Stelvio Pass

What should you know before visiting Stelvio Pass?

Tolls and vignettes for a car: about €44 (Switzerland €40 (Vignette), Italy €4). Mountain passes: Passo dello Stelvio (2,757 m, usually open June–October).

• Sources give an open season from late May or June until October or early November; the Bormio ramp often opens a little earlier. The date depends on snow, so check road status beforehand.
• On certain summer days the road is closed to motor vehicles for a few hours, for example during cycling events. Check dates with the road authorities beforehand.
• Motorhomes can use the route according to the sources. At the summit there are few parking spots and no services; overnight stays there are not clearly regulated.

The drive

The Stelvio Pass is a paved road between Bormio in Lombardy and the Val Venosta in South Tyrol. The South Tyrol ramp is about 25 km long, climbs roughly 1,840 m at an average of just over 7 percent and has 48 hairpins. At Santa Maria in Switzerland the link to the Umbrail Pass branches off. Responsibility is shared between Anas on the Lombardy side (SS38) and the Province of Bolzano on the South Tyrol side.

Planning

Because of the tight hairpins, motorhomes drive slowly and yield to oncoming traffic at passing places; long vehicles should heed signs and notices from the road authorities. Snow and ice are possible in spring and autumn. A pass fee has been charged at times; check current rules with the Province of Bolzano. Fuel up and shop beforehand in Bormio, Prato or Trafoi, since the summit offers no supplies for motorhomes.

Camping

The summit has a car park with about ten spaces, with no water, electricity or waste disposal; the listing there excludes camping behaviour. Under Italian traffic law you may sleep in the vehicle on public ground as long as it stays on its wheels, discharges nothing and has no awning, chairs or steps out. Municipalities can issue bans. Campsites or motorhome stopovers in Bormio and the Val Venosta are the safest choice.

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