Germany to Italy
A short journey with an outrageous amount of great road packed into it, including the Stelvio if the season allows.
Direct
480 km
298.3 mi
Scenic route
690 km
428.7 mi
Days
2
about 5.1 hr direct
Tolls
£60
one way, per car
The drive
Munich to Como is only about 480 km direct, which makes it one of the best value driving weekends in Europe. Take the scenic line and it becomes 690 km with three serious passes.
The classic version runs via Innsbruck, over the Reschen and into Bormio for the Stelvio, then down the Valtellina to the lake.
Two days is plenty and one is possible in high summer, though it would be a waste of the passes.
June to September, once the Stelvio reopens.
Worth the detour
Lombardy and South Tyrol, Italy
Passo dello Stelvio
Eighty four hairpins stacked above the treeline make this Europe's most theatrical mountain pass.
9.9 / 10 · 49 km
Lombardy, Italy
Passo di Gavia
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
9.6 / 10 · 31 km
Graubunden, Switzerland
Splugen Pass
Wild, narrow hairpins on the Italian side rank among the Alps' most intense single lane drives.
9.1 / 10 · 19 km
Where to break the drive
Innsbruck
Easy first stop and a good coffee before the Reschen.
Bormio
The eastern base for the Stelvio and the Gavia.
Questions
About 480 km, roughly 298.3 miles, by the most direct route. The scenic version described here runs closer to 690 km.
Around 5.1 hours of driving on the direct route, which most people split over two days. The scenic route takes 2 days without rushing.
Budget about £60 one way per car in tolls, vignettes and crossings, before fuel and hotels.
June to September, once the Stelvio reopens.
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