Germany • Switzerland • Austria • Italy
Alps Road Trip: The Ultimate Alpine Driving Odyssey
Fourteen days, thirteen nights, five countries. From Germany’s Romantic Road to the Grossglockner, Stelvio, Furka, and Klausen passes — the ultimate Alpine driving odyssey.
14 days / 13 nights · From £1,650 per car based on two sharing
There’s a moment on the Stelvio Pass — around hairpin thirty, maybe thirty-five — where you stop counting the bends and just start grinning. The road ribbons above and below you, the Ortler glaciers fill the windscreen, and the car you’ve brought from home suddenly feels like the best decision you’ve ever made. That moment is what this trip is built around. Two weeks of it, back to back, through five countries and across some of the most extraordinary mountain roads in Europe.
You’ll board the Eurotunnel at Folkestone and by evening you’re in Strasbourg with a glass of Alsatian wine. From there the trip rolls south through Bavaria’s Romantic Road — half-timbered towns and fairy-tale castles — before the Alps take over completely. The Grossglockner in Austria. The Dolomite passes above Bolzano. The legendary forty-eight hairpins of the Stelvio. Then into Switzerland for the Furka, the Gotthard, the Grimsel, and the Klausen — each one a drive you’ll remember for years. In between, you’ll find lakeside hotels, thermal springs in Bormio, palm-lined Locarno, and a sunset over Brienzersee that’ll stop you in your tracks.
The homeward leg is every bit as good. A ridge-top hotel overlooking Heidelberg, then the Rhine valley — castles, vineyards, and the Lorelei rock — all the way to Cologne, where you’ll toast the end of the trip in an automotive-themed hotel that feels like the perfect full stop. This isn’t a holiday with a bit of driving bolted on. It’s a proper road trip — the big one — and every mile of it has been planned to make you glad you’re behind the wheel.
Group Road Trip
From £1,650 per car, twin share
Deposit: £250
✓ Eurotunnel return crossing
✓ 13 nights at handpicked hotels
✓ Curated route and personalised guidebook
Why This Trip
What Makes It Special
Six legendary mountain passes
Grossglockner, Stelvio, Furka, Gotthard, Grimsel, and Klausen. Six of the greatest driving roads in the Alps, all on one trip — from the highest paved pass in the Eastern Alps to the glacier-framed switchbacks of the Furka.
The Romantic Road
Germany’s most famous scenic route threads through medieval towns like Rothenburg ob der Tauber, past the crater-rim town of Nördlingen, and ends beneath the fairy-tale towers of Neuschwanstein Castle.
Lake Como & the Engadine
Between the high passes, the route drops through Switzerland’s Upper Engadine — past St. Moritz and over the Maloja Pass — then hugs the shore of Lake Como before arriving at palm-lined Locarno on Lago Maggiore.
Heidelberg & the Rhine Valley
The homeward stretch is anything but a transfer. A ridge-top hotel above Heidelberg’s castle, then the Rhine gorge — medieval castles on every bend, Riesling vineyards tumbling to the water, and the legendary Lorelei rock.
Thirteen nights, handpicked hotels
Every stop has been chosen for character and location. A Tyrolean gasthof above Bolzano’s vineyards, a lakeside retreat on the Walensee, an automotive-themed hotel in Cologne — each one part of the story, not just somewhere to sleep.
Price Includes
What’s Included
✓ Eurotunnel crossing (return)
✓ 13 nights in handpicked hotels
✓ Curated route with driving notes
✓ Restaurant recommendations at every stop
✓ Breakfast daily
✓ Mountain pass toll entries
✓ Personalised guidebook
✓ 24/7 trip support
Booking for a group?
Get in touch to find out about our group discounts. Whether it’s a car club, a birthday, or just a group of mates — we’ll put together a package that works.
Day by Day
The Itinerary
Day 1
Folkestone to Strasbourg
Board the Eurotunnel at Folkestone and emerge in Calais. Head south-east through France and into Alsace, arriving in Strasbourg by late afternoon. Settle into your hotel in the heart of the old town, explore the half-timbered Petite France quarter, and enjoy a welcome dinner of tarte flambée and Alsatian Riesling.
