In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 520 kilometres from Merano through the Val Venosta (Vinschgau) to Lake Resia (Reschensee), over the 48 hairpins of the Stelvio Pass to Bormio, Livigno and the Valtellina, and back via the Tonale and Mendola passes: a loop through three language regions, two national park regions and a duty-free high valley.
The spirit of the route
This loop starts among palm trees and apple orchards and within a day takes you into a landscape of larches, scree slopes and glacier tongues. The Val Venosta is dry, windy and bright: waalwege (irrigation-channel paths) follow old ditches along the sunny slope, castles perch on moraine hills, and a Romanesque church tower rises out of Lake Resia. Then the Stelvio Pass: numbered hairpins, the Ortles (Ortler) and its ice within touching distance, and at the top the smell of bratwurst and hot brakes. From your sliding door in the evening you watch the light over the Bergamo Alps, and in the morning the mist over the Valtellina’s vineyard terraces. In between come thermal springs, a duty-free high valley with cheap diesel and the First World War front lines at the Tonale. The route takes planning: the finest roads have length and weight limits, and not every pass is meant for a motorhome.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Merano to Glorenza (Glurns) (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- Take the SS38 up the valley through the lower Val Venosta: Lagundo (Algund), Tel (Töll), Naturno (Naturns), then past Castelbello (Kastelbell), Laces (Latsch) and Silandro (Schlanders) to Spondigna (Spondinig) and across to Glorenza. A wide, well-built valley road with bypasses; in spring and autumn there is a lot of farm traffic. Around an hour of pure driving time; the turn-off for Juval branches off at Stava (Staben), but the castle track itself is not passable for motorhomes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Marlengo (Marling) or Lagundo waalweg in the morning: almost level paths along historic irrigation channels high above the Adige valley, with views of Merano and the Texel Group.
- Castel Juval (Schloss Juval) on a rocky spur at the entrance to the Val Senales (Schnalstal), home to one of the Messner Mountain Museums – reached by shuttle or on foot from the car park on the valley road; the museum is closed in high summer, so check the season beforehand.
- Glorenza: the small town with its fully preserved town wall, three gate towers and arcaded street, almost free of day visitors in the evening.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping im Park lies right against the town wall of Glorenza at the confluence of the Adige (Etsch) and the Rambach: small, quiet, with electricity and sanitary facilities; arrive by prior telephone arrangement. Also in Glorenza: the motorhome pitch at Campingpark Gloria Vallis. In Merano itself, the Camper Stop on Lidostraße (open all year, electricity, service point, no sanitary block, no reservations) is about a 15-minute walk from the old town; Live Merano Camping offers sanitary facilities and a pool.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Val Venosta, overnighting in hiking and castle car parks is prohibited by signs in many municipalities, and South Tyrol enforces this. If you stick to the designated pitches you will have no trouble; a daytime break at a waalweg car park is usually fine as long as no height barriers are in the way.
- Insider tip for campers
- The best way to explore Merano is without your vehicle: the car parks in the centre have height restrictions, and the old town around the arcades is traffic-calmed. From the pitch it is a walk along the Kurpromenade into town. The Val Venosta railway runs from Merano to Malles (Mals) – handy for walking a waalweg one way and returning by train. Fill up in the larger villages before Glorenza; the side valleys have hardly any petrol stations.
2Stage 2: Glorenza to Lake Resia (Reschensee, Curon Venosta/Graun) (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- From Glorenza via Malles and Burgusio (Burgeis) on the SS40 through the upper Val Venosta up to the Malser Haide plateau, past Lake Muta (Haidersee) and San Valentino alla Muta (St. Valentin auf der Haide) to Lake Resia. A wide, windy upland plain, well built, hardly any bends; from Curon Venosta (Graun) to Resia (Reschen) along the eastern shore. Just under 40 minutes of driving – leave time for half a day at the monastery and the lake.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Marienberg Benedictine Abbey (Abbazia di Monte Maria) above Burgusio, with its crypt and Romanesque frescoes from the 12th century; car park below the monastery, the rest on foot.
- The church tower of old Curon (Alt-Graun) in Lake Resia – all that remains of the village that vanished under water when the lake was dammed in 1950. Loveliest in morning light from the shore near Curon Venosta.
