Accommodation in Austria with a summer card: how to find it and what to watch out for

Most summer cards in Austria follow a simple rule: you only get the card at partner accommodation. If you book a hotel one street away that is not part of the card scheme, cable cars will not be included. Of the 23 cards we compare, 17 are issued by accommodation. For 15 of them cable cars are included, either completely free or for a fee per night.

Partner accommodation vs. the rest

Partner accommodation pays a contribution to the region and in return can issue the card to its guests. What this means for you:

• Not every accommodation in the region has the card. The Wildschönau Premium Card, for example, is offered by 144 partners; other guests only get the standard Wildschönau Card without cable cars.
• The card is personal and non-transferable. It is issued at check-in, often digitally on your phone.
• It is only valid during your stay. The rules for arrival and departure day vary between cards; you will find the details for each card.

Where to find the official partner list

The most reliable source is the search on the region’s website. Every card in our catalogue has a direct link under “Where to get the card”. A few examples:

Card	Number of partners	Where to look
Ötztal Summer Card	400+	accommodation list on oetztal.com
Nationalpark SommerCard	300+	nationalpark.at
Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card	259	booking.zellamsee-kaprun.com
Pitztal Summer Card	160	pitztal.com
Wildschönau Premium Card	144	wildschoenau.com

In some regions you can recognise a partner by a symbol or label in the accommodation details, for example “Super. Summer. Card.” in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis or the HochkönigCard logo.

Booking via Booking.com

You can also book through Booking.com or another portal, but the portal usually knows nothing about the card. We recommend:

1. Checking the accommodation against the region’s official partner list.
2. Writing to the accommodation before booking and getting confirmation that you will receive the card, and at what cost.
3. For cards with a fee per night, asking whether the fee is included in the price or paid on site.

For selected accommodation in the catalogue you will find a Booking.com button as well as a link to the region’s website where the partnership is listed.

Fee per night: when the card is not free

For three cards you pay a compulsory contribution for every night, even when you don’t ride a cable car:

• Zell am See-Kaprun: in high season (15 July – 15 September) €10.44 per adult and €5.79 per child aged 6 to 14 per night. A family of four pays €227.22 for 7 nights.
• Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis: €7.50 per adult and €5 per child per night. Some accommodation includes the card in the price, others charge it separately.
• Pitztal: the amount is set by the accommodation; hotels quote €10–15 per person per night.

Also watch out in the Ötztal: the Summer Card is included at partners, but the official website notes that some accommodation charges for it separately. Ask in advance.

When a bought card pays off

Anyone can have a bought card, wherever they stay. It is a good fit when:

• you stay at a campsite, in a holiday cabin or with friends,
• you have found cheap accommodation that is not a partner,
• you only want cable cars for a few days of a longer stay.

For families the Zillertal Activcard is interesting: if the parents buy two adult cards, children born 2011 or later travel free. A family of four pays €274 for 6 days. If you are touring all of Carinthia, the Kärnten Card at €69 a week is enough.

Summary

Choose the card first, then the accommodation. Filter the cards “free with accommodation” in the catalogue, open the official partner list for the card you choose and confirm with the accommodation before booking that you will receive the card. The basic differences between card types are explained in our Sommercard guide.

Sources

1. Zell am See-Kaprun – partner accommodation with the Summer Card
2. Ötztal – accommodation with the Summer Card
3. Pitztal Summer Card – partner accommodation
4. Wildschönau Premium Card – official page
5. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis – Super.Sommer.Card

Information is valid as of the article's last update. Card conditions change every season, so check them with the region or your accommodation before you travel.

Translated from the Czech original. Figures and conditions come from the same verified data.