Traveling Single Women in Vienna

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Table of Contents

Tips, tricks & advice for the traveling and working single women in Vienna during COVID.

In this post:

Traveling to Vienna
Accommodations
Where to meet people
Getting around
Working remotely in Vienna
COVID tips
Great posts & articles with good recommendations

Now that we’ve learned how to create a packing list and how to pack efficiently, it’s time to get travelling!

It all started for me with just wanting to travel, to get out of my country and start seeing more of the world. I started working from home anyway, so why not travel while doing this? I looked up flights and booked the one that was most affordable and desirable. Which was Vienna! I had no idea what to expect and how long I would even be able to last. While having a rocky first day in Vienna, it still embraced me with wide open arms. Right from the get-go go I could feel the amazing vibes in the air. I cannot explain, I just know that I felt a click deep within me, almost as soon as I started exploring.

I’ve travelled alone once before to Brighton, UK. But that was only for a few days and certainly wasn’t without any return date in mind. This time around I bought a one-way ticket to Vienna, and decided to just go with the flow and allow myself to just be in the moment and feel what I need next.

When: first week of September
Duration: one week

Travelling to Vienna

As a working, travelling woman, Vienna was a perfect destination for me and I’m very glad I chose it as my first stop. If you’re also a first-time solo traveller with no return date, I highly recommend Vienna as your first destination. It’s definitely a ‘soft landing’ as I call it.

As far as European capital cities go, it’s quite affordable and reasonably priced.
Public transportation is the best I’ve ever experienced.
There are so many wonderful cafes to work from, and so many other people working from them, so you don’t feel alone or out of place.
Almost everyone speaks English, and most people I encountered were very nice and helpful.
It’s a gorgeous city, and there are so many places to see and explore – and many of them are also perfect for solo travellers.
Most areas are really safe to walk through alone.

Accommodations

There are so many accommodations to choose from, in a variety of different types and styles. So it will likely be easy for you to find a place which suits you best, depending on what you’re looking for.

AIRBNB – For the first couple of nights I stayed at an Airbnb, to help me cushion the soft landing. I’m so used to being on my own and having my own room, so it was important for me to first be in my own room, digest the new city I’m in, and then take the step to the next level. There are also quite affordable Airbnbs in great areas, so depending on your budget, I’m sure you can find something good for you.
COMMUNAL AIRBNB – not sure what this is really called, but when I returned to Vienna at the end of my Austria trip, I stayed at this Airbnb… Which had multiple guest rooms, and gave me an opportunity to meet new people to talk to, while still having the privacy of my own room.
HOSTEL – For the following five nights I stayed at a hostel called “MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz”. It’s an interesting combination between a hostel and a hotel. And what I like about it, is that it attracts the more mature and older travellers. It’s not a hostel aimed at the younger crowd, and there certainly aren’t going to be parties going on over there. So for me it was perfect.
Personally, I loved the combination of the two accommodation types, it gives a good balance for your stay.

Where to meet people

Whether you’re working or not, and also if you love being on your own, meeting fellow travellers is still a huge part of travelling alone. No matter how comfortable you may feel on your own, and how friendly you are, meeting new people and striking up a conversation can be very awkward. These are the ways that helped me muster up the courage and make the whole process easier:

At the hostel – one of the main reasons why I wanted to stay at a hostel (besides the costs) is to meet people. If you take a shared room you can meet there people to hang and go out with. You can also meet people in communal areas and during breakfast. Even if it’s just for a nice conversation in the room or in the kitchen, which can also be nice.
At the Airbnb – when I returned to Vienna at the end of my Austria trip, I also stayed at an Airbnb, which had multiple guest rooms. This can also be a great way to meet people, especially if you don’t want a shared room. This gives you your privacy, while still being able to meet new people in the communal areas.
Free city tour – or any other tour you take. Personally, I just did the free one, and it’s a great place to chat with people and be a bit sociable. You can also meet there some fellow travellers to do things with.
At cafes – this one might take more guts and overcoming shyness than the others… But there are so many great cafes with many other people who sit and work alone, so you’re not likely to have a shortage of people to talk to.

Getting around

As I mentioned above, Vienna had some of the best public transportation I have ever experienced. It’s organized, easy to understand and get around, it’s clean and safe, fairly affordable. Not to mention, that if you miss one tram, another will come along within minutes. It’s certainly very efficient.

