Čeština
Deutsch
Nederlands
PolskiAustrian summer cards (Sommercard): what they are, how they work and how much you save
A guide to summer cards in Austria: three types of card, cable car rules, the catches in the small print and what a family of four pays in 2026.
A Sommercard (summer card) lets you ride cable cars in the Austrian Alps, and often buses, swimming pools and museums too, without paying again each time. For 2026 we compared 23 of them. The main difference is how you get the card: some come free with your accommodation, some cost a fee per night and others you simply buy.
Three types of summer card
1. Free with your accommodation
The best-value type. Your accommodation hands you the card on arrival and you pay nothing extra, because it is included in the room price. This only works at the region’s partner accommodation, not everywhere.
Examples:
- JOKER CARD Saalbach Hinterglemm: six cable cars in Saalbach with unlimited rides, plus two rides a day in Leogang.
- HochkönigCard: six cable cars with unlimited rides all season.
- Schladming-Dachstein Card: one cable car a day, including the Dachstein glacier.
- Silvretta Card Premium: unlimited cable cars in Ischgl, Galtür, Kappl, See and Montafon.
2. Fee per night
You get the card at partner accommodation, but you pay a compulsory contribution for every person and every night, even on days you don’t ride a cable car.
- Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card: €10.44 per adult and €5.79 per child per night in high season.
- Super.Sommer.Card Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis: €7.50 per adult and €5 per child per night.
- Pitztal Summer Card: the amount is set by the accommodation; hotels quote €10–15 per person per night.
3. Card you buy
Anyone can buy one, even if you stay at a campsite or in accommodation without a card. It is valid for a set number of days, usually consecutive.
- Zillertal Activcard: from €95.50 for 3 days.
- Kitzbüheler Alpen Summer Card: 40 cable cars, from €79 for 2 days.
- Kärnten Card: all of Carinthia, €69 a week in high season.
Two cards are hybrids: the Ötztal Summer Card and the Stubai Super Card. Partner accommodation includes them in the price; everyone else can buy them.
What a family of four pays
Example family: two adults, children aged 8 and 11, 7 nights, a bought card for 6 days (2026 season, high season):
| Card | Type | Price for the family |
|---|---|---|
| JOKER CARD Saalbach, HochkönigCard, Schladming-Dachstein Card and others | free with accommodation | €0 |
| Super.Sommer.Card Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis | fee per night | €175 |
| Lech Card Sommer | bought (7 days) | €210 |
| Kärnten Card | bought (1 week) | €212 |
| Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card | fee per night | €227.22 |
| Zillertal Activcard | bought, family discount | €274 |
| Kitzbüheler Alpen Summer Card | bought | €395 |
The card catalogue and the comparison calculate the exact price for your group.
Cable car rules: what to look for
“Cable cars included” does not mean the same thing everywhere. We distinguish four rules:
- Unlimited: ride as often as you like (Saalbach, Hochkönig, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, Lech).
- Once a day on each cable car: you can use each cable car once a day (Ötztal, Stubai).
- One cable car a day in total: one ride up and down per day (Schladming-Dachstein, Pitztal, Zillertal Activcard). With the Nationalpark SommerCard it is even just one attraction a day, a cable car or a museum.
- Once per stay: each cable car only once for your whole holiday (LungauCard, SalzburgerLand Card, Innsbruck Welcome Card plus).
The most common catches
- Glaciers are often restricted. With the Schladming-Dachstein Card you can only go up the Dachstein if you stay at least two nights at the same accommodation, and only once in the first 7 days.
- Arrival day. At partner accommodation the Ötztal Summer Card only applies from the second day of your stay; the Schladming-Dachstein Card applies from 1 pm on arrival day.
- High season. In Zell am See-Kaprun, from 15 July to 15 September the summit cable cars on the Schmittenhöhe and Kitzsteinhorn are only included from the second day of your stay.
- A guest card is not a Sommercard. The AchenseeCard or the Wilder Kaiser GuestCard, for example, give you free buses but only a discount on cable cars.
- Consecutive days. Most bought cards are only valid on consecutive days.
How to get a card
- Choose a region and card in the catalogue.
- For cards that come with accommodation, find a partner accommodation. Each card has a link to the official partner list under “Where to get the card”. We explain this in detail in our article on accommodation with a summer card.
- You can buy a bought card at cable car ticket offices, tourist information offices or online.
Summary
If you are going for a week and want to ride cable cars every day, look for a card that is free with accommodation and has unlimited cable cars. If you stay outside partner accommodation or camp, a bought card makes sense, especially the Zillertal Activcard with its family discount or the inexpensive Kärnten Card for families. All cards by region are in the catalogue.
Sources
- Zillertal Activcard 2026 – first information (PDF)
- Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card – official page
- JOKER CARD Saalbach Hinterglemm – official page
- Schladming-Dachstein Card – official page
- Kärnten Card – weekly card prices
- Nationalpark SommerCard – official page
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.