Anyone ever driven the Alps?

[96Firebird]

Going to Italy for my honeymoon at beginning of September, first week is Rome/Florence/Bologna and we'll be taking public transportation. Second week we are renting a car (right now I have a "premium" car, which Sixt specifies as BMW 4 series or similar. We will be heading from Bologna to San Candido, which is in the Dolomites close to the Austrian border. After 4 nights there, we head to Lugano in Switzerland for a couple nights, and then fly out of Milan.

I'm trying to figure out some good routes to drive some of the best mountain passes in the area, which I think I've narrowed down but always looking for advice.

From Bologna to San Candido, we are taking the E45 and A22 to Trento, stopping there for lunch and a museum.

From Trento, the plan is taking SS612 to SS48, then visit the Sella Pass, Gardena Pass, Campolongo Pass, then either Falzarego Pass or Giau Pass, then continue to San Candido.



While in San Candido, we will be taking a day and going to Austria to drive the Grossgrockner Pass and hike nearby.

The route from San Candido to Lugano is a little more fluid, but right now we are going to hit up the northern side of the Stelvio Pass, then skip the south side of Stelvio and instead head into Switzerland on the Umbrail Pass, then across the Albula Pass and finally the San Bernardino pass before getting to Lugano.



Are there any other must-see passes in the area that anyone can recommend? Anything I should skip or be aware of?

 

[WelshBloke]

Can't help with the driving but I stayed in Bolzano recently and did some hiking in the local area.
My advice is to ditch the car a few times and go for a walk. There are plenty of nice, easy, very well signposted trails and the scenery is just fantastic!

 

[bbhaag]

Not yet but my wife and I are traveling to Italy this fall and the northern lakes are on our itinerary. After a whirlwind visit to Florence, Siena, Rome, Pisa, and Cinque Terre we are looking forward to unwinding a bit in the Como area before moving on to Venice.

Not sure if it is close to where you will be but there is a road that winds through the Italian Alps called the Strada statale 38 and we plan on spending at least half a day traveling up and down it to soak in the sights. The Stelvio part of this highway is particularly famous if you are a car enthusiast.

 

[96Firebird]

Oh yes, the car will be parked for lots of outside time, including hiking the Pasterze Glacier, hiking the Tre Cime, biking in the Alpe di Siusi, walking around Lago di Braies, and whatever other fun activities we can find. Do you know where your picture was taken outside Bolzano?

SS38 is part of the route from San Candido to Lugano (from Bolzano to Stelvio Pass), including one half of Stelvio Pass (the hairpin side). Most people go the opposite direction we will be heading, so we are going up the hairpins and then taking the Umbrail Pass into Switzerland.