The Stelvio Pass Road Trip: A 12-Day Alpine Driving Route from the UK

The Stelvio Pass Road Trip: A 12-Day Alpine Driving Route from the UK

Why the Stelvio Pass is worth the drive from the UK

The Stelvio Pass is 48 numbered hairpins stacked up a mountainside in northern Italy, climbing to 2,757 metres. It is the highest paved pass in Italy and the second highest in the Alps. Most people see it in a photo first. Very few forget the first time they drive it.

We named our brand after this road. Stelvio started with a drive over the pass in an Audi RS4, and that drive is still the reason we make what we make. The early morning blast up the mountain, taking in each hairpin, leaving in sunshine and reaching the summit covered in snow, it's an experience that simply has to be on every driver's bucket list!

This guide is the trip we would plan for a friend. Twelve days, driven from the UK in your own car, built around the Stelvio but taking in the Alpine roads people travel across Europe to drive: the Furka, Grimsel and Susten passes in Switzerland, the Gavia in Italy, the Dolomites and Austria's Grossglockner. It covers the route day by day, when to go, what the tolls cost and what to pack.

The route at a glance

The full loop is about 3,300 km (2,050 miles) from Calais and back, across six countries and more than a dozen Alpine passes. Distances are approximate and assume the scenic roads, not the fastest ones.

Day

Route

Roads worth the trip

Distance (approx.)

1

Calais to Reims

Champagne country

280 km / 175 mi

2

Reims to the Black Forest

Black Forest High Road (B500)

450 km / 280 mi

3

Black Forest to Andermatt

Lake Lucerne shore

320 km / 200 mi

4

Andermatt loop

Furka, Grimsel, Susten

160 km / 100 mi

5

Andermatt to Prato allo Stelvio

Oberalp, Flüela, Ofen

230 km / 145 mi

6

Prato allo Stelvio to Bormio

Stelvio Pass, optional Umbrail

50 km / 30 mi

7

Bormio to the Dolomites

Gavia, Tonale

220 km / 135 mi

8

Dolomites loop

Sella Ronda passes, Passo Giau

150 km / 95 mi

9

Dolomites to Zell am See

Grossglockner High Alpine Road

230 km / 145 mi

10–12

Zell am See to Calais

Motorways via Germany, Belgium or France

1,250 km / 775 mi

Short on time? Cut it to nine days: after the Stelvio, head north from Merano over the Timmelsjoch into Austria's Ötztal and pick up the motorway home through Germany. You lose the Gavia, Dolomites and Grossglockner, but keep the best of Switzerland and the Stelvio itself.

The Stelvio Pass road trip, day by day

Days 1–2: Calais to the Black Forest

Take an early Eurotunnel or ferry and get the dull miles done. Reims makes an easy first night: under three hours from Calais, good food, and a champagne house tour if you want one.

On day two, cross into Germany and save the afternoon for the Black Forest High Road, the B500 between Baden-Baden and Freudenstadt. It is around 60 km of fast, flowing road along a ridge of pine forest, with a stop at the Mummelsee lake halfway. It is the first proper driving road of the trip and a good way to settle into the car.

Day 3: Into Switzerland, via Lake Lucerne

Head south past Basel and Lucerne, then follow the lake shore towards the mountains. The last stretch climbs through the Schöllenen Gorge to Andermatt, a small town sitting where four of Switzerland's great passes meet. Book two nights here.

Day 4: Furka, Grimsel and Susten in a single loop

This is one of the best days' driving in Europe, and it starts and ends at your hotel. Three passes, around 160 km, and you will want to stop every few minutes.

  1. Furka Pass (2,429 m). Climb out of Realp and look for the lay-by marking where the car chase in the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger was filmed. Near the top you pass the old Hotel Belvédère, perched on a hairpin above the Rhône Glacier.
  2. Grimsel Pass (2,165 m). From Gletsch, a tight run of hairpins takes you up past dark reservoir lakes and bare granite. Look back on the way up for the classic view of the Furka hairpins.
  3. Susten Pass (2,264 m). From Innertkirchen, the Susten climbs past the Steingletscher glacier on a wide, well-surfaced road, then drops down the Meien valley to Wassen and back to Andermatt.

