When summer cards and cable cars start in Austria: June, September and October 2026

If you travel to the Alps outside the school holidays, two questions matter: from when the summer card is valid and whether the cable cars are running yet (or still). The answer varies from region to region. The Kärnten Card starts earliest (4 April), Lech latest (18 June). It works the other way round too: in Serfaus the season ends on 11 October, in Kitzbühel not until 8 November.

Summer card dates 2026

Card	Valid from	Valid until
Kärnten Card	4 Apr	1 Nov
Kitzbüheler Alpen Summer Card	18 Apr	8 Nov
Innsbruck Welcome Card plus	1 May	31 Oct
Saalfelden Leogang Card	1 May	31 Oct
Nationalpark SommerCard	1 May	31 Oct
SalzburgerLand Card	1 May	1 Nov
HochkönigCard	9 May	8 Nov
Stubai Super Card	14 May	1 Nov
Schladming-Dachstein Card	14 May	1 Nov
Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card	15 May	31 Oct
JOKER CARD Saalbach	22 May	26 Oct
LungauCard Sommer	22 May	1 Nov
Zillertal Activcard	23 May	26 Oct
Ötztal Inside Summer Card	4 Jun	4 Oct (bought card until 18 Oct)
Pitztal Summer Card	4 Jun	18 Oct
Super.Sommer.Card Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis	13 Jun	11 Oct
Lech Card Sommer	18 Jun	26 Oct

For the Silvretta, Wildschönau, Alpbachtal, Achensee, Wilder Kaiser and Montafon cards the official source gives no single season date. They follow the operating times of the individual cable cars.

The card is valid, the cable car isn’t running yet

The date on the card does not mean every cable car is running. High and glacier cable cars start later:

• Pitztal: the card is valid from 4 June, but the Pitztal Glacier only runs from 3 July and the Rifflsee lift from 26 June.
• Wildschönau: the Markbachjochbahn runs from 9 May, the Schatzbergbahn only from 4 June.
• Galtür (Silvretta): cable cars roughly from 20 June to 4 October.
• Kärnten Card: the Gerlitzen summit cable car is out of service in summer 2026 because it is being rebuilt.

If you are travelling in June or October, check the operating times of the specific cable car on its website before you go.

Pre-season (May and June): what to expect

• Lower prices. Outside the high season (7 June – 12 September) the Kärnten Card costs €64 instead of €69 a week. The Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card contribution is €9.28 instead of €10.44 a night.
• Fewer restrictions. In Zell am See-Kaprun the summit cable cars are included from the first day of your stay. The “only from the second day” rule only applies from 15 July to 15 September.
• Snow up high. On high hikes there is often still snow in June. But cable cars to mid-altitude are running and the meadows are in bloom.

After the holidays (September and October): what to expect

• September is a safe bet. All the cards in the table are valid in September, most until the end of October.
• October is a gamble. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis ends on 11 October, Ötztal (with accommodation) on 4 October. Kitzbüheler Alpen, Hochkönig and Kärnten, on the other hand, run into November.
• Cheaper cards. The bought Ötztal Summer Card is cheaper from 5 to 18 October (3 days for €53). In Zell am See-Kaprun the contribution from 15 October is only €7.06 a night.

How to plan a trip outside the school holidays

1. Pick the region by date. The table above shows which cards are valid in your week.
2. Check the lifts you’re going for. On the lift’s website look for the operating times (Betriebszeiten), not just the card’s validity.
3. Watch the start and end of the season. The card is only valid during the season. If your stay spans the start or end, you’ll only get to use it on some days.
4. Have a plan B. It can snow up high in June and in October. Lower-lying destinations such as lakes, gorges or pools are a good fallback.
5. Mind the neighbours’ holidays. Around Whitsun and during the German Whitsun school holidays the Alps get busy even in early season.

Summary

For early June, choose a card that is already valid and whose cable cars are running: Kitzbüheler Alpen, Kärnten, Saalfelden Leogang, Hochkönig or Zell am See-Kaprun. Serfaus, Lech and the Pitztal glacier only start in mid-June or July. In autumn, the Kitzbüheler Alpen card and the HochkönigCard last longest (until 8 November). We will add dates for summer 2027 as soon as the regions publish them. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis has already announced its season: 12 June – 17 October 2027.

Sources

1. Kitzbüheler Alpen Summer Card – price list 2026
2. Kärnten Card – weekly card prices
3. Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card – booklet 2026 (PDF)
4. Pitztal Summer Card – services and dates 2026
5. Ötztal Inside Summer Card – official page
6. Super.Sommer.Card Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis – 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.