Drivers AtlasThe world's best roads

Three days · Switzerland

Three days driving in Switzerland

Perfect surfaces, immaculate signage and three of the greatest passes in the world within an hour of each other.

Two nights lets you push properly out of the home range. Plan a longer run on day one, the best driving in the middle and an easy return.

Days

3 days, 2 nights

Rough distance

559.2 mi

Daily average

186.4 mi

Best months

Late June to early October

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. Daily distances are set for enjoyable driving rather than maximum ground covered. How we score roads.

Last reviewed 12 June 2026

Day by day

How the trip breaks up

Day 1

Tremola, the old Gotthard road and Furka Pass

  • Tremola, the old Gotthard road · 8.1 mi · 9.5 / 10. A cobbled historic switchback climb that predates the modern Gotthard highway entirely.
  • Furka Pass · 9.9 mi · 9.4 / 10. Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.

About 186.4 mi and 4 hr 46 min behind the wheel including transit.

Day 2

Susten Pass and Bernina Pass

  • Susten Pass · 29.2 mi · 9.4 / 10. A flowing, beautifully engineered road beneath the Steingletscher ice cliffs.
  • Bernina Pass · 20.5 mi · 9.3 / 10. Glaciers hang over the road as it threads past turquoise Lago Bianco to the Poschiavo valley.

About 186.4 mi and 5 hr 27 min behind the wheel including transit.

Day 3

Grimsel Pass and Maloja Pass

  • Grimsel Pass · 16.2 mi · 9.2 / 10. Granite reservoirs and stark rock walls line this dramatic climb from the Bernese Oberland.
  • Maloja Pass · 18.6 mi · 9.1 / 10. Tight zigzags drop dramatically off the Engadine plateau toward the Italian border.

About 186.4 mi and 5 hr 3 min behind the wheel including transit.

Practical

Where to start and what it costs

Base yourself

Andermatt or Lucerne

Nights to book

2 nights. On anything longer than five days, book two nights in the best base rather than moving hotel every evening.

Fuel and tolls

Budget for roughly 559.2 miles of driving plus any vignettes or tunnel fees for the countries you cross.

Other lengths

More time, or less, in Switzerland