Start early. By late morning in summer the passes fill with motorbikes, coaches and cyclists.

Day 5: Oberalp, Flüela and Ofen to the foot of the Stelvio

A day of linking roads that would be the headline of any other trip. Climb the Oberalp Pass out of Andermatt, follow the Rhine valley to Chur, then cross the Flüela Pass from Davos to Zernez. The Ofen Pass takes you through the Swiss National Park and down into Val Müstair, where you cross into Italy.

Stay in Prato allo Stelvio or Trafoi, at the bottom of the eastern side of the Stelvio. You want to be first up the mountain tomorrow.

Day 6: The Stelvio Pass

This is the day the whole trip is built around. Drive the eastern side from Prato allo Stelvio: it is the famous side, with 48 hairpins, each marked with a numbered stone that counts down as you climb. It is about 24 km to the summit with roughly 1,800 metres of climbing.

The road was built between 1820 and 1825 to link Lombardy with the Austrian Empire. During the First World War the front line ran across it, and you can still find old fortifications around the top. In 2008, the BBC's Top Gear called it the greatest driving road in the world.

A few things we have learnt:

  • Go early. Be at the bottom by 7am. By mid-morning the hairpins are shared with hundreds of cyclists and motorbikes, and being able to fully enjoy the road is rarely possible.
  • Use first or second gear for the tightest hairpins. Some are tighter than they look, and the inside line is steep.
  • Stop at the summit and look back down. The view of the hairpins from the top is the photo everyone wants, and it is better in person.
  • Drive the western side too. The descent to Bormio has around 40 hairpins of its own, more tunnels and a different character. If you have time, take the Umbrail Pass (2,503 m) into Switzerland and loop back for a second run.

Stay in Bormio. The thermal baths are the best way to end the day.

Day 7: The Gavia Pass to the Dolomites

The Gavia (2,621 m) is the Stelvio's quieter, wilder neighbour, running from Bormio to Ponte di Legno. The northern side is open and fast. The southern side is narrow, and in places it is barely one car wide with a long drop on one side. Take it slowly and enjoy having it almost to yourself.

From Ponte di Legno, cross the Tonale Pass and follow the valleys east to Bolzano and up into Val Gardena. It is a long day, so leave Bormio after breakfast.

Day 8: The Dolomites

The Dolomites look different to the rest of the Alps: pale limestone towers rising straight out of green meadows. Spend the morning on the four passes around the Sella massif (Gardena, Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo), a loop of around 55 km that you can drive in a couple of hours without stopping.

In the afternoon, head to the Passo Giau (2,236 m). It is a tight, steep climb with dozens of hairpins and one of the best views in the region from the top, looking across to the Cinque Torri. Stay a second night in the same hotel.

Day 9: The Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Drive north through Cortina and Lienz to Heiligenblut, the southern entrance to Austria's Grossglockner High Alpine Road. It runs for 48 km through the Hohe Tauern National Park, with 36 bends and a high point of 2,571 metres.

Take the side road to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe for a view of the Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain at 3,798 metres, and the Pasterze glacier below it. Finish the day in Zell am See, by the lake.

Days 10–12: The drive home

Home is around 1,250 km, so split it into three easy days or two long ones. Good overnight stops include Munich, Stuttgart, Luxembourg and Reims. If you have a spare day, the Nürburgring in western Germany is a short detour north of Luxembourg.

When to go

The best window for this route is late June to mid-September, when every pass on it should be open. September is our pick: the summer crowds thin out, the light is softer and the roads are still clear.

The high passes close for winter and only reopen once the snow is cleared, so dates move year to year. As a guide, from the 2026 season:

Road

Usual season

2026 season

Stelvio Pass

Late May to early November

Opened 23 May (Bormio side)

Gavia Pass

June to mid-October

June to mid-October

Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Early May to early November

1 May to early November

Timmelsjoch

Mid-May to October

13 May to 20 October

Check before you go. Snow can close a high pass for a day at any time of year, even in August.

