GVA · Switzerland
The single best fly drive airport in Europe for a driving trip. You can be on the first alpine pass within ninety minutes and you have Switzerland, France and Italy all within a morning.
Great roads in range
14
First road from the terminal
Route des Cretes du Haut-Jura, about 35 min
Best months
June and September for open passes without the crowds
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Drive times are estimates from the terminal to the start of each road, padded for mountain routing. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 28 March 2026
Ranked
01 · Savoie, France
The roof of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a stark granite amphitheatre above 2700 metres.
About 2 hr 18 min from the airport · 9.9 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly October to June, highest paved pass in the Alps
02 · Savoie and Hautes-Alpes, France
The spine of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a relentless climb to one of driving's holiest summits.
About 2 hr 32 min from the airport · 11.2 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly October to May with snow at the summit
03 · Alpes-Maritimes, France
A looping summit road above 2800 metres that circles the peak itself for maximum theatre.
About 4 hr 33 min from the airport · 14.9 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10
Closed roughly November to May, Europe's highest paved through road
04 · Hautes-Alpes, France
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
About 3 hr 12 min from the airport · 20.5 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
05 · Ticino, Switzerland
A cobbled historic switchback climb that predates the modern Gotthard highway entirely.
About 4 hr 2 min from the airport · 8.1 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly October to May
06 · Bern and Uri, Switzerland
A flowing, beautifully engineered road beneath the Steingletscher ice cliffs.
About 3 hr 32 min from the airport · 29.2 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
07 · Valais and Uri, Switzerland
Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.
About 3 hr 43 min from the airport · 9.9 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
08 · Savoie and Isere, France
Turquoise lakes and jagged aiguilles frame this classic crossing of the Grandes Alpes.
About 2 hr 15 min from the airport · 18.6 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
09 · Hautes-Alpes, France
Remote high altitude pass to the Italian frontier with tight ribbons and stark empty scenery.
About 3 hr 36 min from the airport · 13.7 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Closed roughly October to June, one of the highest paved passes in Europe
10 · Bern and Valais, Switzerland
Granite reservoirs and stark rock walls line this dramatic climb from the Bernese Oberland.
About 3 hr 32 min from the airport · 16.2 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
11 · Piedmont, Italy
A gravel topped final stretch of tight hairpins made famous by the Giro d'Italia.
About 2 hr 57 min from the airport · 11.8 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
12 · Savoie, France
A punishing Tour de France staple threading pine forest to a panorama of the Vanoise peaks.
About 2 hr 2 min from the airport · 12 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
13 · Hautes-Alpes, France
A broad glacier flanked highway linking the Romanche and Guisane valleys beneath the Meije massif.
About 2 hr 44 min from the airport · 23.6 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Occasional winter closures in heavy snow
14 · Jura, France
A high plateau ridge road with sweeping Mont Blanc panoramas across the Leman basin.
About 35 min from the airport · 24.9 mi · Rating 8.6 / 10
Can close briefly after heavy snowfall
Practical
Note the French and Swiss sides of the terminal. Renting on the French side is usually cheaper and skips the Swiss motorway vignette, but check the cross border policy before you book.
June and September for open passes without the crowds. Prices and availability move sharply either side of those months, so lock the car in before the flights if you want anything more interesting than a diesel hatchback.