Austria
15 scored roads in Austria, reranked for motorhomes and campervans rather than for cars, with the fit score shown next to each one.
A motorhome is limited by width, height and turning circle rather than by power. Most graded alpine passes are built for coaches and are perfectly manageable, while a handful of famous roads are genuinely unsuitable and finding that out halfway up is expensive.
These country pages push single track, unclassified and very steep roads down the ranking and lift wide, well graded routes. Always check the posted restrictions against your real dimensions before you commit to a pass.
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. Checked against current closure and restriction notices for Austria. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 14 May 2026
Ranked
01 · Salzburg and Carinthia, Austria
Austria's grandest high alpine road climbs to Franz Josefs Hohe beneath the country's tallest peak.
29.8 mi · Rating 9.8 / 10 · Fit 10.6 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
02 · Vorarlberg and Tyrol, Austria
Thirty four hairpins climb past the turquoise Silvretta reservoir to a glacier ringed summit.
13.7 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
03 · Tyrol
Twenty nine hairpins to a glacier at 2750 metres, one of the great dead end drives.
16.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Toll road, upper section closed in deep winter
04 · Carinthia, Austria
A rounded, grassy high plateau road with dozens of curves and long views over the Nockberge.
21.1 mi · Rating 8.7 / 10 · Fit 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
05 · Tyrol and Salzburg, Austria
A scenic connector road ending near Austria's tallest waterfalls at Krimml.
18.6 mi · Rating 8.4 / 10 · Fit 9.3 / 10
Usually open year round
06 · Tyrol and Salzburg, Austria
A tunnel linked high road threading the Hohe Tauern range with fine glacier views.
18.6 mi · Rating 8.4 / 10 · Fit 9.3 / 10
Tunnel keeps it open year round
07 · Lower Austria, Austria
A gently curving riverside road past terraced vineyards, abbeys and medieval ruins.
20.5 mi · Rating 8.2 / 10 · Fit 9.2 / 10
08 · Tyrol and Vorarlberg, Austria
The old road over the Arlberg saddle offers a quieter, scenic option beside the tunnel.
7.5 mi · Rating 8.3 / 10 · Fit 9.1 / 10
Usually open year round, snow chains possible
09 · Salzburg and Tyrol, Austria
A gentle wooded pass linking the Kitzbuhel valley to the high Pinzgau region.
14.9 mi · Rating 8 / 10 · Fit 8.9 / 10
Usually open year round
10 · Carinthia, Austria
A historic Karawanks crossing with tight forested bends toward the Slovenian border.
9.3 mi · Rating 8 / 10 · Fit 8.8 / 10
Occasional winter closures in heavy snow
11 · Tyrol and South Tyrol
A high toll road crossing into Italy with a dramatic glass museum perched at the summit.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10 · Fit 6.0 / 10
Closed roughly October to May
12 · Carinthia
Six tunnels and a wall of hairpins to Austria's highest dam.
9.3 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 5.6 / 10
Open May to October, toll road
13 · Tyrol
A balcony road along the valley wall with the Zillertal spread out beneath it.
29.8 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10 · Fit 5.5 / 10
Toll road, partly closed in winter
14 · Salzburg, Austria
A historic hillclimb road with sweeping bends and views over Salzburg and its lakes.
6.8 mi · Rating 8.3 / 10 · Fit 4.9 / 10
Occasional winter closures in heavy snow
15 · Tyrol
A narrow Tyrolean pass of relentless corners, a local secret for years.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 3.9 / 10
Closed from November to May
Before you go
Measure height including the aerial, roof box and satellite dish. The number on the paperwork is often not the number that hits the bridge.
A heavy vehicle on a long alpine descent will fade brakes quickly. Pick a gear that holds the speed without the pedal and stay in it.
Wild camping rules vary enormously across Europe and enforcement has tightened. A booked pitch removes the whole problem.
Common questions
Most major passes are built for coaches and are fine for a standard motorhome. The exceptions are narrow unclassified roads and a handful of passes with posted width restrictions.
Hardknott Pass, Wrynose Pass and the Bealach na Ba are all explicitly unsuitable. Many Highland single track roads are legal but very hard work in a wide vehicle.