Tourist Scams in Greece
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- Опубліковано 5 чер 2024
- Are you heading to Athens or Santorini and are not sure what scams to look out for? Well here we go through some of the common tourist scams that tourists may run in to in Greece. In general Greece is a very safe country and tourists do not have a lot to worry about. However, there are a few things to keep your eye on!
Filmed in Athens, Greece
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Although Greece does have scamming, I have not personally come across any. Even with the bread and water, a waiter who could tell I was new to the country informed me the bread needed to be bought. In general, Athens is beautiful, the people are just as beautiful. Thank you Greece.
Athens is beautiful?? You must like graffiti.
@josephpapsidero3852 to each their own my brother :). To me the city feels raw and it attracts me heavily.
To each their own but for me, Athens was dirty and most of the businesses there were closed because of very high rent. More government corruption. We visited many of the islands off of Greece and that my friend was beautiful. If i ever came back to Greece, Athens would be avoided and places like, Crete, Mykonos, Santorini etc would get my money. I even loved the fact you could haggle everything that was for sale. Athens just seemed like the dirty alley ways of the 70's-80's NY days, dirty and unsafe.
Athens is very clean compared to NY in the 70s or even NY today@@abrown212
Yes bread and water (if is bottled) is paid , but usually offer free desserts at the end .
Paid air-condition is very uncommon.
Social system in Greece is broken for homeless and beggers.
Food is not expensive for USA and north Europe tourists , if you don't choose tourist trap restaurants.
Also avoid Santorini and Mykonos , are tourist traps and you pay for common free staff .
I just came back from a vacation in Rethymno, Crete and every restaurant we went to just brought us bread without asking and after the meal they also brought us desert and some alcohol. All of it was free, we were never charged for any of it. Maybe things are different on mainland Greece but at least on the island of Crete these things were all free.
Crete island is different yes. They're are giving more free stuff and of course raki drink can be delivered for free.
The dessert when you ask for the bill is very common in Athens as well. It's a way, for the restaurant, to say thank you. In small villages I may order a simple ouzo and they will serve you for free a lot of sides.
As a person from Crete I can confirm this. Also meal portions are larger here than the mainland for the same price.
TAXI . Yes. This is how dumb I am. I went there last year on a group tour. One of the first things the tour guide did was tell us how to check for legitimate taxis. So what I do when I'm on my own in Plaka when I'm ready to go back to my hotel? Jump in the first taxi I see without checking. It was a ripoff, not horrible break the bank ripoff, but the guy was an ahole. I was really mad at MYSELF because I had denied a legitimate, law-abiding taxi driver my fare and rewarded a bad one.
The place the British press have been mentioning this summer as Scam Central is the DK Oyster Bar in Mykonos. The general advice is NOT to go there as you'll be ripped off something awful. If a restaurant doesn't give you a menu with prices leave immediately and if it does take a picture of it with your cell phone to be on the safe side. I'm off to Crete on Monday, all advice welcome !
Same place is in polish press o.O I was in Mykonos only for one night stay and didn't go to expensive looking restaurant so I was fine - so other people also can be ;) beautiful place :)
Also to conclude DO NOT try to mess around with bodyguards anywhere.From Mykonos to Athens they can kick you out with force as the police doesn't care even if you call them to sue.
EH... OBVIOUSLY...SINCE MOST OF THESE BOUNCERS ARE EITHER THEIR STOOL PIGEONS...OR EX COPS THEMSELVES (... Usually corrupted ex cops, and that's why they chose this line of work, since they don't know what else to do in their lives) OR SIMPLY THEIR BUDDIES! THEREFORE AS A LOCAL MYSELF, I AGREE WITH THIS GUY...STAY AWAY FROM SUCH CHARACTERS!
The one that really shocked me was cutting the spaghetti 😂
Horrified!!!
Great advice! This was helpful. 😊❤
I just have to say that bread looked amazing! Would happily pay for that :)
Also yes thank you for mentioning Mykonos. Be very careful there especially. It's a party island of the rich & summer is insanely expensive there. There's always a few scandals in Greece every summer involving some restaurants and bars in Mykonos charging astronomical rates, like several hundred percent higher than typical. Cases of like a normal sized family ending up with a bill of thousands of euros for something that should be a couple hundred at most.
