I recently did a solo trip to Prague with almost no pre-planning. I was traveling quite a bit leading up to the trip, so I was literally googling “things to do in Prague” while I was on the plane.

I recognize that the lack of planning would make a lot of people nervous. It is the complete opposite of the over-planning I spoke about in a previous post. Winging it not my norm either, but given my current nomadic lifestyle I have become more comfortable just showing up in a new city and finding my way. If you want to do the same, here’s a few tips for how I “wing it” on a solo trip in almost any city, using Prague as an example.

Book the Trip and Where You’ll Stay

This is the part where I would usually plan out what I want to do in each place. However, for this trip I just did the bare minimum.

I was looking for tickets to Europe since I had a friend’s wedding coming up, and I wanted to build a bit more travel around the weekend. However, the tickets to their wedding city were quite expensive, so I also looked around for flight to other cities. From my experience, it’s fairly easy to travel between European cities with budget airlines or trains. I ended up finding a very cheap “mistake fare” to Prague through a site called Going.

Prague had always been on my destination wish list simply because it’s gorgeous. I am a sucker for castles, gothic and Baroque architecture, and old towns with cobblestone streets, so booking the deal was a no brainer.

Other things I did before I left: I checked the new European entry system requirements. I booked a bed in a hostel since I’m on a budget, as well as an onward train to Vienna for the wedding. And then I didn’t think about it for several months.

Get a Lay of the Land through a Walking Tour

Hotels or hostels often have recommended tours or events that you can take advantage of if you don’t already have something planned. In Edinburgh, I signed up for a whisky tasting. In Copenhagen, they offered a solo travelers meet up. In this case, my Prague hostel advertised a free walking tour.

I’ve been on several “free” walking tours in Europe. I find them a fun way to get an introduction to a new city and learn a bit about the history of the place. Then I decide what I want to explore in more depth. We visited the Old Town, witnessed the 40 second chiming of the Astronomical clock, went to the Jewish Quarter and the Charles Bridge. We also stopped by the John Lennon wall and talked a bit about communism and history. I re-learned that Franz Kafka hails from Prague, and got a look at his statue. We also looked at several cubist style buildings, which I hadn’t seen before.

Note: unless it’s a tour run directly through your hotel, free in this case usually means “pay what you want” walking tours. You’re still expected to tip your guide after the tour to compensate them for their time. It’s a good idea to have some cash on you, though recently I had guides I could pay with cards or through a QR code. But even though these tours aren’t “free” I’ve had great luck with them. Guides also usually offer their tips for places to eat, local specialties, and sights to see that are off the beaten path.

Check Off Your High Priority Sights

Once I got the lay of the land, I narrowed down what I wanted to do. As I mentioned above, my priority for this trip was seeing the castles and towers. I decided not to book a tour this time, but instead got a basic ticket online and took public transport there.

I had a fantastic time wandering around the cathedral and museums. I even caught the changing of the guard at the palace gate. Plus, the gardens! I had to search around to find the entrance to the Royal Gardens, but they were well worth the effort.

Find a Good View and Watch the Sunset

A friend of mine once joked that my modus operandi when I’m traveling is to climb somewhere high up and get a good view. She wasn’t wrong. But in the case of Prague, “the city of 100 Spires,” it’s also highly recommended to climb at least one tower. I chose the cathedral bell tower in the castle. Lots of steps- and it was HOT when I visited- but the view was very worth it. We also got to see the automated mechanisms that ring the bells at the top of the tower.

The first day I watched the sunset in Riegrovy Sady park. There were many tourists and locals alike camped out on the hill with beers and picnic blankets. On the second day, I explored around Vyšehrad, a fortress south of town that is also a public park.

Sample the Local Cuisine

Eat the famous thing in each city or country and you can’t go wrong. I usually look up specialties or ask the guide on my walking tour for recommendations. If I have time, I try to book a food or drink to sample lots of things.

Sometimes there are food items that are just made up for tourists, which I try to avoid. For example, in Prague there are countless shops selling “traditional chimney cakes” or Trdelnik. However, I learned from my guide that these were pretty much made up for the tourists, and is actually from Hungary/ Romania. Instead, I looked for shops selling pastries like koláč and větrník.

Beer or pivo is high on the list of things to have in Prague. I checked out a beer garden near Vyšehrad, Hospudka Na Hradbach. It was no frills, with outdoor picnic tables and grilled food. I was able to try several beers while soaking in the atmostphere before going to catch the sunset from the Vyšehrad fortress walls.

After touring the castle and gardens, I had lunch at a pastry shop overlooking the city, Myšák Pražský hrad. I chose a light meal of open faced sandwiches and also sampled some pastries.

Be Flexible

Sometimes, you need to be flexible and keep your expectations in check when you’re winging the trip last minute. If I had had more time, I would have loved to see the Klementinum Library. However, tickets were sold out for my dates, so it’s on my list for next time! I also want to learn more about the WWII and Cold War history of the city on my next visit.

But using these few guiding principles, I had a wonderful time in Prague without feeling overwhelmed or unprepared. I can’t wait to go back soon.