Italy
23 scored roads in Italy, 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 Italy. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 1 June 2026
Ranked
01 · Lombardy and South Tyrol, Italy
Eighty four hairpins stacked above the treeline make this Europe's most theatrical mountain pass.
30.4 mi · Rating 9.9 / 10 · Fit 10.7 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
02 · Campania, Italy
A cliffside ribbon of hairpins clinging above turquoise water and pastel towns.
31.1 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10 · Fit 10.5 / 10
03 · Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Sheer Dolomite towers on both sides make this short link one of the world's great scenic drives.
6.8 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10 · Fit 10.5 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
04 · Veneto, Italy
Twenty nine hairpins climb to a wide open saddle ringed by the jagged Cinque Torri.
10.6 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10 · Fit 10.4 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
05 · Gran Paradiso
The road from the Italian Job, hairpins to a lake plateau at 2600 metres.
12.4 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10 · Fit 10.4 / 10
Open June to September, closed to cars on summer Sundays
06 · Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Twenty eight numbered hairpins climb to the highest paved point of the Dolomites road network.
8.1 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10 · Fit 10.3 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
07 · Dolomites
War tunnels, a small lake and the Lagazuoi towers, quieter than its famous neighbours.
20.5 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10 · Fit 10.2 / 10
Winter closure in heavy snow years
08 · South Tyrol, Italy
Limestone spires of the Sella group frame every one of this pass's flowing bends.
7.5 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.2 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
09 · Dolomites
A brutal ramp to a dam under the Marmolada glacier, the roof of the Dolomites.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Closed or difficult after heavy snow
10 · Lombardy, Italy
A tunnel like gorge road carved into rock above Lake Garda, once called the world's best road.
4.3 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10 · Fit 10.0 / 10
11 · Trentino
Open meadows under the Pale di San Martino, one of the great Dolomite views.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 10.0 / 10
Kept open in winter but often snowy
12 · Veneto and South Tyrol, Italy
The gentlest of the Sella Ronda passes but with knockout views of the Sella massif.
3.7 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10 · Fit 9.8 / 10
Occasional winter closures in heavy snow
13 · Tuscany, Italy
Rolling cypress lined curves through vineyards link two of Tuscany's finest cities.
28 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10 · Fit 9.8 / 10
14 · Liguria, Italy
A ridge top Ligurian road with sweeping sea glimpses above the Cinque Terre coastline.
23.6 mi · Rating 8.4 / 10 · Fit 9.3 / 10
15 · Liguria and Piedmont, Italy
A historic road linking Genoa to the Piedmont plains through wooded Apennine ridgelines.
18.6 mi · Rating 7.8 / 10 · Fit 8.6 / 10
16 · Dolomites
Four Dolomite passes in a single circuit of the Sella massif, the finest loop in Europe.
34.2 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10 · Fit 6.2 / 10
All four passes need to be open, roughly May to October
17 · Piedmont, Italy
A gravel topped final stretch of tight hairpins made famous by the Giro d'Italia.
11.8 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 5.6 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
18 · Lombardy and Graubunden
Switzerland's link into the Stelvio is a quieter alternative with the same drama.
9.3 mi · Rating 9 / 10 · Fit 5.5 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
19 · Lombardy, Italy
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
19.3 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10 · Fit 4.4 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
20 · Trentino
Narrow, savage and empty, a proper hill climb road with no barriers to speak of.
24.9 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 3.9 / 10
Closed by snow 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.