You have a point about driving. Very aggressive drivers. (I am one of them:). If you can drive in NYC you are good to do in Athens. Otherwise use taxis.
wow, have been to Greece and it is totally safe, honestly cannot compare to other countries and people are extremely friendly. Loved it and extremely beautiful.
Danger
I was robbed in the hotel at the ATM as well as in the train in Athens. Not a single cop could be seen in metro area. Travel at your own risk. Also found others who were robbed.
Amazing country, but high risk of pickpocketing, be careful about your stuff all the time. Also, Athens is very dirty and drivers don’t care about your or their life so be careful in traffic. Great food.
Afroxyl is attention seeking. He’s never been out of his mother’s basement.
Stay away from Athens
Athens is a very dirty city. Totally unacceptable. Police does not seem to want to emforce the law. Hordes of illegals and gypsies are everywhere. Very sad but true. The amazingly clean metro system is full of pickpockets and gangs of gypsies and there is no police to be seen. Clearly the country side is more safe.
Greece is actually a very safe country, there is a high risk of pickpockets but take precautions and you’ll be fine.
Besides, Greece is 1 of the lowest countries in Europe with police corruption, so don’t believe the comments about corrupt police
I am look for a job
My LOVE FOR GREECE
Love Greece to the max , beautiful friendly people,visited many islands , a favourite SYROS ISLAND ‼️Go to Rome & see how dirty that is & lots of Gypsies !! As An Australian our love for Greece is up for here & we are dying to return to our favourite islands & friends . Have never experienced theft , abuse or scammers!
As a civilian of Greece,stay away from here. Police violence is out of control. We are under strict lockdown since the starts of November 2020. Prime minister will open the lockdown only if tourists come,he does not care for us. 40% of the bars,cafes, restaurants etc. are closed permanently. We are under dictatorship
Beware of the tricksters commenting on this site!
Sounds to me that these naysayers know the truth so who are they and why would they insist on spreading propaganda? I will venture a guess, they are probably Greek Residents that hate tourism and wishes he did not have to encounter tourists. What better way to scare people off than to make them think they may not make it back alive! The stats speak for themselves though so I will just say.. Nice Try!
I wouldn’t really agree woth Greek C.
I’m Greek, and live in Athens, but always wished for more tourists. 🤩
I love when tourists come over to visit us!! It’s always a pleasure to have them here 😄🇬🇷
Misleading
This is misleading, Greece currently has a junta and police brutality and they do not care about anyone’s health, longest lockdown, most covid deaths in europe etc
Wrong, wrong and more wrong.COVID cases amongst lowest in Europe per capital. I have traveled to Greece six times and find it one of the safest places to visit. All large cities have problems with crime and traffic. I choose islands, small towns and villages when I travel abroad.
The safety of Greece by a Greek
I am Greek and I live in a bad rumoured area of Athens. The only real problem in Greece is pickpocketing. But if you aware areas (in Athens) like Gyzi, Sepolia, Kato Patisia, Exarchia, Omonia and Menidi there is no problem in the rest of Athens. As Greek I recommend Greece I am sure you will not regret it.
Be aware always
Overall, Greece is a lovely country. That said, Athens can be treacherous as there are many pickpockets especially around the travel hubs like ports and train stops. I have travelled all around the world and Athens is the only place I was robbed. Be smart and aware of your surroundings at all times- true of any place you travel. And do not look like a tourist!! Do not wear expensive clothes and especially no jewelry!
Great visit to Greece, despite event of pickpocketing.
We visited Athens, several cities and areas on the Peleponese penninsula and the island of Amorgos in 2019. We suffered pickpocketing on the subway from airport to hotel in centra Athens on the first day in Greece. Lost phone and credit card. Despite that, it was one of the best trips we have ever had. We made some mistakes in security. I pulled out my phone and talked to seemingly friendly strange and fellow travelers, but they may have been part of the scam. Our hotel host was amazingly helpful in dealing with this. My husband got all his wallet contents back, and lost only cash. Of course, it was unsettling, but not terribly painful. We are returning in Sept 2021 and look forward to it.
Our summer heaven
Greece has been our summer go-to destination for over 10 years. Since their economy went through so many crashes some people are left in extreme poverty. Yes, this doesn’t justify robberies or pickpocketing but at least it provides a good background to understand the why. I’m paranoid by default so I always keep as little money on me as possible. Also, no to fancy jewelry or flashing your phone.
So many options
Greece will forever be a top destination for our little summer getaway! Our first vacation there was in 2015 and we have come back every year since.
Having visited different locations every time I can safely say that you get a different experience depending on what you decide to visit.
Safety-wise, most problematic areas are in bus stations, crowded markets or regarding belongings left unattended on the beach. We had zero problems so far but we’re the kind of couple that always looks out four times before crossing the road haha.
If you’re on an island and stay at a resort it’s obvious you won’t have any problems. If you explore ruin sites or any other touristy crowded destination I would suggest keeping your phone, spare change and ID safe, they have some very slick pickpockets, especially the children.
There are tons of villas on Airbnb that even offer accommodation for pets so don’t rush into booking a suite. Sometimes trendier destinations are way overpriced while also offering the bare accommodations – we got screwed once, never again.
Santorini is great for a couple escape, they have one of the most luxurious hotels. Canaves Oia Suites was a lucky win for us. We knew we wanted to visit Oia when this gorgeous village started pooping on our insta quite a lot.
Kefalonia, Lefkada, Corfu, these are great family destinations with activities for the whole family.
If privacy is a huge issue for you, I would definitely check Serifos. My wife was the one who booked this stay where we managed to relax like never before. Blue waters, quiet beaches, a modern paradise.
Travel insurance is a must, we never travel without, especially when traveling abroad. Since covid is still present and flights can be delayed at any moment this gives us some peace of mind.
My son lives in Greece. I visit often and when he at working I go shopping. My camera was stolen and found the people very rude. They are only nice when you are in a tourist area.
Not so safe for women, but a beautiful place to travel
This says that Greece is safe for women but I found Crete to be extremely unnerving to travel around as a woman. The island itself was awesome and I would recommend it generally but I was with my sister and her friend and I swear 95% of the men we passed by would cat call and actively chase after us (even turning around on the road and chasing after us in their cars and scooters).. that may be a slight exaggeration from memory but not by much. If you look Greek no one will bother you but if you are pale skinned with lighter hair and lighter eyes oh man… it was crazy. And yet no one warned us about this and I haven’t heard anything about it since! This was a while ago now so maybe things have changed a bit but I would really question the high safety rating given here – it’s a bit deceiving.
Never been but wondering how safe for young teenage boys & girls. Kidnappings?