Switzerland
17 scored roads in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 21 June 2026
Ranked
01 · Bernese Oberland
Three of the best passes in the Alps stitched into one loop back to the same valley.
74.6 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10 · Fit 10.4 / 10
Both passes closed from October to June
02 · Valais and Ticino
Switzerland's second highest paved pass, wide, smooth and gloriously empty.
23.6 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 10.1 / 10
Closed from October to late May
03 · Valais
The historic crossing over the Alps, hospice, dogs and all, with the tunnel below.
48.5 mi · Rating 9 / 10 · Fit 9.9 / 10
The old pass road is closed from late October to early June
04 · Uri
Through a granite slot past the Devil's Bridge, the approach every Gotthard driver knows.
5 mi · Rating 8.8 / 10 · Fit 9.6 / 10
Open year round, ice possible
05 · Bern and Uri, Switzerland
A flowing, beautifully engineered road beneath the Steingletscher ice cliffs.
29.2 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10 · Fit 5.9 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
06 · Valais and Uri, Switzerland
Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.
9.9 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10 · Fit 5.9 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
07 · Ticino, Switzerland
A cobbled historic switchback climb that predates the modern Gotthard highway entirely.
8.1 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10 · Fit 5.9 / 10
Closed roughly October to May
08 · Graubunden, Switzerland
Glaciers hang over the road as it threads past turquoise Lago Bianco to the Poschiavo valley.
20.5 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · Fit 5.9 / 10
Usually open year round, snow chains possible
09 · Bern and Valais, Switzerland
Granite reservoirs and stark rock walls line this dramatic climb from the Bernese Oberland.
16.2 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10 · Fit 5.7 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
10 · Graubunden, Switzerland
Tight zigzags drop dramatically off the Engadine plateau toward the Italian border.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 5.6 / 10
Usually open year round, snow chains possible
11 · Graubunden, Switzerland
A fast, sweeping Roman era route across a bare, boulder strewn Engadine watershed.
22.4 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10 · Fit 5.4 / 10
Usually open year round, snow chains possible
12 · Graubunden, Switzerland
A remote, boulder strewn crossing linking Davos to the wild Lower Engadine.
16.2 mi · Rating 8.8 / 10 · Fit 5.3 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
13 · Graubunden, Switzerland
Tight forested hairpins give way to a bare summit above the Albula rail viaducts.
22.4 mi · Rating 8.7 / 10 · Fit 5.2 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
14 · Graubunden, Switzerland
A smooth historic alternative to the motorway tunnel with long views into the Misox valley.
8.1 mi · Rating 8.6 / 10 · Fit 5.1 / 10
Old road closed roughly November to May
15 · Uri and Graubunden, Switzerland
A high, wide open pass paralleling the scenic Glacier Express rail line.
13.7 mi · Rating 8.5 / 10 · Fit 5.0 / 10
Occasional winter closures in heavy snow
16 · Graubunden, Switzerland
Wild, narrow hairpins on the Italian side rank among the Alps' most intense single lane drives.
11.8 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 3.0 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
17 · Uri and Glarus, Switzerland
A historic race road with narrow forested switchbacks opening onto high pastureland.
29.8 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10 · Fit 2.9 / 10
Closed roughly 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.