Salzburg: Public Transport To 6 Ski Areas Is Free
The Salzburg Transport Association is expanding its winter sports cooperation: this winter season there is the possibility of free travel by public transport in six ski areas. Anyone who buys a ski or ski tour ticket from the participating ski areas can book arrival and departure by public transport at no additional cost. With the free public transport day ticket, ski fans can reach the Snow Space Salzburg ski area, the Hochkönig ski region, the Zauchensee-Flachauwinkl ski area, the Gasteiner Bergbahnen, the Dorfgastein-Großarltal ski area and the Rauriser Hochalmbahnen this winter. On December 30th, a weekend ski train will also start in Gastein Valley and the Salzburger Verkehrsverbund is working on a pilot project for ski days for students.
“Through the pilot project in the last ski season, we saw that the free public transport tickets in combination with the ski pass for climate-neutral arrival and departure were very well received. We are pleased that some ski areas are now included this year and that we can promote public travel and thus leisure traffic even more. It is a milestone project - we are achieving a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and at the same time making the path for skiing-loving customers sustainable and much more relaxed. “In addition, we want to support our mountain railways wherever we can during the challenging A10 construction phase,” explains Deputy Governor Stefan Schnöll.
Last year there was already a free travel campaign for the Snow Space Salzburg ski area in Flachau, Wagrain & St. Johann. The offer of quick, comfortable and climate-friendly travel met with a lot of positive response from winter sports enthusiasts in the first season. Wolfgang Hettegger, CEO of Snow Space Salzburg Bergbahnen AG, would like to offer an alternative to traveling by car this year too. Due to the success of the campaign and the challenging construction phase of the ASFiNAG tunnel renovation, the cooperation is now being expanded to include the Hochkönig ski region, the Zauchensee-Flachauwinkl ski area, the Gasteiner Bergbahnen, the Dorfgastein-Großarltal ski area and the Rauriser Hochalmbahnen. The free journey is made possible through a cooperation with the state of Salzburg, the mountain railways, the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce and the Salzburg Transport Association.
Protect the climate and enjoy your free time – take the bus and train to the ski area
Salzburg's ski areas are easily and conveniently accessible by bus and train. By taking public transport, you can avoid long traffic jams and the hassle of searching for a parking space. If you don't have your own car, you protect the climate and thus protect winter sports.
“We help people in Salzburg enjoy their free time and at the same time protect the climate. The success of the Salzburg climate ticket shows that this approach by the Salzburg transport association is well received. With our cooperation with the mountain railways, we are continuing on this path and offering ski fans a sustainable journey to the ski area all season long,” explains Johannes Gfrerer, Managing Director of Salzburger Verkehrsverbund GmbH.
Simply book your public transport ticket via the online link
After purchasing a ski pass in the web shop of the respective mountain railway, customers receive a link for issuing the free public transport ticket. Season ticket holders can also receive their public transport ticket online via a link on the Bergbahn website by entering the ticket code. Free and climate-neutral arrival and departure is possible on all scheduled connections of the SVV lines including the Salzburg core zone and the ÖBB long-distance trains in the Salzburg area.
Wolfgang Hettegger, CEO of Snow Space Salzburg Bergbahnen, emphasizes, in addition to the cost savings for guests, the comfort and good timing of the connections between the city of Salzburg and the premium ski area in Pongau:
“The first season has proven that traveling by train within an hour from the city of Salzburg to the St. Johann im Pongau train station and further to the Alpendorf in the Snow Space Salzburg ski area is an attractive alternative to traveling individually. Our guest survey showed that users were very satisfied with our offer and many of them used the offer regularly in the first season. We are proud that three more ski areas are joining our initiative this year. This allows us to make a significant contribution to minimizing the CO2 footprint of alpine winter sports in Salzburg. Due to the renovation of the tunnel chain on the A10, we are also offering a shuttle bus on weekends this winter from Bischofshofen train station directly to Flachau and Flachauwinkl/Zauchensee. In this way, we offer our guests even more flexibility and additional connections for their arrival and departure.”
Great demand expected
The cooperation partners expect great demand for free public transport tickets; 3,000 tickets were issued in Flachau last season. The tickets are sponsored by the state of Salzburg and the Salzburger Verkehrsverbund. “The Salzburg cable car industry pointed out the major challenges that the tunnel construction site on the A10 would bring with it at an early stage. In this sense, it is a step in the right direction that public travel to the ski areas is now being promoted and promoted more strongly. After all, it is crucial that everything possible is done to keep the winter tourism economic engine running well,” emphasizes Erich Egger, chairman of the cable car specialist group at the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce.
Pilot project public ski day for schoolchildren
To promote leisure transport among young people, the Salzburg Transport Association is currently developing a pilot project for schoolchildren. With some mountain railways, school classes are already receiving free ski tickets for ski days or blocked gymnastics lessons on the slopes. This offer is now being supplemented with sustainable mobility: The aim of the cooperation between the state of Salzburg, the participating mountain railways and the Salzburg transport association is that school classes in Salzburg can use all public transport within the state free of charge for their ski days next year. The aim is to create an incentive so that young people can switch to public transport in Salzburg.
“Salzburg is a ski country, so it is important to me that Salzburg's young people can try out and practice this sport at school. By shifting to public transport, the traffic situation will be further relieved. The students can also experience how well it is now possible to combine public transport and sport. “I would like to thank the Salzburger Verkehrsverbund, the mountain railways and Deputy Governor Schnöll for this new offer on behalf of our students,” said State Education Councilor Daniela Gutschi.
The list of participating mountain railways will soon be announced by the cable car specialist group of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce.
Additional ski train to Gastein Valley from December 30th
In order to further expand public transport to the ski areas, a new train connection for the weekend will start on December 30th. From December 30th, 2023 to March 10th, 2024, the ski train travels Saturday and Sunday from Straßwalchen via Salzburg and Hallein to Bad Gastein. With the additional connections in the morning and afternoon, the Salzburger Verkehrsverbund creates a direct connection from Flachgau to the Pongau ski areas that is practical for winter sports enthusiasts. The train used offers 364 seats and a large multi-purpose area - ideal for luggage and sports equipment.
Line 270 takes winter guests from the airport to Pongau
Another additional offer starts on December 16th: From December 16th, 2023 to April 13th, 2024, line 270 runs six times a day between Salzburg Airport and Eben on “Flight Day” Saturday. In order to create a fast and reliable connection for winter guests, only three stops are served: Salzburg Main Station – Salzburg Airport (Terminal) – Eben P+R. Hotel shuttles no longer have to go to the city of Salzburg, but can pick up guests at the Eben Park and Ride car park.
All information about free public transport to the ski areas can be found at: www.salzburg-verkehr.at/wintersport
