Best route across the Alps to Italy?
 

Hello all,

In a couple of weeks I'm moving from the UK to southern Italy. I'm driving down and will give myself two weeks to do it. My question: which route through the Alps do you recommend? I'm wide open---I can pass into Italy from France, Switzerland or Austria. I'm looking for spectacular scenery most of all, and it's hard for me to distinguish between the various high passes. Which is your favourite way through?

Thanks!

The Bernina Express Railway and Bernina Pass Road are IME the most dramatic crossing of the Alps into Italy from a scenic aspect. The scenery up top is awesome - I've driven all the other main passes - simplon, Gotthard, etc and though those are nice the scenery at the summits just can't compare to the Bernina route:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bern...HYPjBl8QsAQIGw

For info on the Berina Pass road route check these train sites (the road pretty much takes the same course as what to me is Europe'smost awesomely scenic railway: www.budgeteuropetravel.com - check out their European Planning & Rail Guide with a special section on the Bernina; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Brenner Pass!

The Brenner is the lowest of all the passes.

Thanks for this. I'm moving, but I'll just be driving a small car, so no concerns about manoeuvring the pass roads.

Another vote for a route through the Brenner Pass. The route is low, but the scenery is spectacular.

And a third for the Brenner. The Dolomites, Sud Tyrol and Alto Adige . . . .all lovely. But the traffic can be heavy.

Well you can't go wrong - Brenner is great but a main busy road - like an autobahn - other passes are sinuously twisting up and down and take a lot of time but IME are more an adventure.

Brennero is awesomely scenic but you do not see the high Alps close up as on several other passes.

But again you cannot go wrong- Brenner is probably the quickest and easiest to drive.

When we have taken the many rail trips over the Brenner I have always noticed the number of large trucks which use the route. I would not avoid it because of that but be aware that it is a busy road as others have said.

I also agree that the scenery is spectacular but so is the route over the Bernina:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...s.html#REVIEWS

The Brenner pass is not very scenic compared to most other passes. The drive via Switzerland would be most scenic, I think. Drive along one of the lakes - Lake Geneva, Lakes Thun/Brienz, Lake Lucerne or Lake Constance and over passes from there.

My favourite would probably be via Bern - Lakes Thun/Brienz - Grimsel pass - Nufenen pass - Lake Maggiore or Lugano.

Another idea would be to drive along the shores of Lake Constance (Meersburg - Lindau - Bregenz), then up the Rhine valley, from Chur via Lenzerheide - Tiefencastel over Albula pass, Bernina pass - Tirano - Lake Como.

Enjoy the beauty of whichever route you take, we've loved them all.