Winter 2026/27.Guest cards and ski pass prices from official sources. Sommercard – summer cards
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Winter2 min read

Wintercard vs. Sommercard: what you get free with your accommodation in winter

The Sommercard is not valid in winter. What the winter guest card (Wintercard) includes, why the slopes are not part of it and where it makes the ski pass cheaper.

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Published · 2 min read

Family with skis walking through the snowy village to the ski bus, a gondola running overhead

Short answer: the summer Sommercard is not valid in winter. In winter you get the Wintercard, the winter guest card, with your accommodation. It includes the ski bus, public transport, cross-country trails, guided tours and discounts, but no slopes and no ski lifts. In Austria you always pay for skiing separately with a ski pass.

Why mountain railways are not included in winter

In summer, mountain railways are a draw that resorts pay for out of the tourist tax. Your host pays a small flat fee per guest and you ride for free. In winter it is the other way round: the lifts are the main source of income and are sold as a ski pass. That is why none of the winter cards we compared includes skiing.

What the Wintercard usually includes

  • Ski bus and public transport. For example the Wilder Kaiser GästeCard or the Ötztal Gästekarte. Throughout SalzburgerLand, all overnight guests also use public transport free with the Guest Mobility Ticket.
  • Cross-country trails, guided tours and snowshoes. The Wildschönau Card Winter offers the most: ski bus, snowshoe rental, guided tours, cross-country trails and a museum.
  • Discounts on pools, museums, ice rinks and mountain railways for pedestrians, for example in Zell am See-Kaprun.

You get the card from your host, usually from the first night and at no extra cost.

Three little-known exceptions

  1. The Kärnten Card Winter is a card you buy. For €89 for the whole season (children €49) you get 43 attractions free: thermal spas, museums, mountain railways for pedestrians and a toboggan run. It does not include skiing either.
  2. In Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis the guest card makes the ski pass cheaper. A 6-day adult ski pass costs €403 instead of €429 in high season, and at the start of the season (4–18 Dec) only €292.50 instead of €331.
  3. In Ischgl the guest card unlocks the cheaper VIP ski pass. Six days cost €385 instead of €451, and children under 10 ski free with a parent.

So what do you pay for?

Accommodation and the guest card are one item, the ski pass is another. A 6-day adult ski pass costs roughly €350 to €480 in high season 2026/27. The ski pass calculator works out exact prices for your family and dates, and the ski pass price index compares all ski areas.

Summary

Sommercard (summer) Wintercard (winter)
Mountain railways free only for pedestrians or discounted
Slopes – no, you need a ski pass
Transport often free ski bus and public transport free
Price free with your stay or bought free with your stay (Kärnten Card bought)

Sources

  1. Zell am See-Kaprun – guest card and Guest Mobility Ticket
  2. Wildschönau Card Winter
  3. Kärnten Card Winter
  4. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis – ski passes with guest card 2026/27
  5. Ischgl – VIP ski pass with guest card 2026/27
  6. Guest Mobility Ticket SalzburgerLand

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.

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