Ski pass prices rise as seasonal rentals gain popularity

A season pass covering 10 ski areas will cost up to €555 this winter, while more skiers are turning to rentals and second-hand equipment, ORF reports.

The NÖ Bergerlebnispass is on sale for €429 for adults during its “super pre-sale”, which runs until the end of October. That is up from €410 last year. The price rises to €500 in November and €555 in December; in December 2025, the pass cost €535. A total of 15,000 passes are available, including family benefits.

The pass covers the Annaberger Lifte, Erlebnisalm Mönichkirchen, Gemeindealpe Mitterbach, Hochkar Bergbahnen, Königsberg, Mariazeller Bürgeralpe in Styria, Ötscherlifte Lackenhof, Maiszinken family ski area, Semmering Hirschenkogel and Wexl Arena in St. Corona am Wechsel.

A total of 9,695 passes were sold in the 2024/25 season. In 2025/26, 13,839 were issued and used for an average of slightly more than 10 days. They were most frequently used at Hochkar, Ötscherlifte and Annaberger Lifte. At Hochkar, more than 30 per cent of visitors held a season pass.

Markus Redl, managing director of the state-owned ecoplus Alpin GmbH, said 39 per cent more passes had been issued between sales opening on September 1, 2026, and October 20 than in the same period the previous year. He said this could mean customers were buying earlier or that demand was higher than for the 2025/26 season.

Day-ticket prices vary with demand

Adult day tickets start at €32.90 at Hochkar, Annaberg, Ötscher and Mönichkirchen, unchanged from last winter. The starting price at Königsberg is also unchanged, while prices at Semmering are set to rise by three to five per cent.

Operators are again using flexible pricing for day tickets, with prices influenced by factors including demand and the weather. Redl said increases were needed to cover operating costs. Online tickets are 15 per cent cheaper, even when bought on the day, and buying earlier can save customers about 30 per cent.

More skiers choose rentals

Rental and second-hand equipment are becoming more popular as skiers look to cut costs. Eva Voraberger, who runs Andrea’s Ski Verleih & Second Hand in Lanzendorf in the district of Bruck an der Leitha, said demand had risen steadily since the shop opened four years ago. About 70 per cent of rentals there are for children’s equipment, and 80 per cent are for the full season. The shop also sells new and used ski suits.

Michael Nendwich, who runs a second-hand shop that includes a branch in Lackenhof in the district of Scheibbs and represents the industry at the Austrian Economic Chamber, also reported growing demand for ski rentals. Seasonal rentals have increased particularly sharply, while fewer customers are renting or buying ski clothing.

Among day visitors, about 60 per cent of rental customers are adults and 40 per cent are children. For season-long rentals, the proportions are reversed: 80 per cent of equipment goes to children and 20 per cent to adults. Nendwich said customers wanted to keep the equipment at home and have flexibility, as well as reduce costs. He and Voraberger said customers also valued quality and chose equipment that had been checked.