These are the tourist scams Trzly has documented across Griekenland, grouped by destination. Each one is real, with a clear way to stay safe. Read before you land.
Hoe het werkt: Drivers claim the meter is broken, quote an inflated flat price, run a higher night tariff by day, or add invented surcharges, especially on airport and port runs.
Hoe het te vermijden: Know the fixed airport fare in advance, insist on the meter or the set rate for the airport, use a ride-hailing app where possible, and pay with small, counted notes.
Hoe het werkt: A friendly local or 'tourist' invites a solo traveller, often near Syntagma or Omonia, to a bar where drinks are spiked or a huge bill appears, enforced by intimidating staff.
Hoe het te vermijden: Be wary of strangers steering you to a specific bar, choose your own well-reviewed venue, never leave a drink unattended, and leave immediately if anything feels staged or pushy.
Hoe het werkt: Someone asks you to sign a petition or donate to a 'charity', often with a clipboard, to distract you and press for money while an accomplice may target your bag.
Hoe het te vermijden: Decline politely and keep walking. Do not sign anything or open your bag, and keep valuables secured when groups approach you near busy squares and sights.
Hoe het werkt: Thieves work the crowded metro, especially the airport and central lines, and busy tourist spots, using bumps and distractions to lift phones and wallets.
Hoe het te vermijden: Keep bags zipped and in front of you, avoid back pockets, and stay alert as train doors open and close and in packed squares and markets like Monastiraki.
Hoe het werkt: Some tourist-facing tavernas, especially near the Old Port and the busiest lanes, have vague or missing prices, push 'specials' with no listed cost, or bill fish at a high per-kilo rate so the total lands far above what you expected.
Hoe het te vermijden: Choose places with clear printed prices, ask the cost of any special and the weight and total for fish before ordering, and check the itemised bill. A small cover charge for bread is normal in Greece; a padded total is not.
Hoe het werkt: A driver may refuse the meter and quote a high flat fare once he hears you are a tourist, take a longer route, or steer you to a shop, tour or restaurant that pays him a commission rather than the place you asked for.
Hoe het te vermijden: Insist on the meter or agree a fair fixed price before getting in, and say clearly where you want to go. There is no Uber or Careem on Corfu, so use official ranks, ask your hotel the going rate, and decline unsolicited shopping or restaurant suggestions.
Hoe het werkt: A rental shop may hand over a scooter or ATV with existing scratches and dents, then claim you caused them on return and charge for the repair, or hold a large cash deposit against 'damage'.
Hoe het te vermijden: Photograph and video the vehicle from all sides before you leave, note every existing mark with the staff, and read the deposit and insurance terms. Rent from established shops with clear paperwork rather than the cheapest roadside stand.
Hoe het werkt: Some ATMs and card machines offer to charge you in your home currency instead of euros, at a poor built-in exchange rate, and independent ATMs may add high withdrawal fees on top.
Hoe het te vermijden: Always choose to be charged in euros and let your own bank convert, decline the offered 'conversion', and prefer bank ATMs over standalone tourist machines to keep fees down.
Hoe het werkt: Shops in the busiest lanes may start olive-wood carvings, kumquat products and 'handmade' souvenirs at high prices, or present ordinary factory goods as rare local crafts.
Hoe het te vermijden: Compare a few shops before buying, be sceptical of grand authenticity claims, and buy kumquat liqueur, olive oil and crafts from established local producers rather than the first stall by the cruise dock.
Hoe het werkt: Some drivers, especially from the airport, port or busy ranks, avoid starting the meter, claim a flat 'tourist' price, or add vague extras, leaving you paying well over the true fare.
Hoe het te vermijden: Ask for the meter (Tariff 1 in the city, Tariff 2 at night or out of town) before setting off, or agree a price first. Know that airport and port surcharges are legitimate, but keep it reasonable and use only official ranks or a booking app.
Hoe het werkt: At some waterfront tavernas, fresh fish and seafood are priced per kilo rather than per portion, and a casually chosen fish can produce a surprisingly large bill.
Hoe het te vermijden: Always ask the price per kilo and have the fish weighed in front of you before it is cooked, so you know the cost. Confirm the total for your chosen piece, and be wary of menus with no printed prices near the harbour.
Hoe het werkt: Near the Knossos entrance, people may offer to guide you for a fee, attach themselves without a clear price, or push a rushed tour, then demand a steep sum at the end.
Hoe het te vermijden: Buy your ticket at the official booth or online, and use only licensed guides, who carry official ID, or the site's own information and audio guide. A polite, firm 'no thank you' is enough to decline the rest.
Hoe het werkt: Shops on the main tourist streets may start prices high, present ordinary goods as rare or hand-made, or sell overpriced 'Cretan' oil, honey and herbs to visitors who do not compare.
Hoe het te vermijden: Compare a few shops, buy food products from proper delis, supermarkets or village producers, and be sceptical of pushy 'special price for you' pitches. Fixed-price shops away from the harbour are usually fairer.
Hoe het werkt: In a busy cafe or bar, or with a bill that lumps together cover charges and service, it is easy to be handed the wrong change or charged for extras you did not notice.
Hoe het te vermijden: Check the menu and the printed bill, count your change, and query anything unclear politely. Carrying small notes and coins for cafes, kiosks and buses avoids most mix-ups.
Hoe het werkt: Some fashionable beach clubs and bars quote vague prices, add hidden minimum-spend charges, or present a shockingly large bill for drinks, sunbeds or bottle service, backed by pushy staff.
