Alpine Peaks & Passes

On day two of our mountain driving adventure, we will spend most of the day meandering south through plentiful Bavaria, cruising past crystal blue lakes and quaint medieval towns on our way to Lech.

During the day, we will visit King Ludwig's famous Linderhof Palace, his private retreat near Garmisch before tackling a series of gentle sweepers and increasingly challenging passes as the snow-capped Bavarian peaks give way to the Austrian Alps. We will end the day the right way, relaxing in the inviting ski resort town of Lech at the 1300m altitude.

From the pretty village of Lech, we will venture west toward Switzerland, passing through the postage-stamp-sized monarchy of Liechtenstein. How about a coffee stop in the picturesque hillside capital city of Vaduz?

Once we cross the Swiss border, it's time to enjoy the peaceful, forested pocket of land surrounding Walensee Lake, before scaling our first big pass of the day — the Klausen. From there, we will carry on driving west through the valley, making a turn in Wassen to tackle over another sensational pass — Sustenpass — before stopping at the top of the Grimselpass, our base for the night.

On day four, we will take on plenty of exhilarating roads, challenging sweepers, and picture-postcard Alpine scenery.

First, we will scale the far end of Furkapass and the legendary Gotthardpass. After lunch, it's time to test our technical driving skills as we approach Passo del Bernardino and the Splugenpass, a section of road located in both Italy and Switzerland. After a swift drive through Italy, we will re-enter Switzerland through the breathtaking Maloja Pass, passing the ski resort town of St. Moritz before driving south over the Berninapass to the Italian tax-free zone of Livigno, where we will spend the night.

Every great driver needs rest and Livigno is the perfect place for it. Based 1,816m high, right in the corner of the Alps, Livigno is a firm favourite for winter sports enthusiasts as well as for summer adventurers.

The town is officially a tax-free zone, an attractive place to buy goods at famously low prices, mostly tax-free gasoline. Take the day off and do a little shopping, go hiking if you feel the urge, or rent a mountain bike if you feel more adventurous. For those who wish to drive a little more, you can take on one of our specially-prepared loops over Ofenpass and Umbrailpass, among many others.

Livigno is our gateway to a mix of high passes that straddle the Swiss-Italian border.

Our next challenge, Stelvio pass, will make the others feel like mere warm-ups. Standing at 2800m, Stelvio is one of the two highest drivable mountain passes in the entire mountain range. And what a drive it is — more switchbacks than you can count, and if you dare to look up from the road, some of the most sensational high mountain panoramas on the planet. The route to our last big pass of the day, Passo di Gavia, is dotted with crystal-blue lakes amidst unspoiled wilderness. We will end the day in the heart of the gloriuos Dolomites.

We will start the day by winding up and down an adrenaline-pumping series of mountain passes, one after the other (including Falzarego, Giau and Pordoi).

This high-altitude playground for car enthusiasts and motorcyclists alike exists because of the road-crafting efforts of Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces along what was a bitterly contested front through the region in WWI. We will end the day across the border in Austria in the medieval town of Lienz, bidding a fond farewell to the Dolomites, the ultimate mountain driving destination.

Today we will drive the most exhilarating roads the Austrian Alps has to offer, including the legendary Grossglockner High Alpine Road. This meandering path throws 36 curves into the mix over 48km and up to heights of 2504m. Afterwards, anyone looking to soak up some Austrian culture can take a detour to medieval Salzburg.

From the Salzburg region, most of our drive back to Munich will take us through the sensational Alpine foothills of southern Bavaria. The German Alpine Road, Grande Dame of Germany's scenic byways, will take us over an area punctuated with castles, viaducts, and abbeys. In the evening we'll meet for our last dinner together.

In the morning, we will all say goodbye, for now, until we meet again for another convertible adventure.

If you have a later flight planned, you can stroll the Old Town, taking in the local sights, sounds, and tastes before returning home filled with unforgettable memories.