First time to Prague - First time solo travel

Have you considered taking one of Rick’s tours to Prague? I did the city tour of Rome as my first solo city trip and really liked the mix of planned excursions and free time. You have the advantage of a group for when you need people or you can have private tine if you prefer.

I usually carry my passport port with me though never been asked for it. However as female I have the advantage of carrying a purse, a very small cross body that hold passport and a small amount of money for the day. I never take it off and have never had any problems.

Normally I take a credit card and a debit card. I draw out local currency from a bank atm as needed. Most of Europe has gone cashless, but markets less so. Maybe enough cash for coffees, sandwiches or drinks? I’ve usually started with 50€ in small denominations and that has lasted for a few days.

I have my passport on me at all times. I carry it in a "Hidden Pocket" type of money belt under my clothes along with extra credit cards, debit cards, etc. I hardly know it's there.

I was last in Prague this past spring. Four nights. Never used cash. I never even took out any Koruna from the ATM.

Hi, Mike!

My son and his wife stayed at Hotel Charles Bridge Palace and were quite pleased with it, especially its location.

I stayed at the Hotel Cosmopolitan which is quite nice and a short walk to the center of Old Town.

I suggest signing up for some walking tours or day tours. It gives you a group of people to do something with but doesn’t require a great deal of social effort on your part.

Welcome to the forum!

If you don’t have any cash, you won’t be able to tip the housekeeping staff, which is fine, you don’t have to. I’m one who does like to leave them a small tip as I know it’s appreciated.

On my recent trips, credit cards are great until the card readers don’t work. On my trip to Prague this past March, I needed cash for the original Mucha museum and was glad I had some. I always get cash from my bank (Wells Fargo) before I leave home. For a trip of 5 days, I would probably get the equivalent of $50. You can always spend cash, even if you don’t necessarily need it. Paid toilets is another place I have often found the credit card machines to be not working. So, I would rather have cash and not need it, then need it and have to scramble to find an ATM machine and hope it doesn’t eat my card.

As an often solo traveler, I wear a money belt, which has my passport, extra credit cards and cash, and my house key. Remember to take if off when you go thru airport security. I’ve become a little more relaxed on this recently and if I’m just out walking around near the hotel, I will leave the money belt in my suitcase.

I’m one who will spend a little more to have a hotel in a convenient location. I like to step outside and be able to walk to most places.

I’m not a people person and very much enjoy not having to talk to many people when traveling. :-) That’s not to say I’m unfriendly. I will make small talk with the locals if the opportunity presents itself.

If you do want some people time, the suggestion above of a walking tour is a great idea. My sister and I did a private tour with Jason from Living Prague Tours, that I had seen recommended here on the forum many times.

https://livingprague.com/tours/living-prague-tours/

He also does group tours.

I did a short trip report from my trip, which also included Vienna, that you might find helpful. Just scroll down to the 3 NIGHTS PRAGUE—THE JULIUS section.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/sisters-in-vienna-and-prague-our-trip-report

I’m 52 and just started traveling to Europe in 2021. I love it!! I just got back from my 14th trip to Europe last month, which is crazy to say. I find I’m less stressful on my solo trips because then I’m not worried about my sister and her husband. I have always found both the locals and fellow travelers to be very friendly and helpful. So, do not hesitant to ask for help if needed, especially at the train stations. I found the layout of the Prague main train station a little confusing. I believe there were 2 different places to get to the platforms and that threw me off. I stopped in at a bakery and both the cashier and one of the customers helped me out.

Have a great trip!!

Hi,

Thank you all for the replies.

@Lesley
I looked at Rick's tours and maybe I'll take one at some point. They are a bit pricey but you do seem to get a lot for it (from what I'm reading). Outside of the cost, my other issue is most of his tours are 8+ days. 8 days would actually be fine, but 10+ day trips are hard for me, like many others, I have a job, house and pets to deal with.

I did purchase Rick's Civita Hidden Pocket, it seems like a lot of you are using these/money belt.

