Traveling is my biggest passion and my greatest love. Whenever you take a trip alone, it’s an opportunity to teach yourself independence and resilience as a solo traveler. No matter where you go, obstacles will be thrown your way: finding your way around a town, city, or country alone, dealing with harassment, and prioritizing your safety as someone alone in a new place. But there is one place I have traveled to where I barely worried about any of these things: Prague.
Back in June of 2023, I had the privilege and pleasure of spending an entire month studying in Prague, Czechia. This would be my second time traveling to Europe and my first time traveling further East than Paris. I was both ecstatic and terrified to embark on this journey. I had little to no idea what to expect, but that’s what makes traveling to a new place so exciting.
Prague is an incredibly unique and diverse city in the heart of Central Europe. It was recognized as one of Europe’s safest cities for travelers before the tragic shooting at Charles University last year. Going from living in Chicago to living in Prague, I noticed many drastic differences when I arrived.
First Impressions of Prague
Prague is an extremely walkable city that has a plethora of public transportation options and ways to get around. One of the things I love the most about European cities is that everything is so much closer together than in U.S. cities. This makes exploration simple and finding your footing much easier.
My first few days in Prague were spent with my study-abroad group. We toured the city and learned how to get around. There were about roughly fifteen of us, so I was surrounded by familiar faces as I gained footing in this new place. After a few trips around the city with our group, I felt comfortable enough to venture off with a couple of my classmates. Each day, I became more comfortable exploring and wandering, learning about Prague, and experiencing Czech culture.
Newfound Freedom
The first time I went off on my own in the city, I prepared as I would have if I was back home in Chicago. I kept my keys handy, either in my pocket or between my fingers, zipped my wallet up inside my purse, and never had both headphones in at once. These little habits had become so embedded in my everyday routine that I barely even acknowledged that I did them anymore.
As I wandered around Prague’s beautiful 3rd district, where my dorm was, I noticed the sky turning dark. I immediately focused on my surroundings and strategized the quickest and safest way to return. I could walk, I thought, since it would only take me about twenty minutes. The trams near me weren’t running on time, so that wasn’t an option. I took my headphones off, pulled my jacket on over my shoulders, and began my journey.
After about five minutes of walking, I felt the muscles in my body ease up and my shoulders un-hunch. I realized that I was walking alone at night in a major city and hadn’t been bothered by anyone. Being from Chicago, I was not used to this in the slightest. I kept waiting for some guy to pop out from an alley and make a comment about my body or whistle at me. After ten minutes of walking, still nothing. I passed groups of smokers outside of bars, and they paid me no mind. As I walked back to my apartment, I realized that it was the first time I’d ever been alone in a city at night and felt safe. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since I left Prague.
Why is Prague so safe?
Before I went to Prague, I did some research to get an idea of what life would be like over there. One of the best parts about Prague is that it’s way cheaper to travel to and live in than the United States. This was a deciding factor when I signed up for the trip. Then, I discovered something even better: Prague ranks among the world’s safest cities for tourists.
According to Numebo’s crime index from November 2024, Prague has a low crime rating of about 24%. The city has seen major declines in crime in the past five years and continues to be one of Europe’s safest capitals.
Another incredible part of Prague is how the city practices quiet hours from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am every night. During these hours, people should refrain from disturbing neighbors with excessive noise.
When I first experienced Prague’s quiet hours, I was pleasantly shocked by how peaceful such a vast city could be. I couldn’t imagine anything like that ever happening back home in Chicago. Walking around Prague during these quiet hours is an insanely peaceful experience. It showed me that feeling safe and calm in a big city isn’t impossible.
A New Way of Life
After being exposed to this new way of life in Prague, adjusting back to life in Chicago was difficult. Going from walking alone at night without worry to rushing to get home before dark felt like a loss of freedom. I wasn’t ready to be thrust back into being whistled and hollered at whenever I left my apartment.
Living in constant fear of harassment, assault, or worse isn’t any way to live. And this is exactly how it feels to live in a city like Chicago. Don’t get me wrong, I love my city, and there are so many amazing parts of living there. But it gets so tiring having to constantly be on alert when I’m anywhere but my own home.
Living in a major metropolitan city, especially as a woman, is exhausting. So, going from always being on edge to slowly being able to let go and live my life without extreme fear in Prague was empowering and freeing. Before I set foot there, I had no idea that such a place even existed.
And although I did feel incredibly safe during my time there, this doesn’t mean I let my guard down 100%. It’s always a good idea to be aware of your surroundings, especially when you’re alone and far from home. Learning how to be a conscious traveler and practicing basic safety tips can be a lifesaver.
Not only is Prague a city rich with culture and life, but it is an exceptional example of how a major city can be a safe place to live. Using street smarts and basic safety tips will help you thrive in this gorgeous city and keep yourself safe on your next trip. I would encourage anyone, women especially, to visit Prague at some point during their lives. If you’ve spent your life in any major city, you’d be astounded by how much safer Prague feels than most.
