Stelvio Pass - Thinking going for a drive with wife Mar/Apr

[Fixanything]

Thinking of driving to the Stelvio Pass in Italy, anybody done the drive ? if yes, how long did it take ? was the distance bearable in Nob ?

Thinking of going sometime in March or April for a long weekend, drive the Pass, eat some spaghetti and meatballs, take in the scenery etc...

Any other recommendations welcome ? (Before suggested, the wife has to go)

Cheers
Mark T

[djs305]

I took the Noble to Stelvio 2 summers ago with my son. We had a wonderful time. Took the ferry to Rotterdam, then a car train to Alessandria in northern Italy to limit the mileage and spent 10 days driving the cols, and driving back through Austria, Germany and Holland to Belgium. Great trip and thoroughly recommend it. About 1,800 miles. Would be a lot more if drove both ways but if you plan it and stay in some nice places it's truly memorable. Bon voyage!
David

[Magic919]

This is one of the Italian passes last May. You might want to consider how you'll cope with snow.

[doggydog33]

I'm pretty sure Stelvio pass is closed on your selected dates. Somewhere on the web is a webcam that posts pics from the top so you can see how far the snow is up the shop fronts at the top!
Regards doggydog33

[Fixanything]

Looks like I need to re think the dates, looks like it should be June/July for Stelvio. Still fancy a road trip Mar/Apr might head south towards Spain hopefully a little less snow.

Cheers
Mark T

[Rob_W]

I know it's politically incorrect but I think Stelvio is overrated and definitely a high summer job. Check out a list of all the passes the Tour de France does (Alps and Pyrenees) and you will get some great drives.

[Magic919]

If Stelvio isn't great, then why do all those Dutch people bother towing their caravans up and down it all Summer long?

[Rob_W]

Ah the snail people, bless them

[Wooden Horse]

We are planning a Stelvio trip in June, can't wait

[D_G]

Don't worry about too much snow, as long as the main routes have been cleared you just need a light right foot...

[DeanoM12]

D_G said:

Don't worry about too much snow, as long as the main routes have been cleared you just need a light right foot...

Lovely piccy mate!!.....But isn't it the underground car parks you need to be wary of???

[doggydog33]

Found it!

http://webcam.popso.it/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT...

Regards dd.

[Chapppers]

I'd say it depends why you're going... good scenery, good driving or a "tick in the box"? There are a lot of good roads in Europe, a lot of which are better than Stelvio. If you're going for the drive, consider a trip through the Black Forest in Germany or down the Route Napoleon in France on your way there. Most mountain passes are good, but the Stelvio in particular has a lot of hairpins. And caravans. And traffic generally.

[D_G]

DeanoM12 said:

Lovely piccy mate!!.....But isn't it the underground car parks you need to be wary of???

Hi Mate, how's you? Fortunately when stuck underground a nice Frenchy will sort you out...!

[Dblue]

Rob_W said:

I know it's politically incorrect but I think Stelvio is overrated and definitely a high summer job. Check out a list of all the passes the Tour de France does (Alps and Pyrenees) and you will get some great drives.

VERY MUCH THIS.

Its spectacular to see certainly but its a crowded rubbish drive. It amounts to many many tight hairpins with short straights between them over and over again trapped behind a diesel belching coach or 2.

There are many better passes in and around the area and elsewhere in the Alps

In a GT3 the right hand hairpins coming down involve 3 point turns and lots of graunching of the splitter on the deck

[paulspray]

Anyone done transfagarasan pass ?
1600 miles ea way from my house Mmmmmmm

[arabian]

This is the pass from Valloire up to the Col Du Galibier, great road, not too twisty and mega bonus has a tunnel at the top.......If you are in the area (France/Italy border by Frejus Tunnel) its worth a detour to drive.

I suggest it's a summer drive though as often shut until at least May ! Also they have a couple of massively busy cycle races on the road each summer so best to check weekends.






I took the porker up and loved it but think it could have been more fun in a Lambo though......

[joust]

arabian said:

This is the pass from Valloire up to the Col Du Galibier, great road, not too twisty and mega bonus has a tunnel at the top.......If you are in the area (France/Italy border by Frejus Tunnel) its worth a detour to drive.
I suggest it's a summer drive though as often shut until at least May ! Also they have a couple of massively busy cycle races on the road each summer so best to check weekends.
I took the porker up and loved it but think it could have been more fun in a Lambo though......

That is about 20km from my French place, and is a great part of the "round trip" which will take your breath away.

Starting in Le Bourg-d'Oisans, go along to La Grave, then left through the Col Du Galibier, through Col du Telegraphe, along the A43, left through Col de la Croix de Fer, down through Col du Glandon and back to Bd'O.

All covered in here in dual language
http://www.isere-tourisme.com/web/docs/Guide_Oisan...

It's truely a stunning part of the world, and if you want to be scared out of your little mind, take the D211A from La Garde on the way up to Alpe d'Huez along to Le Cert and down to Le Freney-d'Oisans.


Yes - that really is a road you can drive on, and yes, the road is actually built "hanging" on the side of the mountain

And if that's not enough, then go and drive on my local shortcut, which is known locally as the "D220 balcony road"...

[wessexrfc]

Is it normal for your palms to sweat looking at those photos, imagine what it must have been like before the barriers

[arabian]

Interesting Joust, i shall be skiing there this weekend and used to own a place in Valmeinier but had to sell it to a mate to fund a bigger house, gutted, but my other mate now lives out there full time. The whole area is, as you say, stunning with awesome roads. A group of us are staying out in the alps in september using another mates place just outside val d'isere so if anybody has any good routes for the area please let me know. Not sure my missus could deal with the balcony route though.....