Mudpie Fridays >> Austria >> Zillertal Activcard – is the Summer card worth it?

Zillertal Activcard – is the Summer card worth it?

During our seven days in the Zillertal region of Western Austria, we had a Zillertal Activcard for three of those days. Travelling with kids is never cheap and I am always on the lookout to try and reduce costs where possible. Which is where the Zillertal Activcard comes in. After all a Summer holiday to Austria would not be complete without visiting the mountain ranges and taking in the stunning views. Plus there is so much to do for kids other than the obligatory hiking you will want to go up them all! And there’s a lot to choose from. So the question is would the Zillertal card prove to be the ideal companion for our holiday?

Table of Contents

What is the Zillertal Activcard

The Zillertal Activcard is a little plastic card (like a ski pass) which allows you free admission to ten different cable cars and gondolas in the region of Zillertal. You can choose one per day to go up and down on. As well as this it also gives you free entry to one of six swimming pools in the area, one per day. Free use of most public transport, it also doubles as a discount card offering 10%+ discounts on other attractions and partners. Making this two-in-one ticket

All of the mountain experiences offer something different. There could be a misconception that you go up a mountain to hike. Yes of course you can do this and many also offer wonderful bike tracks if you are so inclined. But there is also so much more than this with each of the Zillertal mountains offering something different

During our visit, we had some unforgettable alpine experiences. We saw snow with the opportunity to ski, yes in July. We also swam in glacial lakes and played in an amazing play forts. Enjoyed an inside playroom to escape the foggy weather, with the opportunity to see a bird of prey show, hunt for crystals, tried out barefoot walks and went inside an ice cave. We could have also tried high rope courses, climbing walls, rock climbing and if the boys had been older trottbikes and mountain go-karts. There really is something for the whole family.

The cable cars included are:

You can go on one cable car of your choice which includes one return cable car trip a day. All mountain cable cars are within the Zillertal Valley, open cable cars are dependent on weather conditions.

The outdoor pools included are:

You can find out information on the numerous discount partners on the website here.

Where can you get a Zillertal Activcard?

There are several different points of sale. You can purchase your card at the bottom of the cable car stations. We picked ours up from the Rosenalmbahn. This seemed the most sensible since we were just about to board our first cable car. You can use it straight away on the day of purchase. if you want to purchase in advance then you can also do this online via the Zillertal website.

It is also possible to pick it up from selected tourist offices in Fugen, Kaltenbach, Zell am Miller and Tux-Lanersbach. As well as the train station in Jenbach, Mayhofen and Zell am Ziller.

How much does a Zillertal Activcard cost?

The cost depends on the number of consecutive days you have the card for. It ranges from €78.00 for an adult for 3 days to €190.00 for an adult for 12 days. Children’s cards range from €39.00 for 3 days to €95.50 for 12 days. The longer you have the card the better the deal, a 3-day card would effectively cost an adult €26 a day while a 12-day card costs under €16 a day. There are also 6 and 9-day cards available.

A child is deemed to be born between 2008 and 2016. With those born from 2017 onwards free. When we visited they were running a family special offer. If two adults purchased Zillertal Activcards then children ride for free. Meaning that we saved the children’s price. Please note it is not possible to purchase this offer online, it will need to be done at one of the sales points. The year we visited the first day of sale was the 27th of May 2023, with the last day of validity being the 29th of October 2023. For future years the Zillertal card generally starts at the end of May and runs for the whole of the Summer season.

So our tickets for 3 days for the four of us would have cost €156.

Our Experience of using the Zillertal Activcard

During the three days that we had the cards, we went up one cable car each day. The chip card becomes your ticket so do not have to queue to get tickets which is helpful with kids. We had a swimming pool at the hotel we were staying at Ferienhotel Sonnenhof and so did not use the outside pools. Although in hindsight a couple of them have water slides so that was a bit of a rookie error. If our accommodation has not had a pool then we would have definitely made more use of the pools.

Day One – Rosenalmbahn, Zell am Ziller 1744m

If you are travelling with kids then this one needs to be on your list of must-dos. With a beautiful cable car ride, amazing play space for children, a large play lake and stunning views of the surrounding mountains. You can easily spend all day enjoying everything on offer for families. There are of course hiking trails and some great bike trails as well.

