INN · Austria
A short runway in the middle of the Tirol, surrounded by passes in every direction. The Brenner puts the Dolomites within two hours and the Silvretta within one.
Great roads in range
14
First road from the terminal
Deutsche Alpenstrasse Ost, about 40 min
Best months
Late June to early October
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 19 March 2026
Ranked
01 · Lombardy and South Tyrol, Italy
Eighty four hairpins stacked above the treeline make this Europe's most theatrical mountain pass.
About 2 hr 23 min from the airport · 30.4 mi · Rating 9.9 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
02 · Salzburg and Carinthia, Austria
Austria's grandest high alpine road climbs to Franz Josefs Hohe beneath the country's tallest peak.
About 2 hr 20 min from the airport · 29.8 mi · Rating 9.8 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
03 · Dolomites
Four Dolomite passes in a single circuit of the Sella massif, the finest loop in Europe.
About 1 hr 56 min from the airport · 34.2 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10
All four passes need to be open, roughly May to October
04 · Tyrol and South Tyrol
A high toll road crossing into Italy with a dramatic glass museum perched at the summit.
About 52 min from the airport · 18.6 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly October to May
05 · Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Sheer Dolomite towers on both sides make this short link one of the world's great scenic drives.
About 1 hr 56 min from the airport · 6.8 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
06 · Veneto, Italy
Twenty nine hairpins climb to a wide open saddle ringed by the jagged Cinque Torri.
About 2 hr 5 min from the airport · 10.6 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
07 · Bavarian Alps, Germany
Sweeping alpine curves link lake resorts on the way to the Austrian border.
About 40 min from the airport · 93.2 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Higher passes can close briefly after snow
08 · Lombardy, Italy
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
About 2 hr 23 min from the airport · 19.3 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
09 · Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Twenty eight numbered hairpins climb to the highest paved point of the Dolomites road network.
About 1 hr 56 min from the airport · 8.1 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
10 · Dolomites
War tunnels, a small lake and the Lagazuoi towers, quieter than its famous neighbours.
About 1 hr 48 min from the airport · 20.5 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Winter closure in heavy snow years
11 · Tyrol
Twenty nine hairpins to a glacier at 2750 metres, one of the great dead end drives.
About 1 hr 14 min from the airport · 16.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Toll road, upper section closed in deep winter
12 · South Tyrol, Italy
Limestone spires of the Sella group frame every one of this pass's flowing bends.
About 1 hr 51 min from the airport · 7.5 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
13 · Bavarian Alps, Germany
The western German Alpine Road weaves past castles beneath jagged limestone peaks.
About 2 hr 41 min from the airport · 55.9 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Some sections icy in winter
14 · Vorarlberg and Tyrol, Austria
Thirty four hairpins climb past the turquoise Silvretta reservoir to a glacier ringed summit.
About 2 hr 6 min from the airport · 13.7 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
Practical
Small airport, small fleet, so book early in summer. Confirm that Italy is permitted if you plan to cross the Brenner.
Late June to early October. 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.