Road trip ideas › By campervan
The Alps in a campervan: passes that work under 3.5 tonnes
A van can cross the Alps on most main passes, and should avoid a few famous ones. Here are the passes that work, the ones that do not, and the tolls.
Plan this trip1 Brenner Pass
Photo by Sönke Kraft aka Arnulf zu Linden, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Brenner Pass is a mountain pass over the Alps which forms the border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the major passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowest altitude among Alpine passes of the area. Wikipedia
The easy way: a motorway over the Alps at 1,370 m. Austrian vignette plus the Brenner motorway toll.
Written about in 53 languagesStart a trip here
2 Reschen Pass (Passo di Resia)
Photo by Sönke Kraft aka Arnulf zu Linden, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Reschen Pass is a mountain pass across the main chain of the Alps, connecting the Upper Inn Valley in the northwest with the Vinschgau region in the southeast. Wikipedia
A quiet main road from Austria to Italy with the drowned church tower at the lake. No toll, no problem for a van.
Written about in 23 languagesStart a trip here
3 Fern Pass
Photo by Sönke Kraft aka Arnulf zu Linden, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Fern Pass (elevation 1212 m) is a mountain pass in the Tyrolean Alps in Austria. It is located between the Lechtal Alps on the west and the Mieming Mountains on the east. Wikipedia
The low pass into the Tyrol from Germany. Busy on changeover Saturdays, otherwise easy.
Written about in 14 languagesStart a trip here
4 Arlberg
Photo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Arlberg is a mountain pass between states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. Ski resorts at the Arlberg include Lech, Zürs, Stuben, St. Wikipedia
The road over the top (not the tunnel) is open in summer and fine for a van. The tunnel is tolled.
Written about in 32 languagesStart a trip here
5 Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Photo by Sander Hoogendoorn from Gouda, Holland, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road (in German Großglockner Hochalpenstraße) is the highest surfaced mountain pass road in Austria. Wikipedia
Allowed and wonderful. Wide bends, a toll, and a car park at Franz-Josefs-Höhe sized for coaches.
Written about in 20 languagesStart a trip here
6 Gerlos Pass
Photo by Holger.Ellgaard 18:29, 13. Sep. 2008 (CEST), CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons. Gerlos Pass (elevation 1,500 metres [4,921 ft]) is a mountain pass in the Austrian Alps between the Oberpinzgau region in the state of Salzburg and the Zillertal valley in Tyrol. The old road leads from Wald im Pinzgau to Gerlos in the Zillertal valley. Wikipedia
A gentle toll road from the Zillertal to the Krimml falls. One of the best for a first Alpine drive.
Written about in 11 languagesStart a trip here
7 Bernina Pass
Photo by Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Bernina Pass (el. 2,328 m or 7,638 ft.) is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden (Grisons) in eastern Switzerland. Wikipedia
Switzerland to Italy beside the railway. Wide and well made; the Swiss vignette applies only to motorways.
Written about in 32 languagesStart a trip here
8 Avoid: the Stelvio
Photo by kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Stelvio Pass is a mountain pass in northern Italy bordering Switzerland at an elevation of 2,757 m (9,045 ft) above sea level. It is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, 7 m (23 Wikipedia
Legal for a van, but the hairpins are tight, the road is narrow and you will meet a coach. Take the Reschen instead.
Written about in 32 languages
9 Avoid: the Gavia
Photo by Gabri80 at Italian Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Gavia Pass (el. 2621 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Italian Alps. Wikipedia
Single track in places with no barriers. Not for anything wider than a car.
Written about in 16 languages
Riding or driving it
Enter your van's height, weight and length in Roadlegs and it routes with a truck profile, so mapped restrictions are respected. Tunnels, vignettes and tolls are listed for each country.
Open the plan in Roadlegs How the planner handles this vehicle.
About the facts and photos
The descriptions in italics are the opening sentences of the Wikipedia article for each place, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, fetched on 6 October 2026. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under the licence named beside each one. "Written about in N languages" counts the Wikipedia editions that have an article, from Wikidata; it is a measure of how well known a place is, not a rating. Everything else is the author's own opinion. Roads close with the seasons: check before you go.
More ideas
The 10 best Alpine passes by motorcycle, with heights and seasons
Ten Alpine passes worth planning a motorcycle trip around, from the Stelvio to the Col de la Bonette, with elevations and the months they are usually open.
Vilnius to the Alps by motorcycle: the roads to aim for
A ten-day motorcycle trip from Lithuania to the Alps and back, with the stretches worth riding on the way through Poland, Czechia and Austria.
The Dolomites by motorcycle: 10 passes in three days
The ten Dolomite passes to ride in one trip: the Sella Ronda four, Giau, Falzarego, Fedaia, Valparola, Rolle and San Pellegrino, with a three-day plan from Bolzano.
Andalusia by campervan in winter: 10 stops where it is still warm
A winter campervan route through Andalusia: Cabo de Gata, Granada, the Sierra Nevada, Ronda, Grazalema, Cádiz, Tarifa, Doñana, Seville and Córdoba, with where to park.