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I'm going to a concert to Vienna on Saturday (two days). I just realized that there aren't any trains back to my home in the night so I'd have to wait til the morning until the first train leaves again (5.43 AM).

I don't know when the concert will end, but expect it to be somewhere between midnight and 2 AM.

Now, I don't want to spend 40 € on a hotel room, especially when I can only "book in" in the middle in the night and have to leave really early.

Is there any safe space in Vienna for a young woman to stay for a couple of hours in the middle of the night? I don't need to sleep, I just don't want to get raped. Are train stations safe there? Or are there any cafés which are open 24/7? MacDonalds?

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    Which Vienna station is this? Also, have you considered hostels? Vienna has many where you could get a dorm bed for less than half the price of a hotel room. Many have 24 hr receptions (check their check in policy before booking), and lounges where you could sit in comfort and watch a film or two if you didn't want to sleep. Good luck! Dec 21, 2018 at 10:48
  • A Google search for Hostel in Vienna yields beds for 22-25 €, in a mixed dorm though.
    – user24582
    Dec 22, 2018 at 11:06
  • A couple of hours at the station is feasible as for main stations have police office. Nothing to seriius shall happen as for if they do not patrol enough according to your judgement yiu can stay close to the their bureau. Austria is a very safety country. This applies to main station everywhere in West Europe within the heart of the station. Not around!
    – Alchimista
    Dec 27, 2018 at 12:52
  • Ancient experience, but in Paris Gare du Nord they kicked out the various jetsam and flotsam out into the street sometime after midnight. Saw a woman have her luggage stolen, lots of street people (mostly harmless). On the plus side they had showers in the station. May 27, 2022 at 21:02

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For 5.8€, you could get a transit day pass that allows for unlimited travel on the transit network, including night buses – (especially) if you take a seat next to the bus operator, you'll definitely be safe, and you'll also see some more of Vienna.

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Update May 2022: both McDonald's are closed overnight.


There are only 2 McDonald's in/near Vienna that are open 24/7 (and even on the Chistmas and New Year holidays):

  • at the aiport, Objekt 115
  • in Wiener Neustadt, Pottendorfer Str. 45

Their restaurant finder has on option to restrict the search to restaurants that are open 24/7: go to "Detailsuche", tick "24h geöffnet".

All the Burger Kings and KFCs are closed during the night.

As @FDMS notes, the only transit service to the airport that runs 24/7 (though very infrequently) is the Vienna Airport Lines bus service (network map), which costs 6.5 € per direction. The last train to Wiener Neustadt, which is over one hour away from Vienna, leaves at 01:01 from the main train station (Hbf).

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    The only transit service to the airport that runs 24/7 (though very infrequently) is the Vienna Airport Lines bus service, which costs 6.5 € per direction. The last train to Wiener Neustadt, which is over one hour away from Vienna, leaves at 01:01 from the main train station (Hbf).
    – FDMS
    Dec 21, 2018 at 17:50
  • I wouldn't trust the information that the McD at the airport is open 24/7. I saw it closing when I picked someone up from one of the last flights arriving that day.
    – Tom
    May 27, 2022 at 14:20
  • @Tom: yes, opening times have changed; I imagine there were not that many customers during the lockdowns.
    – user24582
    May 27, 2022 at 15:12
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    @Tom in the UK many McDonalds that advertise 24 hour opening, are lying unless you're in a car - it's only 24 hours for drive through. Actual indoor opening times aren't published and they don't respond to queries (they used to be a reliable food/rest stop in the middle of the night on bike rides) May 27, 2022 at 15:15
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If your main concern is that you have to pay for a hotel room for the entire day but would spend only a couple of hours in it, maybe you could opt to leave Vienna later in the day or early evening instead of early morning.

That way you can relax after a possibly tiresome concert, wake up fresh, then either spend time in the room or explore Vienna a bit (if you haven't already) and then take a train to your final destination later in the day. I feel this option would be safer than opting to stay out in the open (even if its in a 24-hour McDonalds). You could cut your cost by some euros by staying in a dorm instead of a hotel room.

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As you are staying on a weekend, there will be plenty of bars, clubs and other entertainment locations open till the early morning. Some of them may be loud, some quiet, so you can pick depending on what you are likely to be in a mood in after the concert.

Here's an english website listing many options: https://www.wien.info/en/lifestyle-scene/nightlife

Note that in general, Vienna is considered a very safe city. So you should most likely be fine no matter where you stay, but as everywhere else, a public place is a good option.

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