Day Two – Ahornbahn, Mayrhofen 1980m

You do have to be prepared for all weather when visiting Austria, even in the Summer. The mountain ranges and valleys have their unique weather system. This does mean that some days there is a cloud covering the tops of the mountains. But this doesn’t stop the fun! The boys thought it was brilliant to be walking amongst the clouds. If there is wind then it is likely that it will move on. Unfortunately during our visit to Ahornbahn, the cloud was being stubborn.

Although we may not have been able to see all the views when we travelled up in a huge state-of-the-art gondola that takes up to 160 people. The boys still had fun in a brand-new play area created in conjunction with Ravensburger. We did a short hike up to the viewing point and then had lunch in a lovely restaurant and fed alpacas. In the afternoon there was a bird of prey show.

Read more about our visit – Complete guide to Ahornbahn, Mayrhofen with kids

Day Three – Spieljochbahn, Fugen 1862m

We travelled a little further down the valley and went up in a cable car to an adventure mountain. And an adventure mountain this is! Again something completely different to the other two we visited. This is completely set up for kids, with easy family hiking and amazing views.

There are several play areas to enjoy including mini boats and a barefoot walk. As well as plenty of water much to Harry’s delight. Plus there are several paid-for activities you can take part in. The boys enjoyed hunting for crystals. They also offer rock climbing, high rope courses and zip lines, as well as various other things. All activities can be booked at the information point when you arrive.

Read about our visit – Complete guide to visiting Spielijoch Mountain with kids

Hintertux Glacier 3250m

We also visited the Hintertux Glacier when we did not have the Zillertal Activcard which was a bit of a shame. The cost for all four of us to go up was €125 (Harry was free), which would have almost covered the whole cost of the Zillertal Activcard for the 3 days. Had we paid for Harry then it would have done. The Hinterhux should definitely be on your must-see list, one of the boy’s highlights of our whole holiday was the Natural Ice Palace and eating lunch on the gondola.

How much money did we save with the Zillertal Activcard?

I have already mentioned that the cost of our Zillertal Activcards for a family of four for three days cost 156€.

The cost of the things we did are below including some great discounts from partners.

Rosenalmbahn – adults €29 and children €14.50 – total cost €87
Ahornbahn – adults €28 and children €14 – total cost €84
Spieljochbahn – adults €28 and children €13 – total cost €82
10% on Arena Coaster entrance fee for one ride €23.40 – €2.34
10% on Erlenbis Sennerei entrance fee for a family of four €29.00 – €2.90

Total cost €258.24 which is a saving of €102.24

However, if we swapped out the visit to Spielijochbahn with the free rides up to the Hinterux instead it would have been a much more sensible way of doing things. It would be a saving of €182.24 based on 2 adults and 2 children going up the Hintertux (adult tickets cost €44 and children €37).

And that’s without using any of the swimming pools or free use of the public transport network since we had the car. Please note the steam train is not included in this offer and when you pick up the physical cards there is a €2 refundable deposit fee per card.

Is the Zillertal Activcard worth it?

Based on those numbers above I would say that the Zillertal Activcard is most definitely worth it. Since we would have saved more than the cards themselves had we had the foresight to include the Hinterux. Even without the Huntertux, we saved over 100 euros. And this is comparing the shortest three successive days card option, the longer you have the card the cheaper it works out per day. Making it a perfect companion to a holiday in the region.

Weekend Getaway from the UK

We are considering a return trip to the region but without a car. So have looked into the idea of a long weekend using the region’s public transport. Flying into Innsbruck, from London. Although you can also catch direct flights from Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. The plan would be to use public transport to get around. From the airport, you can catch the tram to Innsbruck Station and from here a train to Jenbach. Which will take around an hour.

Jenbach is the first station where you can pick up the Zillerbahn from. Travel on the Zillerbahn is included in your Zillertal Activcard and you can purchase your card from the ticket office at Jenbach. Although check the opening hours to ensure it matches your flight. The Zillerbahn runs from Jenbach to Mayhofen frequently. You can see the timetable here. Then we would use the local bus network (also included in the Zillertal Activcard) to access the cable cars.

Not only would this avoid the expense of having to hire a car, but we would intend on buying a Zillertal Activcard anyway. It would mean we are effectively travelling for free and taking advantage of all card benefits.