Pickpockets - Greece
 

Other than carrying around too much cash, any advice regarding pickpocket-awareness for a large group of students travelling in Greece ?

Greece is the safest country I have visited. Luggage is piled in heaps, not checked, on the ferries for example without problems.

I'm glad to hear that Greece is still a safe place. I've been there many times and felt safe -- except for a couple of encounters with filthy children who were eyeing my belongings. One spit at me when she begged for money and I didn't give her any.

A couple of situations that go along with the comment by SuQue:

On Naxos -- staying in a nice resort in 1990 (for $25 with buffet breakfast). There was a book listing the hotel's services in my room. I was impressed right there. One of the services noted was a safe deposit box. I was even more impressed. So off I went to the front desk with my passport and airline ticket (paper back then). The man behind the desk wrote my name on a yellow manila envelope, I added my valuables, he turned around and put the envelope on a shelf behind the counter -- no lock and key here. It was in plain sight for all to see. I was a bit stunned, but decided, "When in Rome..."

On Santorini the roof of our hotel was level with the path that goes to town. It was our last day and we were checking out. They said they would hold our luggage as we had an evening flight. Holding our luggage meant sticking the bags on the roof where anyone walking by could have easily helped him or herself to our bags. After being out all day I was surprised to arrive back at the hotel to see my bags so vulnerable. The point is...they were still there after four or five hours. My biggest concern was my film that was inside my bag that was roasting in the hot Greek sun.

I keep reading on various sites that Greece is a very safe place which is really nice to hear. However, it is probably wise to be a bit street-wise - hopefully, without being paranoid!

We will ask the students to NOT carry iPods as freely as is done in the US. iPods cut down on the awareness factor + they are a temptation.

Begging may not come as a big surprise to them as we live in an area that has an abundance of those asking for handouts --sad commentary.

I should have titled my query Pickpockets in Greece?

>Greece is a very safe place
Athens concerning pickpockets is as "dangerous" as any bigger western European city. On the islands, the only thiefs I can think of are tourists stealing from other tourists :-)