Day 2
Strasbourg to Würzburg
Cross into Germany and follow the Rhine plain north before turning east towards Bavaria. Arrive in Würzburg — a baroque gem on the River Main — with time to explore the Residenz palace and stroll across the ancient Alte Mainbrücke with a glass of local Franconian wine.
Day 3
Würzburg to Schwangau via the Romantic Road
One of the great European driving days. Follow Germany’s legendary Romantic Road south through Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the crater-rim town of Nördlingen, and Augsburg before the Alps rise ahead and you descend into Schwangau beneath the fairy-tale towers of Neuschwanstein Castle.
Day 4
Schwangau to Hallstatt
Head east through the Bavarian and Austrian Alps via Innsbruck, then south through the Salzburg region to the lakeside village of Hallstatt. Tucked between soaring cliffs and a mirror-still lake, it’s one of the most beautiful villages in Europe. Settle in for two nights.
Day 5
Hallstatt — Rest & Explore
A free day to soak in the setting. Take the funicular to the Skywalk for panoramic views over the lake, wander the salt mine that’s been worked for three thousand years, or simply sit by the water with a coffee and watch the light change on the mountains.
Day 6
Hallstatt to Bolzano via the Grossglockner & Dolomites
A spectacular driving day. Head south over the Grossglockner High Alpine Road — Austria’s greatest mountain pass — then cross into Italy through the Dolomites via the SS244, Gardena, and Falzarego passes. Arrive at your mountain gasthof above Bolzano’s sun-drenched vineyards as the Adige valley glows in the late light.
Day 7
Bolzano to Bormio via the Stelvio Pass
The headline day. Descend into Bolzano and head west through the apple orchards of the Vinschgau valley to the foot of the Stelvio Pass. Forty-eight hairpins, 2,757 metres, the highest paved pass in the Eastern Alps. Drop down the northern side into the thermal-spring town of Bormio for a well-earned soak and a plate of local pizzoccheri.
Day 8
Bormio to Locarno via the Engadine & Lake Como
Head north through the Valtellina Valley into Switzerland. Rise into the Upper Engadine — past St. Moritz and over the Maloja Pass — then descend through the Val Bregaglia and along the shore of Lake Como. Skirt Lake Lugano and arrive at palm-lined Locarno on Lago Maggiore.
Day 9
Locarno to Brienz via the Gotthard, Furka & Grimsel Passes
Three legendary Swiss passes in a single day. Climb the old cobbled Gotthard road, cross the Furka Pass — where the Rhône Glacier gleams below — and crest the Grimsel with its turquoise reservoirs before descending through meadows and pine forests to lakeside Brienz.
Day 10
Brienz to Quarten via the Susten, Klausen & Walensee
Your final Swiss Alpine day. Climb the Sustenpass then tackle the dramatic Klausenpass — a steep ribbon of switchbacks above the Glarus Alps. Descend into the Linth Valley and arrive at the fjord-like southern shore of the Walensee as late afternoon light dances on the water.
Day 11
Quarten to Heidelberg via Lake Constance & the Black Forest
A long transfer day with its own rewards. Skirt the Swiss shore of Lake Constance, stop at the Autobau Erlebniswelt car museum near Romanshorn, then cross into Germany. Thread through the Black Forest on the B33 before arriving at your ridge-top hotel with panoramic views over Heidelberg’s Neckar Valley and castle below.
Day 12
Heidelberg — Explore & Rest Day
A day to explore one of Germany’s most romantic cities. Walk the castle grounds, stroll the longest pedestrian street in Europe, and take in the view from the Philosophenweg across the river. A relaxed evening enjoying Baden-style cuisine at a local restaurant.
Day 13
Heidelberg to Cologne via the Rhine & Moselle Valleys
One of Europe’s great riverside drives. Follow the Rhine gorge northward — medieval castles perched on every crag, Riesling vineyards tumbling to the water, the legendary Lorelei rock looming above a sweeping bend. Skirt the Moselle Valley past sun-drenched wine villages before arriving in Cologne.
Day 14
Cologne to Folkestone
Head west from Cologne, crossing through Belgium to Calais. Board the Eurotunnel back to Folkestone with two weeks of Alpine passes, lakeside sunsets, and unforgettable driving roads behind you. The kind of trip you’ll be talking about for years.