@Carol
Thank you, Hotel Charles Bridge Palace seems to have a great location so I think I'm going with this one! I've watched a ton of Prague videos on YouTube and I'm definitely going to book some walking tours.

@Carrie
Thank you, I'm like you, I'm not really a people person. I'm friendly, if I'm sitting at a bar and someone strikes up a conversation I will engage, I'm just not one to normally start a conversation. And I do open up once I feel more comfortable. I will read your Prague trip report sometime today, thank you. This will be nice since I think Vienna will be my next trip after Prague (already purchased the guidebook). I'm turning 53 this month, my first (and only) trip to Europe was Dec 26 2021 to Jan 6 2022 to Munich, trip was great even though it was right in the middle of covid. Cheap to fly back then! I believe I paid around $600 for a roundtrip ticket Boston to Munich.

Mike - I've done a couple of solo trips, both in the U.S. and in Europe. One thing I've noticed (and I have seen other solo travelers comment on this) is that people are more likely to talk to a solo traveler. By people, in my experience, I mean hotel, restaurant and museum employees and the like. I enjoyed those conversations, because it was often about their village, museum, whatever. I'm sure that if you didn't want to talk, they wouldn't. When I've taken guided walking tours, the other participants were less interested in talking to the other tour participants. I would suggest that route, if you want some interaction and/or some knowledge from a local guide.

The great thing about solo travel, you get to make all of your own decisions about what you do!

Hi Mike and welcome!

My friends and I stayed at Hotel Roma Prague six years ago. We really enjoyed the hotel room itself, as well as the breakfast and the location. It was a little over ten minute walk to the Charles Bridge. We were there for four nights and only used the tram one day when we went to Vysehrad Fort. I liked that the hotel was out just away from all of the hustle and bustle, but was still well located.

I almost always carry my passport with me when I am out of the U.S. I put it into a small ziplock bag and I then used either a very comfortable hidden waist belt or a "Stashbandz" to carry it in.

The only time that I remember that I had to use cash was at a bathroom that only accepted cash and if my memory serves me correctly, I think that was at Vysehrad Fort.

Enjoy your trip!

Hi Mike, and welcome to the world of solo travel! I've been traveling solo since the 1990s and have loved the experience. I think Prague is a good place to start and I'm sure you will love it.

There are two different schools of thought about passports. Some people carry them at all times and in many countries, technically you are supposed to have it on you. I prefer not to because I'm always worried about losing it, so I keep it in a secure place in my hotel room. I do have a photocopy of it on me in case I would ever need it (also a digital copy on my phone) but In over 30 years of traveling, I never have been asked for it though except at a hotel. And of course pretty soon digital passports will be the norm so we shouldn't have to worry about it after that.

With regards to local currency again, I have used Apple Wallet on my phone for a long time and try to get away without using cash as much as possible. I did have to use it recently in Romania but that's probably the first country I have used a lot of cash in in the past five+ years. Regardless even if you do want to have some cash on hand, I wouldn't take out a whole lot; maybe start with $75-100. You can always get more if needed but honestly, you will be able to use your credit card for almost all of your transactions.

And with regards to the card reader breaking down, I have never had that happen. I suppose it's a possibility but believe me the restaurant or shop or whatever will have a solution for that because they certainly don't want to lose business. But it just doesn't happen.

Leslie is right about how people will talk to solo travelers more than groups traveling together. I have never ever had any trouble striking up a conversation with other people and most of them are always eager to talk to me. A lot of times I will talk to the person sitting at a table next to me in a restaurant or a cafe, or I might talk to someone just while standing in line to go into a museum. After a while it will come naturally I promise you.

Sometimes you might feel a little lonely but most of the time it's such a pleasure to be able to enjoy what you want to see and do without worrying about whether the other person is bored or wants to move on. I saw a Facebook post a few days ago from a friend of mine who is in Europe right now with her husband. She was talking about how much she loved this one particular museum and wished she could have had more time there, but her husband was bored and wanted to move on. That never happens when you are traveling solo. 😊

I hope you will come back and let us know how your trip went. I for one would love to hear about it!

And with regards to the card reader breaking down, I have never had
that happen. I suppose it's a possibility but believe me the
restaurant or shop or whatever will have a solution for that because
they certainly don't want to lose business. But it just doesn't
happen.

So, because this poster has not encountered a situation where credit card readers were down, it doesn’t happen??? A very odd thing to say.

When I was in Switzerland, a shop in Lauterbrunnen had problems with their card reader and I had to pay cash. As I mentioned above, on my trip to Prague this past March, I needed cash for the original Mucha museum as their card reader was down. In London, Oct. 2024, the card readers at the public toilets in one of the markets in covent garden were not working and so it was cash only. This also happened at another public toilet in London that same trip. We were at a marks and spencer that did not have toilets and we were directed outside to nearby public toilets. Their card readers were not working and it was cash only. Those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head. Maybe I dreamt all these situations. :-)

I like to be prepared, so I will always have cash on me. It doesn’t matter to me if others do the same. But, I thought you should know that you may need cash so you are not caught off guard.

I just thought of another one. :-) At the Vienna main train station this part March, the card readers for the public toilets were not working. The bathroom attendant was directing people to a nearby grocery store to get coins. Luckily, I had some Euro coins on me.

I must have really bad luck!

Carrie, you must indeed have very bad luck. 😊 And I don't think my response was "odd." It was my opinion based on what has happened to me in my years of travel. Obviously our experiences are different, but that doesn't make your opinion more valid than mine.

A couple of years ago in York, after eating lunch I went to pay with my credit card. They said their cash machine just went down. If I didn't have any cash, they said there is a cash machine a couple of streets away and it would be okay to go and get cash. (They would trust me to come back.) Fortunately, I did have some cash on me so it wasn't a problem.

Oh, and there was the Nuremberger sausage stand in Nuremberg. The proprieter would take a card but she had to get the machine out as most people paid in cash. Fortunately, I had some Euros on me so no problem.

If want to have some Koruner it's not a problem. Just don't get a lot. And make sure your card issuers--credit card and ATM card--know you are traveling if they require a travel notice. Then, should you need more cash, just stop by an ATM. (Always do the conversion in the local currency and not US dollars.)

One last thing, if you are over 65, public transportation in Prague is free. If you are 60-65, the fare is 50%. Have valid ID with you.

And final, any tips for first time solo travelers?

I am a bit of an anxious introvert. My first solo trip was to Slovenia in 2019 for 25 days. As my plane rolled down the runway after landing, I thought, "What have I done??????" But that trip ended up being great. I recently did 8 days solo in Prague... https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/eight-days-in-prague-in-october-a-solo-traveller-s-trip-report

I have found small group tours, private tours, and food tours worthwhile ways to interact with others. I try to push myself to talk to others at hotels and even try to engage wait staff at restaurants a bit in conversation if the restaurant is not full/busy. In a Mexican restaurant in Prague, for example, I ended up getting Prague recommendations from a kind waitress who waited on me late evening on a slow night.

Things will go well! Enjoy your planning and enjoy your trip!

Your personality and how and when you interact with people sounds exactly like mine. But I know I need to get out and so I force myself to do it, and every time that I do I find it rewarding and am glad I did it. Often it turns into long term rewards. Try and put yourself in situations where interaction is the norm. The bar is one but go one step up and try a wine bar, then another step up is a wine bar on wine tasting night. It’s not hard to find these things. Look at Facebook Events. Art gallery shows are a good one too and lucky for me they come with wine and snacks. Do keep in mind that unless you want otherwise, you will never see these people again, so you don’t have to worry about what they think of you. Oh, one other ploy, meet up with some RS folks in Prague. For that, you post now, “I will be in Prague on these dates, if anyone there has time and would like to meet, let me know.”

