Is Rhodes safe?
Safe for visitors. Bar scams in party strips, scooter crashes and summer wildfires are the main risks.
Key facts
- SoloSquare safety rating: 4/5, safe with normal care.
- US travel advisory: Level 1: Exercise normal precautions, updated 2025-10-22.
- Homicide rate in Greece: 0.8 per 100,000 people (2023, UNODC via World Bank).
- Road deaths in Greece: 8.3 per 100,000 people a year (2019, WHO).
- Emergency numbers: Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571 · All emergencies 112.
Safety in Rhodes at a glance
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| Overall | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Crime | Petty theft from beaches and rented cars, overcharging in tourist bars, and drunken fights in Faliraki. |
| At night | Old Town and Mandraki are lively and safe until late; Faliraki is rowdier. Use pre-booked taxis from bar areas. |
| Solo women | Comfortable for solo women. Watch drinks in Faliraki, and take taxis rather than walking isolated roads at night. |
| Other risks | Wildfires in dry summers, as in July 2023; Scooter and quad crashes on coastal roads; Rip currents on the windy west coast |
Scams, areas and local laws
Common scams
- Bars adding unlisted drinks or service fees to bills
- Scooter and quad rental damage claims on return
- Taxis refusing the meter for short trips
Take care
- Faliraki bar strip late at night: fights and spiked drinks
- Old Town cobbles after rain: slippery and uneven
- Dry forested areas during wildfire season
Calmer areas to stay
Laws visitors break by accident
- Taking stones, fragments or artefacts from archaeological sites is a criminal offence.
- Flying drones over archaeological sites needs a permit.
- Drug laws are strict; even small amounts of cannabis can lead to arrest.
How Rhodes compares in Greece
| Place | Safety |
|---|---|
| Naxos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Paros | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Chania | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Milos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Kefalonia | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Meteora | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Halkidiki | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Lefkada | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Nafplio | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Skiathos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Hydra | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Thassos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Athens | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Santorini | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Mykonos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Crete | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Rhodes | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Corfu | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Thessaloniki | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Zakynthos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Kos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Ios | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Peloponnese | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
Quick answers
Is Rhodes safe for solo female travelers?
Comfortable for solo women. Watch drinks in Faliraki, and take taxis rather than walking isolated roads at night.
Is Rhodes safe at night?
Old Town and Mandraki are lively and safe until late; Faliraki is rowdier. Use pre-booked taxis from bar areas.
What is the crime rate in Rhodes?
Petty theft from beaches and rented cars, overcharging in tourist bars, and drunken fights in Faliraki. Nationally, Greece records 0.8 homicides per 100,000 people a year (2023).
What number do I call in an emergency in Rhodes?
Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571 · All emergencies 112.
More about Rhodes
Going to Rhodes solo?
SoloSquare is where travelers, nomads and locals in Rhodes meet up for small plans: coffee, dinners, walks and day trips. Join one, or start your own in a minute.
Sources
- US State Department travel advisory
- Rhodes Airport (Fraport Greece)
- Visit Greece
- Ferryhopper
- World Bank: intentional homicides (UNODC)
- World Bank: road traffic deaths (WHO)
Safety ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment from official advisories, crime data and local reporting. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.