I got a weekly pass, which is valid for all forms of public transportation, except for taxis of course. So you can use buses, trams and underground trains freely throughout the week.
A weekly pass is easiest because you also don’t have to worry about getting a ticket every time, as there isn’t a ticket machine at every station.
Note that a weekly pass begins on the Monday of that week, even if you purchase it on any following day.
When purchasing a pass – whether weekly or 24/48/72 hours, make sure to validate the ticket on your first ride.
Many places, especially in the centre, are within walking distance – especially if you like walking.
Of course, also depending on where you’re staying, you might need to use transportation to get around. But it seems like they have trams and underground trains going everywhere.

Working remotely in Vienna

Vienna is the perfect city for remote workers, and it’s definitely a great place for solo travellers. I feel a bit unoriginal saying this, but it was certainly my favourite city in Austria. Especially since it’s the most “laptop-friendly” city out of the three I’ve been to. It’s certainly the one I had to work the least for finding places to work from. I will share a whole blog post about my top places to work from, however, in this post I would like to start by sharing my top tips and advice to create the best working environment for you in Vienna

WIFI – one of the most important elements of remote workers, if not the most crucial, is wifi. We cannot work without it, and we do not want to waste time searching the city for it. I say this, because most of the places that I found while randomly roaming the streets, had no wifi. Make sure you prepare in advance and check which cafes have wifi, so as to not waste time and energy. Especially if you don’t have much time, don’t go all across town or out of your way for a cafe, if you’re not certain they have wifi. When you arrive at a place, you also might want to ask first and double check, before you sit down.
Expenses – This may be relative, but as someone who’s travelled to quite a few countries around the world… I can definitely determine that Vienna is very affordable. Even though I was working and making money while I was travelling, it’s still nice to be in a place where you don’t have to waste all of your hard work’s earnings on just being there.
Cafes & workspaces – As I’ve mentioned above, there are so many cafes to choose from, where you can work from. And I will be sharing them in a later post. For now, though, I will say that there’s a huge variety of cafes… And all you gotta do is choose the best and right one for you. So if you’re also working remotely, this is one thing you don’t have to worry about. Just make sure to look it up first and make sure it has WIFI and read some reviews.
Dividing your time – one of the challenges of working while travelling is dividing your time. The great thing about Vienna is that it’s easy to get around in, and almost every cafe has many things to do around it. You have to find the right balance for you. I liked working a bit in the morning, then exploring and working some more in the evening. You can also spend a day exploring and working in the evenings. Personally, I like to mix it up. And if you can, take at least a full day off to just tour and explore and do things a bit further out.

COVID tips

As you most probably know by now, travelling during the pandemic is very restricting and hard. It’s also filled with uncertainty, as things are constantly changing. So as frustrating as it can be, it’s crucial to remain calm and patient… And make sure to always stay up to date and regularly check the regulations.

Pre-arrival – again, this can change since I travelled, so make sure to check before you travel. Depending on where you’re travelling from, you may need to fill out a PLF form. If you’re fully vaccinated and come from a green country, you don’t need to take a COVID test before you travel. Note that flights to Austria require an FFP2 (or K95) mask.
Check for updates HERE or HERE
During your stay – As of late, all restaurants and most attractions are open for visitors and tourists, but you do have to present a green card. Which means either a negative COVID test, a vaccination certificate, or a certificate of recovery. While in closed shops and public transportation, you have to wear a face mask. (They say it has to be a FFP2 mask, but many people also had regular ones). If you present a vaccination certificate in your hotel/hostel you can walk around it without a mask if you want to.
Departing – There are currently many COVID testing free of charge – both Antigen and PCR, which is great for those who need one to enter their next destination. Check it out HERE. Alternatively, you can also get a free PCR gargle test kit through some of the hotels and hostels.

Great posts & articles with good recommendations

So, why Vienna?

It’s affordable and has a variety of price ranges.
It has an amazing atmosphere and great vibes, and many young people, students and solo travellers.
It’s beautiful and has SO MUCH to do.
It’s super easy to get around, and also very convenient.
Almost everyone speaks English, so it makes everything so much easier.
The tap water is amazing!