The expression '"Be wary of Greeks bearing gifts" is alive and well
BK
The correct expression is " Be wary of Danae (an ancient Greek tribe) and those who bearing gifts"
1:53 - this happened to me in Pisa. I'm a black woman and was with my family on a trip to the site. Another black woman ('50s) approached me, complimented me on my locs and said "hi 5!" I quickly did so and then she proceeded to try to get me to buy some jewellery from a guy in the opposite direction. I politely but firmly said "no thank you" after I felt odd about the situation, then carried on walking.
Love the editing on this video - looks great! :)
Thanks
Taxis are usually scammers so first things first ask for the counter to begin with your ride. Taxi drivers are probably the worst profession in our country. Uneducated people especially those over 50 .
Lots of taxi drivers I met in Greece were actually highly educated people, with a university degree, who couldnt get a proper job. Sadly.
TAXI SCAMS ARE BIG IN GREECE. i got scammed once... i asked a taxi guy there how much for fare to airport ( he told me 50 euros) 30 min drive. i said ok when we got to airport , the taxi cab guy never got out of his car until he was paid ( that was weird) i gave him 50 euros and when i turned my head i have noticed in the corner of my eye that he was reaching under his left leg very quickly for something. well that was 10 euros . he told me i gave him 10 not 50. so i gave him 40 more becuase i was afarid he would of took off with my luggage in his trunk of the car
Great info, thanks!
Thanks!
One of the things that I get irritated about Americans (and I’m one) is that we think things that are “free” actually are just incorporated into the overall cost of the dinner entrees. It’s an illusion that Americans need to just get over. If there is a cost to the restaurant then there WILL be a cost to the customer, either up front and fully transparent or hidden into the cost of other items. Nothing is free … EVER! Someone has to pay for it.
Know such thing as a free lunch and coming from the land of the free were tips can be upto 30% Americans should be savvy.
In Thessaloniki I never use Taxis.
Public Transportation is really cheap and reliable there.
It may be a bit inconvenient, because there are only buses and especially in the summer when it gets really hot but you're saving a lot of money and you can't get scammed.
Hey Mark, thanks for all the great advice. We will be heading there in the near future!!! If there are other things to look out for, do you have more videos about them?
Read my comment.
I just returned from the UK and Paris. Thanks to you and your good advice, I had no issues at all. If I go to Greece, I will need to go in the winter, as that heat would kill me.
Hey Mark, awesome video
Thanks TO
Thanks for sharing 😀
Youre welcome
thanks for this clear and to the point video
We found that restaurants near tourist areas charged much more than restaurants located only a short distance down the street.
Quite funny, almost exactly at the spot where you're standing in this video, these women were aggressively trying to give me and my girlfriend flowers, saying "free free", when we knew it's not gonna be free. We just said no thank you and kept walking.
I can hear them just reading your comment 😀
There is an old saying: “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”
I call them crooks.
Plenty other places to visit
Stay away from thief's
The charging extra for AC is not surprising, given that Greece has the most expensive electricity in Europe. Anybody who's ever paid an electricity bill in Greece knows what I mean. It's insane, and was already expensive even before the recent inflation the last couple years.
The new old government is going to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs fuel electricity sky high making it hard for both locals and tourists many choosing not to return as it’s gotten so expensive. I’m on Crete things even more expensive than the mainland.
I love your enthusiasm for Greece and the people. You're educating your children to be sociable and accepting of otjer cultures. It will stay with them forever ❤
Remember: Tap water is free, bottled water will usually cost around 2 euros (1L). If they bring anything other than a plastic bottle, it is TAP WATER. Generally in Greece it is drinkable, but if you are a tourist it might affect you so be very careful. Usually they will ask whether you want bottled or tap water anyways.
Thenk you for being fair ,you absolutely correct,,
I love you. Thank you
Sorry, but the part about beggars was very inaccurate.
My country has very serious poverty, unemployment and homelessness issues.
Many of those have been caused by the same mechanism that has turned it into a tourist destination.
Of course the government will say they are been taken care of, since it's the main culprit.
So, if you are visiting one of your colonies overseas, please consider sparing some cash to help the natives in need.
I can’t understand why only 60% voted in Greece what can the other 40% be thinking and you have a blue government like the U.K. which equals self indulgence and greed which will end in a Greek tragedy.
Thanks!!!
I will be going to Mykonos next week. Thank you for the heads up on the bread and water. I remember being given bread last year when I went to a restaurant with my friends in Mykonos. I had no idea that it is also footed to the bill so I will be keeping that in mind on this upcoming trip.