Hoe het te vermijden: Ask for prices and any minimum spend in writing before you sit or order, check the menu, keep your receipts, and be especially careful with bottle service and sunbed 'packages'.
Hoe het werkt: With few taxis on the island, drivers may quote inflated flat fares, especially late at night from the port, airport or party beaches, or add vague extras.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use the official taxi rank or a booking app, agree the fare before setting off, know that legitimate luggage and airport surcharges are small, and keep small notes.
Hoe het werkt: A few tourist-facing spots show menus without clear prices or push fresh fish 'by the kilo', then hand over a far bigger bill than expected.
Hoe het te vermijden: Only order where prices are clearly written, confirm the cost of fish and specials by weight before agreeing, and walk away if a place will not show clear prices.
Hoe het werkt: In packed lanes, bars and at the ports, thieves use crowding and distraction to lift phones and wallets, especially late at night.
Hoe het te vermijden: Keep bags zipped and in front, avoid back pockets, and stay aware of your belongings in crowded bars and when boarding busy boats and buses.
Hoe het werkt: In the busiest Old Town lanes and around Mandraki, some places lure you in with touts, then hand over inflated or handwritten bills with vague 'service' charges, mystery cover fees, or drinks priced far above the menu.
Hoe het te vermijden: Eat where there is a clear, printed and priced menu, and skip anywhere with an aggressive person pulling you in. Confirm prices before ordering, check the itemised bill against the menu, and do not be rushed into paying a total you cannot see broken down.
Hoe het werkt: Some drivers avoid the meter for tourists, claim it is broken, quote a high flat price, or add extra passengers and detours, leaving you paying well above the real fare.
Hoe het te vermijden: For metered city trips insist the meter is on before you move; for the airport agree the set fare first. Better still, use Uber Taxi, which fixes the price in advance and removes the argument, and know that fares rise slightly at night and on Sundays.
Hoe het werkt: Standalone tourist ATMs and card machines often offer to charge you in your home currency ('dynamic currency conversion'), which hides a poor exchange rate and extra fees, and some tack on high withdrawal charges.
Hoe het te vermijden: Always choose to be charged in euros, not your home currency, when a machine asks. Use ATMs attached to real banks where possible, decline strangers who offer to 'help' at the machine, and prefer paying by card charged in euros.
Hoe het werkt: Sellers at Mandraki and Kolymbia push boat trips, 'private' Symi day tours or beach excursions with promises that do not always match the boat, the schedule or the crowd on the day.
Hoe het te vermijden: Book with an established operator, confirm exactly what is included, the boat, the timings and the return, and read recent reviews. Be sceptical of a hard-sell price that is 'only for today' and pay in a way that leaves a record.
Hoe het werkt: Shops on the main tourist streets may start prices very high, present ordinary goods as handmade or rare, or push overpriced 'local' honey, oil or sponges to visitors who do not compare.
Hoe het te vermijden: Compare a few shops before buying and be ready to negotiate on higher-priced items. Buy food and craft products from established shops rather than pavement stalls, and treat 'antique' or 'handmade' claims with healthy scepticism.
Hoe het werkt: Handlers offer donkey rides up the steep Fira cliff path, then charge far more than quoted, and the animals are often overloaded in the heat, an animal-welfare concern.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use the cable car instead, which is quick and comfortable. If you do consider a ride, agree the exact price first, and many visitors choose to avoid the donkeys altogether on welfare grounds.
Hoe het werkt: Restaurants and bars with a prime Oia or Fira sunset view charge steep prices, sometimes with a minimum spend, a cover charge or a compulsory set menu at sunset.
Hoe het te vermijden: Check prices and any minimum spend before sitting down, or enjoy the sunset for free from a public viewpoint and eat afterwards at a better-value spot away from the cliff edge.
Hoe het werkt: Some independent ATMs and card machines push 'dynamic currency conversion', offering to charge you in your home currency at a poor exchange rate plus extra fees.
Hoe het te vermijden: Always choose to be charged in euros, not your home currency, on any ATM or card machine. Use bank ATMs where possible and decline the offered conversion.
Hoe het werkt: With very few taxis on the island, drivers at busy times or late at night may quote inflated flat fares or refuse the meter, especially for airport and port runs.
Hoe het te vermijden: Agree the fare before getting in, ask your hotel for the going rate, and pre-book transfers for arrivals and departures. The public bus via Fira is a cheap fallback in daytime.
Hoe het werkt: Some drivers claim the meter is broken, run a night tariff by day, take a longer route, or add invented surcharges, especially on airport and late-night runs.
Hoe het te vermijden: Insist on the meter or agree the fixed airport fare first, roughly know the distance, use a ride-hailing app where possible, and pay with small, counted notes.
Hoe het werkt: A friendly stranger steers a solo traveller to a specific bar or club where drinks are hugely overpriced, a large bill appears, or a drink is spiked, backed up by intimidating staff.
Hoe het te vermijden: Choose your own well-reviewed venue, be wary of anyone insisting on one place, never leave a drink unattended, and check prices before ordering bottles or tables.
Hoe het werkt: A few tourist-facing tavernas show menus without prices or push expensive fish 'by the kilo', then present a much larger bill than expected at the end.
Hoe het te vermijden: Always check written prices before ordering, confirm the cost of fish and specials by weight, and walk away from any place that will not show clear prices.
Hoe het werkt: Thieves work the busy market lanes, packed buses and crowded seafront events, using bumps and distractions to lift phones and wallets.
Hoe het te vermijden: Keep bags zipped and in front of you, avoid back pockets, and stay alert on crowded buses and in the markets around Aristotelous and Modiano.