Watch out for car-free days. Once a year, usually on a Saturday at the end of August, the Stelvio is closed to cars for Stelvio Cycling Day (29 August in 2026). The Gavia and Mortirolo have car-free days too. Check the Stelvio National Park website before you fix your dates.

Tolls, vignettes and what to pack

Budget around £100 for road charges on this route, before French and Italian motorway tolls. The Stelvio, Gavia and Dolomite passes are all free to drive.

Charge

Cost (2026)

Notes

Swiss motorway vignette

CHF 40

One price, valid for 14 months. Buy the e-vignette online before you go.

Austrian motorway vignette

€9.60 for 1 day to €106.80 for a year

Austria is moving to digital-only vignettes. Buy from ASFINAG, not look-alike resale sites that add fees.

Grossglockner High Alpine Road

€46.50 per car, day ticket

€36.50 after 6pm. No driving outside opening hours.

Timmelsjoch (shorter route only)

€20 one way, €28 return

Covers both the Austrian and Italian sides.

French and Italian motorways

Pay at the barrier

Card is accepted almost everywhere.

Driving in Europe from the UK

  • A UK sticker on the back of the car (the old GB sticker is no longer valid), unless your number plate already shows the UK identifier.
  • Headlamp adjustment so you do not dazzle oncoming drivers. Many modern cars do this in the settings menu; older ones need beam deflectors.
  • A warning triangle and a reflective jacket for each person, which France requires you to carry.
  • A Crit'Air sticker if you plan to drive into French city low-emission zones. Order it from the official French government site well before you leave.
  • Watch for ZTL signs in Italian towns. These are restricted traffic zones with cameras, and the fines arrive by post months later.

For the car

  • Brakes and tyres checked before you go. Long Alpine descents are hard on brakes. Use a lower gear and let the engine do some of the work.
  • Winter tyres or snow chains in the boot for the high passes in early or late season. The Grossglockner can require them at short notice.
  • Fuel up in the valleys. Stations are rare on the high passes, and fuel in Italy is usually dearer than in Austria.

For you

  • Layers. It can be 30°C in Bormio and close to freezing at the top of the Stelvio on the same day.
  • Sunglasses and sun cream. The light is strong above 2,500 metres.
  • A camera with space on it. You will stop more often than you think and you can never have too mnay photos.

Stelvio Pass FAQs

How many hairpins does the Stelvio Pass have?

The eastern side, from Prato allo Stelvio, has 48 numbered hairpins. The western side, from Bormio, has around 40 more.

How long does it take to drive the Stelvio Pass?

Allow 45 minutes to an hour to climb the eastern side in normal summer traffic, plus time to stop. To drive both sides and enjoy it, set aside half a day.

Which side of the Stelvio Pass is best to drive?

The eastern side from Prato allo Stelvio is the famous one, with the stacked hairpins you see in photos. Drive it uphill: the views open up as you climb, and the tight turns are easier going up.

When is the Stelvio Pass open?

Usually from late May until early November, depending on snow. In 2026 it opened on 23 May. It also closes to cars for one day of cycling at the end of August.

Is there a toll on the Stelvio Pass?

No. The Stelvio Pass is free to drive.

Is the Stelvio Pass difficult to drive?

It is fully surfaced and has barriers on the exposed hairpins, so any confident driver can manage it. The challenge is the tightness of the hairpins and the traffic: cyclists, motorbikes and the occasional coach coming the other way.

How far is the Stelvio Pass from the UK?

About 1,100 km (680 miles) from Calais by the direct route, or two long days of driving. The route in this guide takes five days to get there, because the roads on the way are half the point.

Wear the drive.

A trip like this stays with you long after the car is unpacked. You will remember the hairpin where you pulled over, the café at the top of the Grimsel, the first glimpse of the Dolomites through the windscreen.

That is why we make what we make. Every Stelvio piece is cut from stainless steel and inspired by the cars and roads we love, with a lifetime warranty and free delivery on every order. Something to keep the drive with you on an ordinary Tuesday.

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Driven this route, or part of it? Tag us on Instagram with your photos. We would love to see where you went.

Sources

Prices and dates checked October 2026.

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