With most of its land swallowed up by the Alps, Switzerland has a lot of vertical.
Wherever you go, you are in for a ride: roads unfurl along the shores of great lakes and glaciers, mountain passes corkscrew up to fairy-tale medieval castles, and on the high roads, every glorious bend makes you want to stop.
The grand finale is the 1600 km Grand Tour of Switzerland, an efficiently signposted lap of the country that shows off the Alpine nation from its most flattering angles.
Is it short on time. The 7 best road trips in Switzerland will give you an idea of what to see.
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35 km from Obergoms to Andermatt.
The Alps never leave your rear-view mirror when you drive from the remote valley of the Goms in Valais to mountain-encrusted Andermatt.
You can drive the Furka Pass west to east and see the peaks and glaciers of the world. In the 1964 movie Goldfinger, this road was used as a car chase scene, and it brought out the character of Bond in everyone.
You can see the Rhne Glacier and its ice grotto from the top of the Furka Pass, which is located at 2429m/7969ft.
The road goes with the snow from June to October, but make sure to check the weather.
Appenzell– St Moritz is a distance of 200 km.
In the Appenzell region, Switzerland is known for its rural, folksy heart. It is a great region for a road trip, with rolling dairy country and lavishly frescoed towns. Do you think it's a week? I think it's doable. Do you think it's two weeks? You are talking now.
At the summit of Sntis mountain, you can see six countries, as well as the seven limestone peaks of the Churfirsten range and the medieval hamlet of Werdenberg. You can cruise south to Maienfeld, the setting of the beloved Swiss children's book, and the Salginatobel Bridge, which is described as a work of art.
You can go to the nature-gone-wild Swiss National Park in Guarda and Zernez if you want to.
The distance from Lugano to Zurmatt is 264 km.
On this drive through the high mountains of southern Switzerland, you'll find the Alps as your companion.
Allow at least a week to do it justice and begin at the route's end in lakeside Lugano, which will deliver a shot of dolce vita in its cafe-rimmed piazzas and palm-fringed parks. Locarno is another looker with its botanical gardens and palazzo-filled Renaissance Old Town, as well as Unesco World Heritage Bellinzona.
The language goes from Italian to German as you travel north into the Alps. If you want to take a break in Andermatt, you have to factor in time for a break in the wilderness.
You can take the Furka Pass to get to the mountains of Valais. The final stretch of the trip includes Bettmeralp, the epic Aletsch Glacier and Brig, as well as the Stockalper Palace, which is located in the center of Zermatt.
Andermatt– Airolo is 28.6 km.
The tunnel through the St-Gotthard Massif is one of the longest in the world.
The old road is over the 2108m (6196ft) Gotthard Pass. Buckle up, roll down the window and prepare for a feast of wild, lonely and bleakly beautiful mountain scenery on this road connecting the Italian-speaking Swiss region of Ticino to the German-speaking region of Uri. Think of the poor souls who used to make the journey on foot and with animals.
There is a museum at the top of the pass that gives insight into the history and culture of the pass.
The pass was not accessible until the Devil's Bridge was built in the 1300s. Walls of sheer granite plunge to the Reuss River below the bridge. On the south side of the pass, there is a cobblestone street called the Tremola that leads to Airolo.
The road is usually open in the summer and fall.
The distance from Chur to St Moritz is 157 km.
This should be accompanied by a drum roll. The beautiful, long, winding drive that connects the Alpine city of Chur to St Moritz is incomplete without the Julier Pass.
The pass has been used since Roman times and the remains of a Roman temple can be seen. You might be tempted to swap the open road for a hiking trail or two in the heart of the Albula Alps, where you can see the largest nature park in the world.
The Julier Pass has a remote, far-away-from-everywhere feel that makes it one of Switzerland's most beautiful drives.
Taking care with snow and ice is a planning tip. Winter tires and snow chains are required.
It's 190 Neukm (118 miles) in Geneva–chtel.
While the Alps get a lot of love, the Jura region has its own quiet, unexpected beauty, with lakes and vineyards rolling to chteaux.
If you want to start with a hit of culture, take a stroll down the shore of the lake. You can take the route off the beaten track to the Jura Vaudois Nature Park for hikes with lake views and tastings of Gruyre cheese.
Devote at least a couple of days to the second half of the drive, as you travel north to Lac de Joux and Vallorbe, where you can see the amazing limestone caves.
The birthplace of the green fairy is located near Lac de Neuchtel. The drive ends with a bang at Neuchtel.
Zrich–Bern is a distance of over 300 km.
Bookended by Switzerland's defacto capital and the country's largest city, this sensationally varied road trip leaps joyously from the urban to the outdoors.
Along the shores of Lake Zrich, you can see the Alps on cloudy days. Go south to Einsiedeln and its Benedictine abbey before stopping at ludicrously pretty towns.
The Old Town and galleries of Lucerne look great. If you want to experience the country's geographical and spiritual heartland, take a tour to Lake Uri. You can take a dairy tour in Emmental as you travel southwest to Bern, the city of Einstein and wild swims in the Aare River.
It's a good idea to aim for at least a week behind the wheel.
December 2020 is when this article was published.
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