VCE · Italy
Two hours from the Dolomites and the closest major airport to the Sella Ronda passes. Fly in, drive north and be at altitude by lunch.
Great roads in range
14
First road from the terminal
Passo Giau, about 2 hr 25 min
Best months
June and September
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 15 May 2026
Ranked
01 · Lombardy and South Tyrol, Italy
Eighty four hairpins stacked above the treeline make this Europe's most theatrical mountain pass.
About 3 hr 53 min from the airport · 30.4 mi · Rating 9.9 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
02 · Veneto, Italy
Twenty nine hairpins climb to a wide open saddle ringed by the jagged Cinque Torri.
About 2 hr 25 min from the airport · 10.6 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
03 · Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Sheer Dolomite towers on both sides make this short link one of the world's great scenic drives.
About 2 hr 26 min from the airport · 6.8 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
04 · Salzburg and Carinthia, Austria
Austria's grandest high alpine road climbs to Franz Josefs Hohe beneath the country's tallest peak.
About 4 hr 10 min from the airport · 29.8 mi · Rating 9.8 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
05 · Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Twenty eight numbered hairpins climb to the highest paved point of the Dolomites road network.
About 2 hr 26 min from the airport · 8.1 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
06 · Lombardy, Italy
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
About 3 hr 53 min from the airport · 19.3 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
07 · Tyrol and South Tyrol
A high toll road crossing into Italy with a dramatic glass museum perched at the summit.
About 3 hr 59 min from the airport · 18.6 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly October to May
08 · South Tyrol, Italy
Limestone spires of the Sella group frame every one of this pass's flowing bends.
About 2 hr 32 min from the airport · 7.5 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
09 · Lombardy, Italy
A tunnel like gorge road carved into rock above Lake Garda, once called the world's best road.
About 2 hr 35 min from the airport · 4.3 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10
10 · Dalmatian Coast
The Magistrala hugs bare karst cliffs above island studded blue water for hours.
About 4 hr 19 min from the airport · 111.8 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Bura winds can close exposed sections in winter
11 · Graubunden, Switzerland
Glaciers hang over the road as it threads past turquoise Lago Bianco to the Poschiavo valley.
About 4 hr 32 min from the airport · 20.5 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Usually open year round, snow chains possible
12 · Istria
A hairpin climb over the Ucka massif with the whole Kvarner gulf laid out below.
About 3 hr 11 min from the airport · 13.7 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
Fog and ice on the summit in winter
13 · Veneto and South Tyrol, Italy
The gentlest of the Sella Ronda passes but with knockout views of the Sella massif.
About 2 hr 26 min from the airport · 3.7 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Occasional winter closures in heavy snow
14 · Lombardy and Graubunden
Switzerland's link into the Stelvio is a quieter alternative with the same drama.
About 3 hr 51 min from the airport · 9.3 mi · Rating 9 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
Practical
Plenty of choice and easy motorway access north. Do not book a hotel in Venice itself if you have a car.
June and September. 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.