Zell am See · Backpacking

A campsite on the lake at Thumersbacherstraße 34, open all year, with around 30 tent pitches alongside the caravan places and cabins. It is the cheapest bed in the valley and it is on the water.

A summer return on the Schmittenhöhe is €45 for adults and €22.50 for children, and the Kitzsteinhorn is in the same bracket. One mountain day costs more than a night's accommodation, so choose one and walk everything else.

Participating hotels, pensions and campsites across Zell am See-Kaprun include the region's Summer Card in the room rate in summer, covering cable cars, lidos and other attractions. If you are staying at an official property, ask before you buy a single ticket.

Zell am See sits on the Salzburg–Tirol main line, roughly 90 minutes from Salzburg, and it is the eastern terminus of the narrow-gauge Pinzgauer Lokalbahn. The town centre is a short walk from the platform, so you do not need a car to arrive.

A camping pitch or a cheap pension bed roughly €20–45, a supermarket lunch €6–8, Kasnocken in a valley restaurant €14–18, a half-litre of beer €4.50–5.50. About €50–65 a day at valley level, plus €45 the moment you step into a cable car.