Bread is the least of your worries when visiting Mykonos. Get ready to be ripped off for everything... Regardless of how much you are willing to pay for your vacations.
Its pretty cheap but you get so much food no reason to need it 😀
Good tips
Greece is the word. It's got groove, it's got meaning.... sorry, feeling musical today. Great video, Million-Subscriber-Mark (soon!)
Thanks Steve-o!!!
Thanks for the tip man.
I’m in Thessaloniki right now
Have fun
Taxis! The change I was given was a photocopy of a 20 euro note! I stick to walking or take the public bus. I don’t take the metro ….
Ouch
Take Uber Taxi Greece. No drama!.
Me too! Exactly the same thing! Really bad photocopy too :(
The Raki is not a scam, just dangerous if you’re not careful with how much you have
I love your videos
I lived in Athens for a while and saw a great scam, right on that street where you’re standing. A woman was begging and had placed a cup with some change in it on the ground close to a sewer grate. I saw someone come and give her a donation, and when they stepped away they accidentally knocked the cup over, spilling some change into the sewer grate. The begging woman then demanded to be compensated for the money they’d knocked into the sewer grate. Next level.
Free things that they do offer to you is desserts and a shot of tsipouro at restaurants. They never try to scam with that, from what I have experienced.
Hey mark what are tour favorite foods in Greece? And does the food change when you go from Athens to Santorini for instance?
From a local.....: The menu is usually the same all over the country, but obviously according to the place you're gonna land into, there will be local specialities as well. Usually you will be able to tell the difference between them and the general Greek menu by their weird names (i.e: FLOGERA - Flute) but to make sure, go ahead and ask the restaurant owner to give you guidance in this. As for the usual Greek specialities...take your peak...: MUSAKA....SUTZUKI.....STIFADO....PASTITSIO....GIGANTES (Beans)....PAPUTSAKI....IMAM BAILDI (...a dish dated ever since the Ottoman occupation days...hence it's Turkish name)....AND OF COURSE THE EVERLASTING SOUVLAKI, AND GYROS...and so on...and so on....!!! I hope I've been of some help to you. Have a good day....
Most sound like common sense but still good to hear.
Thanks
thank you! hope it helped on your trips!
Hello my friend
Thanks for sharing this beautiful video
Alex Jones always giving us helpful info thanks!
❤😊❤
Hi Mark, I am going to Athens, Naxos and Santorini btw Aug 26 to Sept 6. But none of the ferry companies explain the difference between regular, business, and VIP seats! Do you know? Thanks in advance 😊
It depends on the type of the ferry. You can see deck seats for instance, which means you can choose your seat at the bar area, or on the couch/ around the tables etc. Then you have option for the numbered/pre-allocated seats that give you same comfort as the regular airplane seat. Business and VIP are in a separate area, again pre allocated and most often have own bars etc. Finally, student seats are applicable to those in Greek Universities only. Hope it helps.
@claudiaperri2906 Yes it does, thank you so much!
Are there pickpockets on very touristy islands such as Mykonos and Santorini?
Especially on the popular islands if you are in a with a group with a tour guide clubbing at bars.. Are eating at restaurants after you leave the guide goes back and gets a commission for taking the tourists there
5:29 genuine question. Are those portions meant to be shared with table? Is that a thing in Greece? I know in the U.S. everyone gets their individual plates so I don’t know if that was a thing in Greece as well or not.
That's a huge plate for everyone to bed shared on a table. You take a piece to your own 🍽️.
Remember having Greek national dish in restaurant the potatoes were black inside, the vegetables were well past their sell by date... disgusting meal, beware some restaurants use old veg etc for tourist meals.
I want to visit Greece, but after watching the clips from your video, I will never go there in the summer. I've heard April is a great month. Maybe October. Would love to hear the comments from your subscribers about this.
July and August are the worst months to visit us for various reasons. June is a perfect month to visit Athens AND the islands are going to be much cheaper.
Start of September gets better. October might be "too cold" for a "summer" vacation ;)
Oct was just as buzy... just go and pretent you are all a lone😊
We went in September and it was perfect. Santorini and Athens were not too crowded and the weather was perfect.
I went to Skiathos, weather was perfect
I’m confused about the taxis. What should I watch out for?
Currently visiting Zagreb, what you got to say about it.
The worst city for pickpocketing!
