Stelvio Pass recommended routes?
Discussion
I've posted a similar thread under the Eurohoon section but not had much luck there, apologies for re-posting.
I'm heading down to the Stelvio Pass this summer coming from the Nurburgring with my destination being 70 miles north-east of Venice.
Does anyone have any hints or tips for driving the Stelvio Pass? Any recommended routes to take on approaching the pass?
Is it worth going through the pass on my way back to the Nurburgring 5 days later, or would one time be a good enough experience in itself?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I'm heading down to the Stelvio Pass this summer coming from the Nurburgring with my destination being 70 miles north-east of Venice.
Does anyone have any hints or tips for driving the Stelvio Pass? Any recommended routes to take on approaching the pass?
Is it worth going through the pass on my way back to the Nurburgring 5 days later, or would one time be a good enough experience in itself?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Looks like I may through the pass on the way to and from the Nurburgring then 
Can anyone recommend a decent northern Italian road atlas? I have a great AA "Maxi" scale one of France which shows all those little roads (good for back road navigating to Le Mans!) but haven't found an Itallian map which looks like it is a similar scale.
Can anyone recommend a decent northern Italian road atlas? I have a great AA "Maxi" scale one of France which shows all those little roads (good for back road navigating to Le Mans!) but haven't found an Itallian map which looks like it is a similar scale.
I did it last year in the Griff whilst touring Northern Italy.
A good town to stay in is Bormio which is at the base on the Southern side of the pass. if you stay the night here also go to "? Bachio ?" (sorry forgotten the correct name) which is a hotel made up of various steam rooms, mud baths, out door hot pools looking over the mountains and tunnels going deep into the mountains containing natural steam rooms etc.
The drive its self is no fast run. The south side is a bit quicker but going down through the 51 hairpins of the North is not quick. Just an incredible road to see.
Expect hundreds of motor bikes and quite a few cyclists if going on the weekend.
Makes sure you have a hot dog fom the Austrian guy at the top, great character!
Also when in Bormio have Pizzacheri and Schiatt for dinner (two seperate dishes). They are the speciallity of the area and delicious!
Hope you get the weather for it, the views are great. My profile usually contains a pic of me on the paseo di stelvio.
There was snow at the top when I went in September. Also be wary of frosty roads in the early hours.
A good town to stay in is Bormio which is at the base on the Southern side of the pass. if you stay the night here also go to "? Bachio ?" (sorry forgotten the correct name) which is a hotel made up of various steam rooms, mud baths, out door hot pools looking over the mountains and tunnels going deep into the mountains containing natural steam rooms etc.
The drive its self is no fast run. The south side is a bit quicker but going down through the 51 hairpins of the North is not quick. Just an incredible road to see.
Expect hundreds of motor bikes and quite a few cyclists if going on the weekend.
Makes sure you have a hot dog fom the Austrian guy at the top, great character!
Also when in Bormio have Pizzacheri and Schiatt for dinner (two seperate dishes). They are the speciallity of the area and delicious!
Hope you get the weather for it, the views are great. My profile usually contains a pic of me on the paseo di stelvio.
There was snow at the top when I went in September. Also be wary of frosty roads in the early hours.
Stelvio is excellent fun.
We start at Tirano, head over Stelvio from the west, down the east side to Trafoi, turn around and come back up Stelvio again, over the top, and take your first right back into Switzerland over Umbrialpass.
If you leave Tirano at 10ish, by the time you are half way down Umbrial you'll find a restaurant and it'll be lunch time. You can then have a meal overlooking St Maria in the valley below.
The other pass that is worth having fun on is going north up Bernina. I think the rise is 1.8km over 30km. (something like that anyway). you get a mix of longish roads and then sweeping switchbacks.
Bormio is nice, but we prefer Tirano as the stop over place. Hotel Corona and Hotel Bernina have access to secure parking I believe.
We are heading out in a couple of weeks to drive Grimsel, Furka, Oberall, Bernina, Stelvio and Umbrial as soon as they all open.
Having said that, I've just got back Rome, and one of the things I did during the weekend was nip up to Monte Carlo, and then head north onto the WRC stages for the Monte Carlo Rally - absolutely amazing fun. Very different to the Swiss passes as they are much lower, but far more intense.
We start at Tirano, head over Stelvio from the west, down the east side to Trafoi, turn around and come back up Stelvio again, over the top, and take your first right back into Switzerland over Umbrialpass.
If you leave Tirano at 10ish, by the time you are half way down Umbrial you'll find a restaurant and it'll be lunch time. You can then have a meal overlooking St Maria in the valley below.
The other pass that is worth having fun on is going north up Bernina. I think the rise is 1.8km over 30km. (something like that anyway). you get a mix of longish roads and then sweeping switchbacks.