The Passport. There is a similar subject about obeying the law where some say that you will never get checked so why do it. Integrity is the primary driving force. You are a guest in someone else’s home, you should obey the law. If you are uncertain of the law you should go to lengths to ensure you are covered, regardless. Then there is the common sense reason. You are walking down the street of Prague, you turn right, then left and you find yourself facing a lovely little square …. Except there are 2000 protesters in the square (tomorrow is election day). A great cultural experience until one throws a punch. You turn to leave but the cops are coming up the street behind you. It’s the fourth time that day they have been called out for this nonsense and they aren’t happy. They demand something in Czech. You tell them in English you don’t speak Czech. They demand again. So ….
Scenario A: You pull out your cell phone and start fumbling around for google translate. They are still demanding. Wait, you think. Passport! Now you fumble through your pictures looking for the one you took of your passport. There it is. You zoom in on the important stuff. The police take your phone, try and look but the autorotate turns it upside down and the photo is cut off. More demands in Czech as they confiscate your phone and put you in the back of the car.
Scenario B: You pull out your passport and while they are looking at it you find google translate in the event you need it. They make a call, then hand back your passport and indicate you had better leave the way you came.
I have spent over 2000 days in Europe. I have been asked for my passport by authorities (other than border crossings) exactly one time. So, the odds are low that you will ever need to produce your Passport.

Cash, you can certainly get by without it. The credit card machines work off internet. In my city if you were to walk outside in any of the old neighborhoods and look up you will see black cables stretched across the street from one 5-story high roof top to the next. That’s internet wiring. What in the world could possibly go wrong? I loose my internet at home a few hours almost every month. Yes, there is 5G now, but that requires a lot of antennas because of the narrow streets with tall buildings and the antennas just don’t exist everywhere yet. Paris is better, London is better, Prague might be better, don’t know.

What is the downfall of getting some Czech cash? Beyond $2 in fees, none, so why not? 500 Kč is about $30. That will pay for most any meal or taxi ride or cash only circumstance you are likely to come across. If you go to an ATM, that convenience might cost $2, maybe even $3. Live with it. But you might get a single 500 Kč note and that’s not good. Time to go have a beer … pay with the 500 Kč note. Now you have two 200 Kč notes and a few coins. Great start for the day. If at the end of the trip you have some left over, time for another beer. And that nice waiter or waitress, in the Czech Republic, will look kindly on you for leaving a few crowns per beer in a cash (untaxed) tip. For me carrying a little cash beats having to walk away from cash only situations; “sorry sir, cash only while they fix our internet.” BUT NO, it is absolutely not necessary to carry cash.

The last time in Prague and the Czech Republic was in 2016 as a day trip. I had only the credit cards and only a bit of local currency left over.

When I had to pay for a museum's entry in Slavkov, I paid in Euro, wasn't interested in getting any sort of change, "They" could keep it, this was in Moravia, not the Prague itself The credit card was used to pay for the local train tickets.

I always carry the passport when out and about, was "randomly" checked twice in France this summer or not so random. Anyway "they" can check me anytime at all.

Language-wise I found that speaking English or German sufficed. If a local doesn't know one, they know the other, never had any problems communicating with them in one or the other language.

I'm 73 & love traveling solo, which I've been doing for over 10 years. I don't feel alone as I'm always meeting interesting people. I do what I want when I want.
You could try GuruWalk (use the app) which offers lots of tip based tours worldwide. I've used them in few countries & have had some great walking tours. Also check out the guys Honest Guide on YouTube to get some helpful info on Prague.
Use common sense & get yourself familiar with helpful tips before your travels- ex. Decide your transportation choice from airport to hotel beforehand & read Rick Steves Prague.
Here's a quote than can be relevant to all ages.
Solo travel keeps me on my toes and rekindles the autonomy & self-confidence I need to stay relevant as I age. (89 year old woman)

Thank you all for the great advice! I am really looking forward to this trip to Prague! From all the things I've read and watched, it seems like I picked a great city for a first time solo traveler... everyone says it is a safe city and very walkable. I will for sure post a trip report when I get back (July).

@Peggy A - I love that quote at the bottom of your reply!