- Cycle circuit around Lake Resia (about 15 km, largely flat) or the cable car from Resia up to Belpiano (Schöneben).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilstellplatz Piz Schöneben on the western shore of Lake Resia, access via Resia, register at the cable-car ticket office; fee and tourist tax, view across the lake. Alternatively Camping Zum See in San Valentino alla Muta on Lake Muta: electricity, service point, sanitary facilities, quieter than at Lake Resia.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Most car parks around Lake Resia expressly forbid overnighting, including the car park by the church tower. Right at the Resia Pass and the Austrian border, stopping is also not allowed. Plan on one of the designated sites.
- Insider tip for campers
- The wind on Lake Resia is almost always strong in the afternoon – use the awning only on the pitch and only with storm guying. If you arrive via Austria (Nauders), stay on the Reschenstraße below the motorway, where you need no vignette. Empty grey and black water in Malles or San Valentino before you head up the pass tomorrow: there is no disposal at the top.
3Stage 3: Lake Resia to Bormio over the Stelvio Pass (approx. 80 km)
- The drive
- Back across the Malser Haide to Spondigna, then at Prato allo Stelvio (Prad) onto the SS38 and through Gomagoi and Trafoi into the 48 numbered hairpins of the north-eastern ramp. The bends are tight, in places only one lane wide, with gradients up to around 12%; at the top the summit stands at 2,757 m. On the Bormio side follow about 35 to 40 hairpins, galleries and short tunnels down into the Braulio valley. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours for the 48 km from Prato allo Stelvio to Bormio, without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The pilgrimage site of the Three Holy Wells (Heilige Drei Brunnen) near Trafoi, with a view of the Ortles north face.
- The view from the summit down into the hairpins of the Trafoi side and across to the Ortles and the Madatsch glacier.
- The galleries and the old cantoniera at the Umbrail junction, just below the summit on the Lombard side.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Bormio has a municipal area sosta camper within walking distance of the centre with service facilities; check location, fee and season in advance. For more comfort, stay at one of the campsites in the neighbouring municipalities of Valdisotto and Valdidentro. If you would rather drive the pass in the morning, overnight in Prato allo Stelvio at Camping Kiefernhain or Camping Sägemühle.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The summit lies within the Stelvio National Park: camping and bivouacking are prohibited, and although motorhomes sometimes stand up there at night, this is not a legal option. On the South Tyrol side the usual municipal bans also apply. Overnight in the valley.
- Insider tip for campers
- Check the size limits: on the South Tyrol side there is a length restriction from Trafoi (around 10.50 m), trailers and caravans are not allowed, and on the Bormio side the galleries limit the height (around 3.30 m) – check the current values on the signs and with the road authorities before you set off. The pass is closed in winter; it usually opens at the end of May and closes at the end of October or beginning of November, depending on snow. Once a year, usually on the last Saturday in August or the first in September, the cycling day closes all three ramps to motor vehicles; there are further car-free days under “Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina” and closures for sporting events – check dates in advance. South Tyrol has restricted the approval of motorsport events on its high passes, but motorcycle traffic on summer weekends is still dense. Start before 8 am, use a low gear downhill, and let motorcycles pass on the straights.
4Stage 4: Bormio to Livigno (approx. 38 km)
- The drive
- Spend the morning in Bormio, then take the SS301 through Valdidentro up to the Foscagno Pass (2,291 m) with well-built hairpins, past the customs post to Trepalle and over the Passo d’Eira down into the Livigno high valley. About an hour of driving. The Foscagno is the only road link from Italy to Livigno that is open all year.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The thermal baths of Bormio: the historic Bagni Vecchi with grottoes and outdoor pools above the gorge, the Bagni Nuovi or the municipal spa in town.
- Bormio’s old town with Via Roma, churches and arcades, reachable on foot from the pitch.
- Trepalle, one of the highest year-round inhabited villages in Europe, and the Lago di Livigno reservoir at the northern end of the valley.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Livigno has several designated, fee-charging motorhome areas and sites, some with electricity, service point and sanitary facilities. Check facilities, prices and season in advance – in high summer and during cycling events it gets full.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Livigno has its own camping ordinance: camping in a vehicle is prohibited throughout the municipal area, except on the approved motorhome areas. Even extended stabilisers, wedges or an awning count as camping behaviour. Checks are frequent.
- Insider tip for campers
- Do not take a motorhome over the Gavia Pass: the road from Santa Caterina Valfurva to Ponte di Legno is closed to buses and heavy vehicles, unsuitable for motorhomes and caravans, and in places barely wider than a car – observe the bans in force on site. If you want to see the Gavia, go by bike or stay in Santa Caterina. You can use the Umbrail (2,501 m, Switzerland) from the pass as a variant into the Val Müstair: a narrow road with size restrictions, which you should check beforehand on the signs or with the Graubünden cantonal police; no vignette is needed there because it is not a motorway – but motorhomes over 3.5 t pay the flat-rate heavy vehicle charge (PSVA) in Switzerland on every road, to be bought before entry via the “Via” app.
