Skiing in Austria from Prague 2026/27: Resorts and Lift Passes
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The closest Austrian resorts to Prague are Hochficht (about 210 km, 2 h 50 min by our calculation) and Hinterstoder (about 330 km, 4 h 10 min). Schladming, Saalbach and Zell am See are 5 h to 5 h 40 min away; Kitzbühel, Hintertux and Sölden 5 h 25 min to 6 h 40 min. A 6-day adult lift pass for 2026/27 costs €351 to €478.50 at the ticket office at the resorts in the table with published prices; Hochficht and Hinterstoder use dynamic prices, with no fixed figure. Beginners: Hochficht. Families: the Ski ALPIN CARD (Zell am See, Kaprun, Saalbach). Experienced skiers: Sölden or Schladming. Around Prague checked prices, rules and timetables on official websites on 2 November 2026; driving times are our OpenStreetMap calculation, without traffic.
Resorts: distance, pistes and 2026/27 lift pass prices
| Resort | From Prague (calculated) | Pistes and altitude | Lift pass: 1 day / 6 days, EUR | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hochficht | 210 km, 2 h 50 min | 28 km (17 blue, 10 red, 1 black); altitude not stated | dynamic; "from 44.50" if booked early | beginners, children |
| Hinterstoder | 330 km, 4 h 10 min | 40 km (12 blue, 18 red, 10 black), 600–2,000 m | dynamic, no price list | families, intermediates |
| Schladming (Planai, Ski amadé) | 400 km, 5 h | 123 km on four mountains, 176 km in the region, to 2,015 m | 81.50 / 432.50 on 19 Dec–26 Mar; day pass 76.00 outside | intermediate and advanced |
| Zell am See and Kaprun | 455 km, 5 h 30 min | Kitzsteinhorn glacier, top station 3,029 m; 408 km together with Saalbach | 82 / 440 on 19 Dec–12 Mar; 74 / 396 on 27 Nov–18 Dec and 13 Mar–4 Apr | families, November glacier |
| Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang, Fieberbrunn | 465 km, 5 h 40 min | 270 km (140 blue, 112 red, 18 black), 70 lifts | same Ski ALPIN CARD: 82 / 440 and 74 / 396 | all levels, a week |
| Kitzbühel (KitzSki) | 510 km, 5 h 25 min, via Munich | 233 km, 800–2,000 m | 69–83 / 351–423 (three price periods) | intermediate and advanced |
| Sölden (Ötztal) | 580 km, 6 h 40 min | 147 km, 1,350–3,340 m, two glaciers | 81–86.50 / 450–478.50 | advanced, snow from November |
| Hintertux (Zillertal) | 565 km, 6 h 15 min | glacier to 3,250 m, up to 206 km with Zillertal 3000 | 82 / 399 | November, advanced |
Prices are in EUR with VAT, for adults, at the ticket office. Booking online early is cheaper: at Ski amadé 69.50–81.50 a day and 367.50–432.50 for six days. KitzSki's low rate runs until 5 Dec 2026 and from 30 Mar 2027, the middle 6–19 Dec and 14–29 Mar, the high 20 Dec–13 Mar; Sölden's upper figure applies 19 Dec–6 Jan and 30 Jan–26 Feb. Hochficht and Hinterstoder publish no fixed 2026/27 prices, and I found no official last-season prices. From Brno, by our calculation: 418 km (4 h 58 min) to Schladming, 479 km (5 h 50 min) to Zell am See.
The Ski ALPIN CARD, KitzSki and Hintertux let children born 2021 or later ski free with an adult; in Sölden those born 2019–2022 pay €2 a day. With the Junior XPLORE CARD, children and teenagers get a Saturday day pass on the Ski ALPIN CARD for €15, and from 20 Mar to 4 Apr 2027 children ski free if a parent buys a pass for 4 days or more. We are preparing a separate guide to Italian resorts.
Glaciers: where to ski in November and early December
- Kitzsteinhorn (Kaprun). On 2 November the glacier lifts and six pistes were open; Maiskogelbahn and K-onnection return in December. Autumn pass to 26 Nov: day €77.00, six days €396.00. Ski ALPIN CARD from 27 Nov.
- Sölden. Glacier skiing from early October, winter season 12 Nov 2026 to 18 Apr 2027, snow permitting until 4 Dec. From 19 Nov a pass for three days or more is valid across the Ötztal.
- Hintertux. The 2026/27 price list runs 17 Oct 2026 to 7 May 2027; a pass for two days or more is valid in all of Zillertal from 4 Dec to 11 Apr 2027. I found no lift opening dates, so check the status first.
- Stubai. Season usually October to May, main-season rates from 24 Oct 2026: day €75.50, six days €355.00. On the evening of 2 November the site showed 10 of 40 pistes open.
Other resorts open later: Skicircus (Saalbach) is planned for 27 Nov 2026 to 4 Apr 2027 and Hochficht for 5 Dec to 29 Mar 2027, both snow permitting.
