Scenic routes worth it or horrendous?
 

Traveling by car this summer in Switzerland, Northern Italy, Austria, Germany and Netherlands. Will have GPS and I'm looking at viamichelin. Does anyone have input on following recommended routes vs. scenic routes? Are the scenic routes worth taking or are they dirt roads to nowhere? Would love to see great scenery but also wnt to get to destination eventually! One example is Wengen to Lugano/Como area. The scenic route takes several hours longer which I would be O.K. with it it is an awesome drive

I can't help with the other countries, but in the Netherlands scenic routes are preferable to other routes. They get you off the motorways and on to smaller, slower roads, where you get a chance to see the scenery.
I am sure that is true in the other countries too, certainly in Germany.
Take a good map with you too - yo can often find even more scenic routes with a map, than any GPS or online map service can offer you.
The chances of the routes on a GPS being dirt roads, in Europe is pretty small.

We've done three 2 week road trips to Italy - our fourth begins in 2 weeks. And rarely do we get on the autostrada. Not that it's difficult or dangerous, but because we love discovering what's on the back roads. We "found" towns that aren't in the guidebooks and scenery that could not be appreciated zooming by at so many kilometers an hour on the autostrada. We don't use a GPS device so I can't address if it will take you down dirt roads but if it does that's part of the adventure - like trying to back out of a dead end in Perugia Not a pretty picture!

Of course the scenic routes are worth it - and they're NOT dirt roads and they're certainly NOT "horrendous"!

The viamichelin recommended routes are fast-moving highways. If the purpose of your trip is to "see great scenery", then definitely take the scenic route every chance you can.

You hardly find any dirt roads in Europe. The green line on the Michelin maps has nothing to do with the road category (which is depicted by red, yellow and white colouring). Red means "heavy traffic", yellow means wide road with less traffic, white means narrow road, but still with two lanes, expect when the white lines become very small.

The reason why the scenic road in the Alps take so much more time is that these are passes over steep mountains. The fastest routes go through the valley floors and tunnels. If you have time, drive at least one pass - you will be rewarded by amazing scenery. Driving is safe and easy, even on the highest passes.

(The only scary roads in Europe are in England, especially in North Devon.)

Typo: "Except" instead of "expect".

In that very specific case you mentioned (Wengen-Lugano) the "scenic option" is indeed not the best choice.
For most of the southern leg it simply avoids the motorway A2 but stays on parallel regular highway N2. Both roads follow the valley floor, but the N2 is going through every town and village. This will just add stress without any enhanced views.

So, I would always zoom in into viamichelin's maps and check the exact routing.

I think that in your example, viamichelin has a bug since you never get the recommendation to use A2 motorway even if you opt for fastest route.

The fastest route from Wengen to Lugano should take you via Sustenpass to A2 north of the Gotthard tunnel, and then follow the motorway through the tunnel and all the way to Lugano.

A more scenic (and much more mountain driving alternative) would be to follow viamichelin's suggestions from Wengen via N6, N19 (Furkapass) to almost Andermatt and south on N2 (Gotthard pass road) to catch A2 motorway south of the tunnel at Airolo. And follow A2 to Lugano.

In maps (in print as well as online, don't know if US maps use the same system), a "scenic road" looks like 2 roads printed very next to each other, and the "scenic" is the green "lane" following the original road - but only for those parts which are considered scenic. So when you got a map, you can identify regions with lots of scenic driving quite easily.
I hope that was not too confusing now.

Let the weather dictate your choice of roads.

"The only scary roads in Europe are in England, especially in North Devon."
I've driven (slowly) lanes in the Lake District of UK, 12 shoe lengths wide, and other than watching a sheep's butt for 20 minutes, don't find them anywhere near scary.
Coming downhill from St. Moritz, however, I was so scared (wife was crouched down in passenger's seat so as not to see the drop) I was going maybe 30 mph (passed by a Benz doing at least 70). There were no guardrails between the pavement and the 3000 foot drop. Just room for the occasional cross and picture of dear departed (5 in number, as I recall). Beware

thanks so much for all your input. I guess we'll be adventurous and take scenic routes whenever poosible with the exception of our Wengen/Lugano section which cowboy 1968 said wasn't worth it. Any specifics from Lugano/Como area back up through Innsbruck area? I've heard the Grand Dolomite road is supposed to be good but I'm not sure as it seems to be somewhat of a detour, although I guess I'd better get my maps out!

> I'd better get my maps out! <

Leave Lake Como at the northern end and enter Switzerland at the Val Bregaglia. Be sure to make a prolonged stop at the mountain village of Soglio. Then proceed along the Engadin Valley towards Innsbruck. Note: 'En' = 'Inn'.

P.S. Make another prolonged stop at the mountain village of Guarda.

And you can make a quick detour to Samnaun once you are at the Swiss/Austrian border (following Tuck's route) to fill up on duty free goods :-)
But beware: Customs control can be very tight when you get back into Austria! So know your limits.
Get as much gas as you can in Austria before you cross over into Germany. Much cheaper south of the border!