Alpine & mountain passes
Europe's great high roads — Grandes Alpes, Grossglockner, Transfăgărășan and more. Switchbacks, summits and the passes worth timing right.
Stelvio Pass by Motorbike: Bormio to Prato allo Stelvio (2 Days)
Ride Italy's Stelvio Pass from Bormio to Prato allo Stelvio — 48 hairpins to 2,758 m, when it opens, where to sleep and real costs.
Route Napoléon by Motorbike: Grenoble to Cannes (2 Days)
Ride France's Route Napoléon (N85) from Grenoble to the Riviera at Cannes — Sisteron, Castellane, Grasse, sweeping bends, where to sleep and real costs.
Furka, Grimsel & Susten: The Three-Pass Loop from Andermatt (2 Days)
Ride Switzerland's classic three-pass loop from Andermatt — Furka, Grimsel and Susten, the Rhône Glacier and dam lakes, where to sleep and real costs.
Route des Grandes Alpes: Lake Geneva to Nice (5 Days)
Drive France's classic Alpine crossing — 720 km over a dozen high passes including the Col de l'Iseran (2,764 m) — from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean, day-by-day guide, where to sleep and real costs.
The Great Dolomite Road: Bolzano to Cortina (3 Days)
A 3-day drive of the Grande Strada delle Dolomiti from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo — the passes, cable cars, seasonal closures and real costs, day by day.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road: Zell am See to Heiligenblut (2 Days)
Drive Austria's Grossglockner High Alpine Road from Zell am See to Heiligenblut — 36 hairpins, glacier views, tolls, where to sleep and real costs.
Vršič Pass & the Soča Valley: Kranjska Gora to Bovec (2 Days)
Drive Slovenia's highest pass — 50 hairpins over the Julian Alps — then down the emerald Soča valley to Bovec, day-by-day guide, where to sleep and real costs.
The Transalpina: Romania's Highest Road (Sebeș to Novaci, 2 Days)
Drive the Transalpina (DN67C) over the Urdele pass at 2,145 m — higher and wilder than the Transfăgărășan — through the Parâng mountains, day-by-day guide, where to sleep and real costs.
Bucharest to the Transfăgărășan Road Trip (3 Days)
A 3-day drive from Bucharest to the Transfăgărășan — day-by-day route, Dracula's real castle, Bâlea Lake and honest costs. Read the seasonal warning first.
Zurich to Interlaken Road Trip (3 Days)
A 3-day drive from Zurich to Interlaken via Lucerne — day-by-day route, alpine stops, the Swiss vignette rules and what it really costs.
Munich to Venice Road Trip Through the Alps (4 Days)
Drive from Munich to Venice across the Dolomites — the best alpine stops, where to sleep, tolls and real costs.
Ljubljana to Lake Bled Road Trip: The Long Way (3 Days)
A 3-day drive from Ljubljana to Lake Bled via Škofja Loka and Bohinj — day-by-day route, Vintgar and pletna prices, and the vignette you need before the motorway.
Picos de Europa Road Trip (3 Days)
A 3-day mountain loop through the Picos de Europa in green Spain — Cangas de Onís to Potes via Covadonga, the Cares Gorge and the Fuente Dé cable car, with real costs.