Driving from Prague
Two routes by our calculation. Via České Budějovice: D3, the Dolní Dvořiště border, then S10, A7 and A1, for Hinterstoder, Schladming, Zell am See and Saalbach. Via Munich: D5 towards Plzeň, the Rozvadov–Waidhaus border, then German motorways through Regensburg and Munich, for Kitzbühel, Sölden and Hintertux. To Schladming the A9 through the Bosruck tunnel is shorter: 400 km against 463 km via Salzburg and the A10.
The ASFINAG vignette is required on Austrian motorways and expressways. Prices from 1 Dec 2025: 1 day €9.60 (digital only), 10 days €12.80, 2 months €32.00, year €106.80. The 1- and 10-day ones can start at once; online, the 2-month and annual ones start on the 18th day. The digital 2027 vignette goes on sale in early November and is valid from 1 Dec 2026; stickers stop selling that day, and from 1 Feb 2027 only the digital one counts. The annual vignette costs €108.90 from 1 Jan 2027 (plus 2%); bought by 31 Dec 2026 it stays €106.80. 2027 prices for 10 days and 2 months are not published. The A1 from the Walserberg border to Salzburg Nord and the A12 from the Kufstein border to Kufstein-Süd need no vignette.
Tunnels. Separate tolls (tariffs from 1 Jan 2026): A9 Bosruck €7.00 and Gleinalm €12.00, A10 Tauern and Katschberg €15.00, A13 Brenner Innsbruck–Stubaital €4.00 (the road to Stubai), S16 Arlberg €13.00. On the routes to the resorts in the table, only Bosruck is a toll tunnel by our calculation. Germany has no general car toll (ADAC). Czech e-vignette: 10 days 300 CZK, year 2,570 CZK.
Tyres and chains. From 1 November to 15 April in winter conditions (snow, slush, ice, wet roads that may freeze) you need winter tyres on all wheels or chains on two driven wheels. Chains are allowed only on roads fully or almost fully covered with snow. Tyres: M+S or the snowflake-on-mountain mark, tread at least 4 mm; ÖAMTC wrote in October 2026 about the Alpine symbol. The ministry (BMIMI) gives a €35 fine, up to €5,000 if others are endangered; ÖAMTC says about €100.
By train via Linz
IDOS for 4 and 7 November shows the Ex7 "Jižní expres" (České dráhy and ÖBB) from Praha hl.n. to Linz Hbf in 3 h 45 min, at 6:21 and 10:21. IDOS then gives 5 h 17 min to Salzburg, 6 h 47 min to Zell am See and 7 h 18 min to Schladming; via Vienna it takes longer. IDOS shows timetables only up to 12 Dec 2026; a new timetable starts on 13 Dec.
A week for two: the calculation
| Resort | Two 6-day passes, EUR | Road, EUR | Total, EUR | About CZK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schladming | 865.00 | 26.80 (vignette and Bosruck both ways) | 891.80 | 21,700 |
| Saalbach, Zell am See | 792.00–880.00 | 12.80 | 804.80–892.80 | 19,600–21,700 |
| Kitzbühel | 702.00–846.00 | 12.80 | 714.80–858.80 | 17,400–20,900 |
| Sölden | 900.00–957.00 | 12.80 | 912.80–969.80 | 22,200–23,600 |
| Hintertux | 798.00 | 12.80 | 810.80 | 19,700 |
Calculation: ticket-office prices for two adults plus a 10-day vignette (€12.80; after 1 Jan 2027 it costs more, price not yet published). ČNB rate on 2 Nov 2026: 24.35 CZK per euro. Fuel, accommodation, food, rental and the Czech vignette are excluded: I found no official accommodation price range.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Which Austrian ski resort is closest to Prague?
Hochficht, about 210 km and 2 h 50 min by our calculation. Hinterstoder is next.
How much is a 6-day lift pass in Austria for 2026/27?
For an adult at the ticket office, €351 (KitzSki, low rate) to €478.50 (Sölden, high rate). Ski ALPIN CARD €396–440, Ski amadé €432.50, Hintertux €399.
Do I need a vignette for Austria and what does it cost in 2026 and 2027?
Yes, on motorways and expressways. 10 days €12.80, year €106.80; the annual one is €108.90 from 1 Jan 2027.
Do I need snow chains and winter tyres in Austria?
Winter tyres, or chains on two driven wheels, from 1 November to 15 April in winter conditions. Tread of at least 4 mm.
Can I get to the resorts by train from Prague?
Yes. Linz is 3 h 45 min away with no change; Zell am See takes 6 h 47 min with a change.
Sources: ASFINAG: vignette, 2027 price, tunnels; BMIMI; ÖAMTC: tyres, fines; ADAC; eDalnice; Ski amadé: prices, Hauser Kaibling; Kitzsteinhorn: prices, lifts; Saalbach: prices, resort; KitzSki: prices, region; Sölden: prices, resort; Hintertux; Stubai: price list, resort; Hochficht: prices, season; Hinterstoder: prices, resort; IDOS; ČNB. Data checked on 2 November 2026; compare prices on the resort's site before you buy.
See also: Skiing in Czechia 2026/27, Špindlerův Mlýn, Harrachov, Lake Lipno, Czech highway vignette, Winter tyres in Czechia, Budweis day trip, Skiing in Italy from Prague.
Photo: the Jausernabfahrt slope and Vorderglemm village, Saalbach-Hinterglemm. MattiPaavola, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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