5 Alps Road Trips from Switzerland: Chamonix, Lake Como, Stelvio & More (2026)

Look at a map of the Alps and Switzerland sits right in the middle, with France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein all within a couple of hours' drive. That makes it the perfect base for an Alpine road trip: you can sleep in a Swiss spa hotel, have lunch on an Italian lake, and be back by dinner.

Here are five road trips that start in Switzerland, from easy half-days to legendary hairpin passes. For the classic loop inside the country, see our Swiss Alps road trip over the Susten, Furka and Grimsel.

The five at a glance

1. Geneva to Chamonix and Mont Blanc (France)

The easiest big Alpine day trip there is. From Geneva, the motorway climbs the Arve valley and in about 1 hour 15 minutes you're in Chamonix, under the highest mountain in Western Europe. Ride the Aiguille du Midi cable car to 3,842 m (12,605 ft) for a face-to-face view of Mont Blanc, or take the Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace glacier.

Go early: the cable car queues build fast in summer, and in winter the road fills with skiers on Saturdays. Back in Switzerland, a night on Lake Geneva makes a perfect finish.

2. Geneva to Annecy (France)

Not high Alps, but you'll see why everyone goes: a medieval old town on canals, and a lake so clear it looks Caribbean, ringed by mountains. Annecy is about 45 minutes from Geneva. Rent a bike for the lakeside path, swim at one of the public beaches in summer, and drive back along the eastern shore through Talloires for the views.

3. Great St Bernard Pass to the Aosta Valley (Italy)

From Martigny, the road climbs the Val d'Entremont to the Great St Bernard Pass at 2,469 m (8,100 ft), one of the oldest crossings of the Alps. The hospice at the top has sheltered travelers for nearly a thousand years, and it's where the St Bernard dogs come from: in summer you can usually see them at the pass. On the Italian side, the road drops into the Aosta Valley, with Roman ruins in Aosta itself and castles along the valley.

The pass road is open in summer only, but a tunnel below it stays open all year (it has a toll). Make it a loop: over the pass one way, through the tunnel the other.

On the way back, soak at the Bains de Saillon or Lavey-les-Bains, both close to Martigny.

4. Maloja Pass to Lake Como (Italy)

This is our favorite. From St. Moritz, the road runs along the Engadine lakes to Maloja, then drops off the edge of the valley in a stack of tight hairpins into the Val Bregaglia. The landscape changes fast: larches and granite, then chestnut trees, stone villages like Soglio, and finally the Italian town of Chiavenna. From there, the northern end of Lake Como is a short drive away.

The Maloja is open all year, so this works in every season. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours each way, more with stops. Have lunch by the lake, and you'll be back in the Engadine in time for an evening swim.

5. Umbrail, Stelvio and Bernina loop (Italy)

For drivers who want the road. From Zernez in the Lower Engadine, cross the Ofen Pass through the Swiss National Park to Val Müstair. Then climb the Umbrail Pass, the highest paved pass road in Switzerland at about 2,501 m (8,205 ft), to meet the Stelvio Pass at 2,757 m (9,045 ft). The famous side of the Stelvio, down toward Prato, has 48 numbered hairpins; the road to Bormio is easier, and Bormio has its own thermal baths.

Close the loop by heading south to Tirano and back up into Switzerland over the Bernina Pass (2,328 m / 7,638 ft), alongside the Bernina Express railway, to Pontresina.

It's a long day, and only possible in summer: the Umbrail and Stelvio close for winter, usually opening in late May or June and closing in October or early November. Start early, as cyclists and motorcycles crowd the Stelvio by late morning.

Crossing borders: the practical bit

• Passports: France, Italy and Austria are in the Schengen area like Switzerland, so there are usually no border checks. Carry your passport anyway; customs spot checks happen.
• Rental cars: tell the rental company which countries you'll visit. Some charge a cross-border fee, and one-way drop-offs in another country are expensive.
• Tolls and vignettes: Switzerland needs a vignette (included in Swiss rentals). France and Italy charge tolls on motorways, payable by card. Austria needs its own vignette if you drive on its motorways.
• Customs: Switzerland isn't in the EU, so there are limits on meat, wine and cheese brought back in. Check before stocking up in Italy.
• Fuel: Livigno, near the Stelvio, is a duty-free zone with noticeably cheaper fuel.

Combine it with a Swiss trip

A road trip day fits neatly into a train-based itinerary: pick up a car for a day in Geneva or St. Moritz, then go back to the rails. See our 7, 10 and 14-day Switzerland itineraries, or ride the Glacier Express to St. Moritz and rent a car there for the Maloja and Stelvio days.