Bormio is nice, but we prefer Tirano as the stop over place. Hotel Corona and Hotel Bernina have access to secure parking I believe.
We are heading out in a couple of weeks to drive Grimsel, Furka, Oberall, Bernina, Stelvio and Umbrial as soon as they all open.
Having said that, I've just got back Rome, and one of the things I did during the weekend was nip up to Monte Carlo, and then head north onto the WRC stages for the Monte Carlo Rally - absolutely amazing fun. Very different to the Swiss passes as they are much lower, but far more intense.
tinman0 said:
Having said that, I've just got back Rome, and one of the things I did during the weekend was nip up to Monte Carlo, and then head north onto the WRC stages for the Monte Carlo Rally - absolutely amazing fun. Very different to the Swiss passes as they are much lower, but far more intense.
Ever tried the roads heading north from the coast (Monaco) up into Lake De-Ste-Croix (North of Marselle)?
Thats a great run. Doing a lap of the lake takes about half a day and the roads are dead quiet and brilliant.
Shhh, dont tell anyone though!
Any good route down towards Rome? Fancy driving further south this year. Also any good areas to stay in and what costal areas of Italy are best to head to? Prefer a relaxing old place with character. Preferably not too touristy either. (ie Como not Guarda).
Thanks for any advice you can give.
Am I asking too much of myself and maybe the car driving from the Nurburgring to a village about 70 miles north west of Venice via the Stelvio Pass all in one day?
As much as it sounds like a nice idea to stay somewhere around the pass I don't really have the time this year. I might plan it into my trip for next year though.
I will be making this trip in the first week of August, the weather should be ok then shouldn't it?
As much as it sounds like a nice idea to stay somewhere around the pass I don't really have the time this year. I might plan it into my trip for next year though.
I will be making this trip in the first week of August, the weather should be ok then shouldn't it?
590 miles in a single day - in a word yes its too much.
the motorway miles can be despatched really quite easily - however once you leave the mways your average speed drops to virtually nothing.
the quick route i created that matches your day route gives 590 miles total, and you leave the mways at around 350. 240 miles cross country can take forever.
also, as you get closer to Stelvio the amount of traffic increases quite dramatically. i'm not sure when you said you were going, but anything from late June onwards - Stelvio is a very busy road.
the motorway miles can be despatched really quite easily - however once you leave the mways your average speed drops to virtually nothing.
the quick route i created that matches your day route gives 590 miles total, and you leave the mways at around 350. 240 miles cross country can take forever.
also, as you get closer to Stelvio the amount of traffic increases quite dramatically. i'm not sure when you said you were going, but anything from late June onwards - Stelvio is a very busy road.
We went to this area via the 'ring. We left around 10AM from Nurburg and drove down through Germany. We stopped in GarmischPartenkerken overnight - really nice town on the Germany/Austria border. This was about enough driving in one day for one driver. Another hour would have got us just past Innsbruck.
NickT said:
I will be making this trip in the first week of August, the weather should be ok then shouldn't it?
Stelvio is clearing at the moment. I would think (and hope) that by the end of next week it'll be open.
Alot of the major Swiss passes open next week, so theres no real reason to see why it shouldn't open either.
A great place to watch is:
http://jpeg.popso.it/webcam/webcam_online/image11.jpg
You'll notice the shop is open and the barriers are up. They did that this morning. Not that I watch the stelvio webcam too much
A few points:
Drive the Stelvio Pass on a weekday, not a weekend. Check the webcam for inclement weather. Go up on the east side and down on the west side. Stay in Bolzano at the Hotel Greif (Greiff?) if you get a chance (there's underground parking). The route from Davos to Stelvio, or vice versa, is highly recommended too.
Drive the Stelvio Pass on a weekday, not a weekend. Check the webcam for inclement weather. Go up on the east side and down on the west side. Stay in Bolzano at the Hotel Greif (Greiff?) if you get a chance (there's underground parking). The route from Davos to Stelvio, or vice versa, is highly recommended too.
An example of what the roads can be like there...
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=D2OQFGJlcpI
One of my favorites!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=D2OQFGJlcpI
One of my favorites!
svassileou said:
A few points:
Drive the Stelvio Pass on a weekday, not a weekend. Check the webcam for inclement weather. Go up on the east side and down on the west side. Stay in Bolzano at the Hotel Greif (Greiff?) if you get a chance (there's underground parking). The route from Davos to Stelvio, or vice versa, is highly recommended too.
By none other than Top Gear, of course Drive the Stelvio Pass on a weekday, not a weekend. Check the webcam for inclement weather. Go up on the east side and down on the west side. Stay in Bolzano at the Hotel Greif (Greiff?) if you get a chance (there's underground parking). The route from Davos to Stelvio, or vice versa, is highly recommended too.
Gassing Station | Events & Meetings | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff