Driving Roads in Switzerland

Explore scenic and exciting driving roads across Switzerland.

Albula Pass

Switzerland

Great St Bernard Pass

Driving in Switzerland

Switzerland concentrates a remarkable variety of scenic driving roads into a relatively small area. Across the central Alps, classic pass routes such as the Gotthard, Furka, Grimsel, and Susten climb from deep valleys through forests, exposed rock, reservoirs, and high mountain terrain, often linking naturally into longer driving loops. Farther east, Graubünden and the Engadin combine broad valleys with passes including the Julier and Albula, while Valais provides access to major Alpine crossings and high side valleys. The Bernese Oberland mixes mountain roads with lake scenery, and the Jura offers lower, more rolling routes through wooded ridges and open pasture. Road engineering is a major part of the experience: switchbacks, galleries, tunnels, viaducts, and carefully built pass roads are common. Distances can appear short on a map but mountain gradients, traffic, construction, and seasonal access often make journey times longer than expected.

Season & conditions

Many major valley roads and important Alpine connections remain usable throughout the year, but numerous high passes close during winter because of snow and avalanche risk. Reopening varies with snowfall and clearance work; routes such as the Gotthard commonly have a winter closure, while the Simplon is normally maintained year-round but can still face weather-related restrictions. Snow can affect high roads outside midwinter, and temporary closures also occur for storms, rockfall, maintenance, or construction, so current pass status should be checked before driving.

Tolls & access

Passenger cars using Switzerland's chargeable motorway and national-road network generally require an annual motorway vignette, available as either an adhesive sticker or an electronic vignette; there is no short-duration vignette. Ordinary cantonal roads and most Alpine pass roads are not covered by a separate nationwide toll. Certain individual facilities, including some vehicle-carrying rail services, tunnels, and privately managed mountain roads, may charge separately, so route-specific access should be checked when planning connections through the Alps.