I still say Barcelona is the worst 😀
For job reasons I travelled from Bangkok to Denmark and I choose to have a stopover in Athens. I had booked a hostel in the centre, and I then I read about Athens how dangerous it is in the metro, and the area around my hostel especially dangerous.
It was totally exaggerated. No pickpocketing attempts, and even late in the evening I felt safe. And I am not a 120kg body builder, and I am not very tall and muscle manly...
Bread and water are a must at a tavern or a restaurant. They charge you 1-2 euros per person typically. If you are ordering a greek salad (horiatiki) deep the bread in the olive oil/juices of the salad. DO IT! Also as a Greek if the tavern doesn't offer free of charge a fruit or a little dessert when you ask for the bill, I consider it as bad practice. It pretty common for then to do so. Tipping in Greece is very appreciated even a small amount, for example yesterday at a pizzeria the bill was €46,00 I paid €50,00 which is OK. Keep in mind that the average waiter makes only €30-40 for 8-10h shift.
I hope not too many people visit other islands than Mykonos, Santorini, Crete. All you'll manage to do is drive the prices up there as well and make it worse for people already visiting.
Though the only thing I would say is that restaurants bring you tap water, that is indeed free, however if it's bottled than you will pay.
Also Mykonos especially is not like the rest of greece when it comes to prices. We call I the ibiza of Greece.
You should have named that one Greek restaurant that overcharges people by the beach. They charge you per gram on their seafood. They charge you by ounce for drink. They avoid giving you the menu so you can’t read it.
A pro tip for someone living 10 min from the Acropolis: Go to a local BAKERY and buy bread. Greek bread is really amazing, ask for prozymee. Coffee in bakeries "freddo espresso" is also great, for an american it might be to strong though.
Phone on table top doesn 't apply to me, as I hate eating outside and never does.
😀
Do!
Taxis are the biggest scam in Greece. Those drivers are just not using the meters but give you a surprise at the end of the trip. Make sure you ask them to use meters and get the receipt. The best way is always to book a taxi on Uber which doesn’t rip you off.
Any Greek island suggestions for a family on a budget?
stay away from Mykonos and Santorini. Kos and Samos are nice and they have airports. Rhodes also. On the Ionian see Lefkada & Kefalonia.
How do they know how many slices one has eaten ? Do they watch you and count, or do you have to pay for the whole bread thingy ?
you pay for all the bread they gave you, no matter how much (if any) you ate
@@MaraMara89 That is good to know. I only saw it in Portugal and I knew that I had to say: no bread please
You have to watch when the guy says you dropped something, you bend over, and then MOON RIVER!!! Hey doc, did you ever do time??
compare always price on numbeo between cities and check where is cheaper. Greece is cheaper than Italy for example but you should always ask prices or check the menu on every bar,restaurant. If you plan to visit Mykonos or Santorini you ll pay double prices no matter what you ll do or how much you ll search. You pay the name of the place. And Santorini has also insane prices for owner. For a small bar owner can pay 5000-10000Euro per month for rental
Funny thing is or was (as I went in 2020) flights to/from Mykonos was the cheapest ones from my country to any place in Greece. So we went to Athens then to Mykonos by prom and back from Mykonos. Hostel was way more expensive than in Athens, but if you want to eat "cheap" you can live on souvlaki and fries ;) so if you careful and plan ahead Mykonos can be great experience
Turkey to I was Booked resort fairly price , breakfast and diner was free , Night time entertinment icluded but Moscutious were unbareable to stay evening outside inside also Day time ACs were cut off evening few hours work then after midnight turned off which summer time there were quiet become Hot .
As a Greek everything he says is the truth
If you are looking to go and have a nice and relaxing time with your family, I'd avoid the places where all tourists go. Athens is Athens and there is a lot to see and do there, but when it comes to islands there are so many options. Just because you've never heard of them, it doesn't mean you won't have a nice time there. Tinos, Milos, Ios, etc. Do your research, google greek islands, and take it from there.
I am Greek living abroad and been mugged twice the last 2 years in Athens Gkazi . Pickpockets are the least of your worries they get knifes out for your mobile these days ... Both time were Albanian teens . Be safe do not walk alone around omonoia square or even Gkazi late at night , don't be on your phone distracted .
In general Greak people can be a little rude with the money,😊
Would an English/Spanish speaking American be able to communicate well with the locals there?
For sure. Almost everyone below 50 y.o. speaks english, at least in Athens. Every staff member around the tourist center speaks English also.
