MAKING TRACKS ULTIMATE ROAD TRIPS
Ultimate Alps Road Trip
Join us on this exciting drive through some of Europe's most spectacular scenery!
Saturday 7th September - Monday 16th September 2024 (10 days, 9 nights)
What is the best road in the Alps? It depends on whom you ask - and let’s face it, there are a lot of roads to choose from!
In Switzerland alone there are nearly 70 mountain road passes over 1,000 metres above sea level. Some of them are household names - Furka, Grimsel, San Bernadino. Some are not so well known but most just as rewarding to drive. And that’s just in Switzerland - Austria and Italy have their offering of Alpine roads, many just as spectacular as their Swiss counterparts.
So when it comes to picking the best roads in The Alps, that’s possibly a tough (and highly subjective) job. Here is our take on the subject, and we think we’ve hit the sweet-spot here.
Day To Day Breakdown
Day 1 - Nürburgring and Koblenz
333 miles
An early Eurotunnel crossing will be needed if you would like to visit the Nürburgring on the way to Koblenz. The ‘Ferrari Racing Days’ event weekend will be in full swing when we arrive, so there will no doubt be plenty to see!
If the Nürburgring isn’t your thing, you can head straight for our hotel in the city of Koblenz, right next to the River Rhine. From there it is possible to cross the Rhine on a passenger ferry and see this wonderful city, including taking the cable car ride to the hillside fortress for some incredible views of the city and local area!
Day 2 - Romantic Road
283 miles
Our adventure starts today! We’ll be heading west for the Romantic Road, a picturesque 350km route through the forests and mountains of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. This is a wonderful drive through picturesque villages and towns, past fairytale castles.
We’ll stop for the night in Augsburg. Augsburg is one of Germany’s most beautiful cities, with its magnificent fountains, revered guild houses, beautiful churches and picturesque Old Town.
Day 3 - Bavaria & Zell Am See
132 miles
We’ll head south-east today, through some wonderful Bavarian countryside until the dramatic foothils of the Austria Alps appear majestically on the horizon.
Our final destination today is Zell Am See, a wonderful lakeside town in northern Austria. There will be time here to wander along the scenic lakeside, take a cable car up to the nearby Schmittenhöhe mountain, for fantastic panoramic views.
Day 4 - Grossglockner High Alpine Road
132 miles
Today’s highlight will be Austria’s Grossglockner High Alpine Road, a mountain pass built purely for driving enjoyment!
Once we’ve finished there, we’ll head into Italy for our night’s stay, in the Italian Alps, all ready for our explorations of the Dolomites the next day!
Our spa hotel for the night is a traditional Italian Alpine hotel in a ski village. On the way we’ll travel over the Giau Pass - among others.
Day 5 - The Dolomites
168 miles
Some wonderful driving and scenery today as we head across the Dolomites, taking in numerous Mountain Passes along the way, with expansive views of the Marmolada, Rosengarten and Sassolungo mountain ranges. We’ll be spending the night at a traditional Italian Alpine Spa Hotel, perfectly placed for our visit to the Stelvio pass the next morning.
Day 6 - Stelvio & Swiss Passes
201 miles
We will make an early start today, traversing the Stelvio pass before it gets busy. This is the mother of all passes, with its whopping 48 hairpins on the east face.
Once we’ve stopped at the top for the obligatory photos and taking in the breath-taking views, we’ll make our way west along a series of wonderful roads including 5 mountain passes over 1200m - including San Bernadino and Nufenenpass. Our hotel will be just west of the Nufenenpass, perfectly placed to head for Zermatt and The Matterhorn tomorrow.
Day 7 - Zermatt & The Matterhorn
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Today is an (optional) car-free day today, as we visit the town of Zermatt, a beautiful Alpine town in a car-free valley, with magnificent views to the Matterhorn.
We can use the ultra-efficient Swiss train network to make the short journey to Zermatt.
Day 8 - Grimsel Pass & Thun
90 miles
Today we’ll head north, heading over the Grimsel Pass, and we’ll visit the Rhone Glacier on the Furka Pass, where it is possible to walk through a tunnel carved into the Glacier!
The Furka pass is known as the ‘Bond’ Pass, so there’s a chance for some nostalgia for Bond enthusiasts here too!
Day 9 - Back To France
207 miles
We’ll leave Switzerland today, heading back into France. Enroute we’ll drive along the wonderful lake Thun and over the ‘Route des Cretes’ in France, a wonderful driving route that takes us over several passes on the Vosges Mountains. A wonderful day of driving to end our trip!
Day 10 - Homeward Bound
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322 miles
Today we enjoy our last breakfast on the tour and make our way back to our early evening channel crossings.
Homebound Options
If you you'd like to finish your holiday with some sightseeing on the way home then there are lots of places you could visit - such as the city of Rheims. Or, we could help you to extend your trip by a night or two and take a more leisurely pace back to England!
Outbound Options
If you don’t fancy an early morning or you have a long way to travel in the UK, we can arrange an evening crossing for you the night before, and overnight accommodation in France. Or, have you considered an overnight ferry from Hull or Harwich? We can organise this for you too!
What Do I Get?
In addition to a great tour guide with the local knowledge and experience to make your road trip the best it can be, you will get:
Nine nights of hotel accommodation (3+ star)
breakfast and hotel parking;
Channel Tunnel Return Crossings
Swiss Vignette (Toll Sticker)
Experienced Tour Guide
Full Colour Tour Handbook
2-Way Radio for each vehicle
Action Camera and Drone Footage
FREE-hire TomTom Sat Nav with all routes pre-programmed
Commemorative Road Trip Plaque
Car Decals and T-shirts (optional)
Pricing
Two people sharing one hotel room:
£1790.00 per person
One Person in single rooms:
£2995.00
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Only £150 per person deposit required to secure your place!
Deposit payment required to secure your booking.
Final balance due by May 25th 2024.
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