Contact details and emergency numbers for your Crete trip
No other Greek island is as diverse as the popular destination Crete. Here you can immerse yourself in the ancient Miotic culture in the palace of Knossos, be enchanted by the Venetian old towns and discover the impressive nature of the island in grandiose gorges. You can explore the caves of Matala and have fun swimming on the exotic palm beaches.
There are many other ways to spend an unforgettable vacation in Crete. But have you ever asked yourself what you should do in case of emergency? For example, if you lose the tickets or passport on your trip to Crete? You should be prepared for such cases, because you can never foresee what can happen during a trip. Here are some precautions you should take in any case.
Emergencies and safety in Crete
Greece is one of the safest vacation destinations in the world and the island of Crete has the lowest crime rate in Europe. Even after the onslaught of mass tourism, the traditionally high value of the locals and their honesty is still present. Nevertheless, you should take care of your belongings in areas with a high volume of tourism, because there are still occasional thefts. Here, therefore, a travel insurance as in all other travel countries would be advantageous. Always lock your hotel room and your car, do not keep all your documents in the same place and be careful with your handbag in public. However, if you become a victim of theft, contact the tourist police immediately (Tel. 171) or the police (Tel. 100).
The Europe-wide emergency number 112 can be reached daily around the clock also in Greece. Unfortunately, in Greece and Crete, as in other vacation destinations, petty crime has increased since 2008 due to the global economic crisis. In addition to guest workers from Africa, Asia and Eastern European countries, some criminal Arab gangs, Bulgarians, Romanians and Albanians are unfortunately active in Greece during the vacation season due to the increasing poverty. Some of these specialize in hotel room burglaries and thefts from vehicles. For these criminals, laptops, digital cameras, European passports, credit cards, jewelry and cash are considered to be of particular interest. Therefore, you should always lock your terrace or balcony door as well as the hotel room windows while you are away. Often the Greek police patrols at night and most hotel complexes have increased security personnel on duty day and night.
What to do if your passport or travel tickets are gone?
In any case, it is advisable to always have a copy of your passport with you and to leave the original in your vacation home or hotel. If you lose your travel documents or tickets or if they are stolen, you should immediately contact your local consulate and the tourist police. Otherwise, there may be a problem with a possible police checkpoint.
Your identity must be confirmed with the relevant authorities and after this has been successfully done, you will be issued a replacement passport for the return journey. In case your travel tickets are somehow lost or stolen, it is best to contact the airline in question. Nowadays, every airline also has a modern app where you can access and then scan the tickets. As an alternative, you can also have the airline tickets printed out at the airport.
If you lose your credit or debit cards, you should immediately call the relevant credit institution and have them blocked so that you don't get a nasty surprise when the account statement comes from the bank.
Important contact details for emergencies
In Greece, in addition to the "normal" police (Tel. 100) in all major resorts also to a tourist police (Tel. 171) contact resp. to the port police (Tel. 108) in the coastal resorts. Tourist police is the most useful for vacationers, as it is both tourist information and police. Their offices often have accommodation information, fare information, maps and brochures available as well.
In case of theft, loss of passport or ID card, or a complaint about restaurants, stores, guides or cab drivers, contact the officials, many of whom also speak English. There is also the Municipality Police in the cities, which has similar tasks to the German Ordnungsamt and ensures order in traffic. The nationwide phone number for the fire department is 199.
The national number of the Greek National Health Service (ESY) is 166, while for medical emergencies and accidents the Europe-wide emergency number 112 is also valid. In Crete, medical care is provided by health centers in the smaller tourist areas and towns, and by hospitals in the cities.
In the health centers, emergency medical treatment is free for tourists. There is also a 24-hour emergency medical service in Athens, where patients can be brought by helicopter or by ambulance. A comprehensive list of ESY hospitals is available from the Tourist Police.
Doctors and pharmacies
In Crete, the medical care is well secured and tourists are treated free of charge in the health centers and hospitals in case of emergencies. In addition, there are sufficient free-practicing specialists and doctors in the cities. You can get the addresses of German-speaking doctors at the consular missions, at the embassy or at the ADAC ambulance service in Munich. The ambulance service of ADAC can be reached at 0049 89 76 76.
In Greece you can recognize pharmacies by the inscription "Pharmacy" or also "ΦΑΡΜΑΚΕΙΟ" and the green cross. Some pharmacies also have the German pharmacy sign with the "A" or even a red cross. There are mostly Greek products of German pharmaceutical companies or German medicines in stock.
Roadside assistance
The nationwide phone number for ELPA (the Greek Automobile and Touring Club) is 104. In addition, ELPA has a special tourist telephone service under the nationwide number 174, which is available daily from 7:30 to 22:00. In addition, there is the Express Service Roadside Assistance at 1154, the Interamerican Roadside Assistance at 1168 and the ADAC emergency call at (0030) 210 960 12 66.