The taxis are a big rip-off. If you're at a hotel, get the number for the cab company and order one in advance. They speak English. The last time I tried to get a taxi impulsively and he tried to scam me, I swore at him in Greek, loud enough for every tourist to hear. Then I went to another cab.
Besides being charged one Euro for three small slices of bread at a restaurant on Poros Island(they didn't ask me if I wanted it, they included it with the entree and added the euro charge to the tab), the only annoyance I encountered was a number of instances of people entering the Athens Metro on my card swipe, moving through the gate behind me before the gate closed. This usually happened in Metro stations in lower income neighborhoods such as the Victoria station.
Be careful in the neighborhood immediately to the southwest of Omonia. Open air drug use and sketchy people walking around. But, there's no reason for tourists to be there anyway.
Bread, knife and fork are always charged in Greece - as well as in Italy. It is not scam. It is the way it is, even for the locals.
What is the best place to travel with a newborn or small child?
Crete they love children.
Crete, all Greeks love family.. No rip offs!
Have you been to Corfu? If so, good place for a tourist?
Very beautiful island with nice beaches. Looks like Italy.
I visited Corfu as part of a West Med cruise. It's beautiful there, and I would suggest driving up to Bella Vista Viewpoint for an INCREDIBLE view of the coastline from waaaaay high up. I was pretty sure I could see the Greek coast in the distance from that height also. There was also a lovely restaurant up there where we got some cold beverages and icecream.
To order Uber from your app it’s easy and stress less. Those taxis driver want to charge for the number of passengers, and luggages if you have! I loved Athens, but I’ve never visited a country which the taxi driver start to tell you that you are many people, and so many luggages, and he has to pay for tolls etc. The one I took from the airport charged me 70 euros when there was written at the taxi stop at the airport, a fix price for 45 euros. As soon as he started driving out of the airport, he started to speak very loud to intimidate, and only understood English when was convenient for him. I will never take taxi again in Athen. I will either use public transport, or just Uber.
Greece.. Try Crete.. You will NOT be scammed.. Every taverna will give you bekra meze.. (a free starter) also free desert and raki.... Athens, Theseloniki, Santorini are too touristy.. Been coming to Crete for 28 yrs.. Not once have I been scammed(left my handbag once with €1,000 in it.) . Went back and it was intact!!!
Im in Greece as im typing this and these are some things ive came across. Firstly i came across some beggars in Athens. They were little girls around 6 years old it seems and they look so "innocent", my mum then spotted the girls go back to their mum and saw her point at us, seemingly looking like she said she failed to get money off us. We do know there are plans fo them already through the gov as he said.
Seccomdly, I also spotted a woman going up to women tourists with red roses and she came out of knowhere...She gave it to them for "free" and helped put it in their hair to look nice.....and obviously asked for money after:/ :0🤣 but still a great country with little things to stress over. Just enjoy it.
Anyone know who Wolter is.
The content creator.
Good assessment. As a foreigner living here for over 3 decades I have to say that Greeks are super friendly but you will always get the occasional assholes who will rob you, mostly the immigrants. So hold on to your wallets. Also don't bother to visit places like Mykonos or Santorini because their prices are so outrageous even Greeks don't go there. There are tons of other great Greek islands you can visit. From young family friendly budget islands to young heavy party goers. Just do your homework first before you book. Good luck and have fun!
Iran has beautiful places and various foods
Salam!
Yes! Iran is best with friendliest people in the world, and nearly no scams. I enjoyed my time there a lot.
Khuda hafidh!
@@hassanalihusseini1717 Hello my friend
pleasure
thank you
I will go Norden germany, no scams there!!!
they gotta pay off their debt
Hi Mark, ditch the wipes that you have on the video it is very distracting and takes the focus away from the contents you are providing. Thanks
What about the Nigerians asking you to go dancing with them, scam or legit?
We have the euro so nobody wants your dollars. We prefer phones, laptops and watches
I don't know who needs to hear this but stop saving all your money. Invest some of it if you want financial freedom.
"How to Build the Parthenon and make the Barbarians pay for it" by Don Trumpopoulos, c. 400 BC.
After 30 years of travelling to greece. This is totally not representative of what we have experienced. Very poor advice
Watch out for the dodgy and aggressive black guys in Athens
We are glad to pay the braid in Greece, this keeps us fit.. if it was free we could eat more and more and become fat tourists🤫🤫🤫🤫
We are not gipsies here, we pay and leave tips and stop please talking bad about my country, keep yourself busy .