The Alps are home to the most scenic roads in Europe. Whether you are planning a week in Switzerland, a Dolomites driving adventure, or a cross-border grand tour through Austria and Bavaria, PlanTheAlps has the itineraries, scenic routes, and base-town guides to make your trip unforgettable.
Day-by-day driving plans from 3-day escapes to 14-day grand tours.
Itinerary
Complete 2026 guide to a 7-day Switzerland road trip — Lucerne to Interlaken to Zermatt, with scenic pass options, realistic driving times, and curated stay picks.
Switzerland • Central Switzerland and Valais
Itinerary
A bigger alpine loop for travelers who want depth: glacier panoramas, historic old towns, and deeply scenic road segments across three regions.
Switzerland, Austria, Germany • Bernese Oberland, Tyrol, Bavarian Alps
Itinerary
A compact, high-impact loop through Tyrol and the Bavarian Alps with beautiful driving density and charming overnight bases.
Austria and Germany • Tyrol and Bavarian Alps
Itinerary
Plan a 5-day Swiss lakes road trip with our complete 2026 guide — Lucerne, Lake Brienz, Interlaken, and easy mountain drives with day-by-day structure and stay advice.
Switzerland • Lake Lucerne and Bernese Oberland
Itinerary
Plan a realistic 7-day Switzerland road trip from Zurich with clear day-by-day pacing, practical base towns, and scenic pass options that do not feel rushed.
Switzerland • Zurich, Central Switzerland, Bernese Oberland, Uri
Itinerary
A practical 5-day Bavarian Alps road trip from Munich with a clear route, realistic driving times, and base-town strategy for US and UK travelers.
Germany, Austria • Bavarian Alps and Tyrol
The mountain pass roads and scenic drives that make the Alps a world-class driving destination.
Scenic Drive
Complete guide to the Furka Grimsel pass loop from Andermatt — glacier views, dramatic hairpins, best pull-offs, and timing tips for Switzerland's most rewarding day drive.
Switzerland • Uri, Valais, Bern
Scenic Drive
An iconic Tyrol and Carinthia route with engineered viewpoints, glacier panoramas, and one of Europe's most memorable high roads.
Austria • Tyrol and Carinthia
Scenic Drive
Complete guide to driving the Susten Pass (2224m) — turquoise Steinsee glacier lake, less traffic than Furka, and a 45km route from Andermatt to Meiringen with all key stops.
Switzerland • Central Switzerland
Scenic Drive
Drive the original Tremola road — 24 cobblestone hairpin bends on Switzerland's most historically significant alpine crossing, now one of its quietest and most dramatic pass experiences.
Switzerland • Central Switzerland
Scenic Drive
Switzerland's highest open pass road descends from a glacial white lake at 2328m through Graubünden valleys to Italian-speaking Tirano, alongside the UNESCO Bernina Express railway.
Switzerland • Graubünden
Where to stay on your Alps road trip — from Swiss lakeside towns to Tyrolean mountain villages and Dolomites resort bases.
Stay Guide
Practical 2026 guide to the best areas to stay in Interlaken — neighborhoods, parking, and what each base unlocks for Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and scenic pass day trips.
Switzerland • Bernese Oberland
Stay Guide
Complete 2026 guide to where to stay in Lucerne — Old Town vs lakeside vs Kriens, best hotels for road trippers, parking tips, and what each area gives you as a Swiss base.
Switzerland • Central Switzerland
Stay Guide
A location-focused Innsbruck guide for road trippers who want mountain access by day and city comfort by night.
Austria • Tyrol
Stay Guide
A practical Zermatt stay guide explaining Tasch parking, village zones, and how to pick the right hotel for Matterhorn views.
Switzerland • Valais
Stay Guide
Complete 2026 guide to staying in Grindelwald — best areas for Eiger views, parking advice, Jungfraujoch access, and honest tips on choosing between Grindelwald and Interlaken.
Switzerland • Bernese Oberland
Stay Guide
A guide to staying in Lauterbrunnen Valley — the dramatic waterfall canyon that is one of Switzerland's most photographed spots and a practical car-accessible day-trip base.
Switzerland • Bernese Oberland
The Alps stretch across eight countries, but the driving heart of the range is concentrated in Switzerland, Austria, northern Italy, and southern Germany. Mountain pass roads that were built for horse-drawn carriages now offer some of the most exhilarating driving experiences anywhere on Earth — hairpin turns with glacier views, valley floors with turquoise lakes, and summit plateaus above the cloud line.
A road trip is the best way to experience the Alps because it gives you the flexibility to stop at unmarked viewpoints, detour through villages that are not on train lines, and arrive at mountain passes at golden hour when most tour buses have already left. You set your own pace, choose your own overnight bases, and build a trip around the landscapes that matter most to you.
Whether you are a US traveler flying into Zurich for a week-long Swiss loop, a UK driver crossing the Channel for a Bavarian adventure, or anyone who dreams of driving the Furka Pass, Grossglockner, or Stelvio — PlanTheAlps has a route for you.
Found this helpful? Share it with fellow travelers
Free Alps Planning Resource
Download our printable day-by-day planner with packing checklists, pass opening dates, cost estimates, and space for your own notes. Join 2,000+ travelers who plan smarter.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. We only send Alps travel tips.