Driving to the Stelvio pass

**threaded** · 24 May 2010, 14:12

Originally posted by Jeebo72 View Post

Planning to do it this summer, anyone done it? Recommended stop off points etc? Was thinking of staying in Lake Como for a week then heading back, good idea or too far away. Any advice appreciated. Can't seem to find a really good site on the old google....

Done it a few times, by bicycle as well, and once driving a bus with passengers, was a right laugh (well for me ;-) I've a photo on my blog where I'm in a Lambo and get overtaken by white-van-man on a down-hill off-camber hair-pin. Downhill MTB at night without lights is a blast too.

I'd suggest stopping on the few corners that have parking areas to gather your nerves, drive back over and then do it all in one go now you've had practice.

Main tips are to avoid reacting to wind blown sways of the car, and if you're scared, just stop.

**Paddy** · 24 May 2010, 14:33

As a favour to a friend in Italy I took a 7.5 tonne van across the Stelvio Pass in winter. After a hold-up at customs in Bolzano, I ended up doing the trip at night on sheet ice. I have never driven so carefully in all my life. Homeward was done in daylight and it was rather scary to see where I had driven the previous night.

I have been quite a few times to Italy and never had and problems in the north of the country however, in the south I had problems with theft, robbery and hijacking every visit. Be extra careful and keep the car doors locked and the windows closed while driving. Make sure you hotel has secure parking. With UK number plates; you will be a target!

**threaded** · 24 May 2010, 14:49

Forgot to mention to watch out for cyclists, especially on corners. Some of the corners are very steep on the inside so the cyclists have to go quite wide.

**moorfield** · 24 May 2010, 16:07

Yeah can recommend Como. Stayed in Varenna last August for a wedding. Superb.

**Jeebo72** · 25 May 2010, 15:19

Originally posted by moorfield View Post

Yeah can recommend Como. Stayed in Varenna last August for a wedding. Superb.

Booked como, and looking forward to it, just need to work out the route down via pass.

Anyone got good stop off points? Espescially with good mountain biking (and hire of a cannondale... can't bike without a cannonadale!)

**VectraMan** · 25 May 2010, 19:33

I stayed in Chur the night before when I went there, but it was a long trip to get the next day to get to Stelvio, along with lots of arguing about where we were thanks to somebody's satnav trying to take us over a bridge which hadn't been built yet. Good pizza at the top, then we left at 5pm with 400 miles still to do to get to a hotel near Monaco. That was a long day.

Agree about the cyclists. Loads of them. Not to mention caravans / caravanettes all over the road, and letting motorbikes past every 5 seconds. Going up wasn't exactly the great driving experience Top Gear and others have you believe, but coming down the other side was a lot more fun.

Driving to the Stelvio pass