SAFETY AND SECURITY IN GREECE

How is Greece in 2014? 

Margaret Williamson, May 2014

In March 2014 we returned to Greece after a 2-year absence. We stayed away in the winter of 2012/13, disturbed by reports of theft (especially from foreign tourists). We had personally experienced the danger from illegal immigrants, who thronged the old ferry port at Patras and squatted near the port at Igoumenitsa.

We had also begun to feel uneasy cycling on country roads, where groups of illegal immigrants could be found, even in remote mountain villages. Read the warnings we wrote at that time:

A Greek Warning October 2012 

The Greek Tragicomedy 2012

What's Different in Greece in 2012?

Happily,we can now report that there are no longer problems at the ferry ports, where crowds of young men hoping to reach Italy used to hassle trucks and tourists alike, even (as happened to us twice) those arriving from Italy! On arrival in March 2014 we saw no sign of trouble at Igoumenitsa, nor at the new ferry port in Patras (further south along the waterfront, opposite the Praktiker store), which was well fenced and guarded. It seems that illegal immigrants or asylum seekers have been rounded up, and we saw none throughout the Peloponnese (unlike Southern Italy and Sicily, where they are still very much in evidence).

The roads, streets and villages are also free of illegals and, cycling in Greece, we certainly feel safer than in the UK. Away from cities, the roads are quiet and the drivers friendly. Again, it's very different from Italy and Sicily. Even though fuel is now much cheaper here than in Italy, Greek drivers cannot afford to go joy-riding at speed and many have laid up their cars and returned to using small motorbikes.

As regards security of the car, motorhome or caravan though, there is no room for complacency. At Sparta we have just met a Dutch couple on their first tour of Greece in a new motorhome. Sadly, they were on their way to Athens to have a smashed cab window and broken door lock replaced. Thieves had broken in to grab their SatNav (leaving camera and phone untouched) – not in a remote place but on the busy car park of the Lidl store at Messina, near Kalamata, where they were shopping. A store we know very well! It seems that no-one in the car park had intervened, the smash & grab robbers had gone, and the shop staff were unsympathetic and unhelpful (not their responsibility). The Dutch notified the police (a requirement of their insurance) and had to spend several hours going through paperwork in Greek with officers who didn't speak English. There seemed little prospect of an arrest!

Some simple precautions would have prevented this. For example:

On a supermarket car park, leave one person inside the motorhome if possible, while the other(s) go shopping. Supermarkets are a favourite place for break-ins and we've had similar reports from motorhomers in France and Sicily.

If you have to leave the motorhome unoccupied:

always unplug the SatNav and hide it (along with other valuables).

Always set the alarm.

Close the blinds (then thieves can't see what you have, or whether the vehicle is empty).

If there are two opening cab doors, chain them together.

This website contains a number of articles on security precautions written by motorhomers who have had personal experiences, particularly of being broken into overnight while free camping!

Motorhome Security: Rod Heeley

Motorhome Security: Martin Wiltshire 1

Motorhome Security: Martin Wiltshire 2

Motorhome Security: Christine Strawson

Motorhome Security: Ian and Sue

Motorhome Security: Advice for Truckers

The subject is also covered fully under 'Security' in our A to Z of Long-term Motorhoming