5Stage 5: Livigno to Tirano (approx. 78 km)
- The drive
- Fill up completely, then head back over the Passo d’Eira and the Foscagno to Bormio and down the valley on the SS38 through the Valtellina via Sondalo, Grosio and Grosotto to Tirano. After the Foscagno comes a long, well-built valley road with some village crossings. A good 1.5 hours plus waiting time at customs.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Parco delle Incisioni Rupestri in Grosio: rock carvings on the Rupe Magna and the castle ruins above the town.
- The 16th-century pilgrimage church of Madonna di Tirano on the edge of the old town.
- The Rhaetian Railway station in Tirano, starting point of the Bernina Express over the Bernina Pass – by train rather than by camper.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Tirano has a municipal area sosta camper, from which you can walk to the old town and the station; check location, number of pitches and fee in advance. There are further municipal pitches up the valley in the Valtellina villages.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Valtellina, Italian parking law applies: sleeping in a parked vehicle is possible in permitted car parks as long as you are not camping. Some municipalities have, however, issued motorhome bans at hiking and lakeside car parks. On the valley floor you are more comfortable with the easily reached network of municipal pitches.
- Insider tip for campers
- Diesel and petrol in Livigno are considerably cheaper than in the rest of Italy because of the duty-free status. You may take out what is in the fixed tank plus one approved spare canister of at most 10 litres per vehicle in the boot; checks are made at the Foscagno customs post, and exceeding this counts as smuggling. Alcohol, tobacco and electronics are also subject to allowances – see the table on the Livigno municipality website. In Tirano, leave the camper at the pitch: the old town is narrow, and the car parks at the station are full during the day.
6Stage 6: Tirano to Aprica via Teglio (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- Take the SS38 down the valley to Tresenda, then the mountain road in hairpins through vineyard terraces up to Teglio at a good 850 m and back down to the valley; from Tresenda on the SS39 in wide curves up to the Aprica Pass (around 1,180 m). A short stage with narrow village crossings in Teglio; about an hour of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Palazzo Besta in Teglio, a Renaissance palace with frescoed halls, and the view from the Torre de li Beli Miri across the valley.
- The Via dei Terrazzamenti, a walking trail through the dry-stone walls of the Nebbiolo vineyards (called Chiavennasca here) between Tirano and Morbegno – even one section near Teglio is worthwhile.
- Wine tasting with Valtellina Superiore from the Valgella, Inferno or Grumello sites and Sforzato, made from partly dried grapes.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Aprica has a municipal area camper with service facilities; check facilities and payment in advance. Quieter and cooler than the valley, ideal for a night before the Tonale stage.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Mortirolo Pass between Mazzo and Monno is a legendary cycling route, but steep (on average over 10% on the Mazzo side), narrow and unsuitable for motorhomes; on individual days of the “Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina” campaign it is closed to motor vehicles. Overnighting at the pass car parks is not an option – ride up by bike from Mazzo, and take the camper via Aprica.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Teglio do not drive the big motorhome into the village centre; park at the edge of the village instead. Pizzoccheri, the buckwheat noodles with savoy cabbage, potatoes and Casera cheese, come from here and taste better after a day’s walking than any menu in the valley. Only open the wine at the pitch – the 0.5 per mille limit applies in the mountains too.
7Stage 7: Aprica to Ossana (Val di Sole) over the Tonale Pass (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- From Aprica down to Edolo in the Val Camonica, then on the SS42 through Ponte di Legno in long, well-built hairpins onto the Tonale Pass (1,883 m) and down the Trentino side to Vermiglio and Fucine di Ossana. A wide state road, open all year; speed limits and checks in some sections. Around 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Museo della Guerra Bianca in Temù on the high-mountain war in the Adamello, 1915–1918.
- The Sacrario Militare at the summit and the Paradiso cable car to the Presena glacier.
- Castello di San Michele in Ossana above the Vermigliana valley.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Cevedale in Fucine di Ossana, family-run, with electricity, service point and sanitary facilities, a base for the Val di Peio and cycling tours. Right at the Tonale Pass there is an area camper with service facilities – cool and windy; check facilities and season in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Trentino part of the Stelvio National Park reaches into the Val di Peio and Val di Rabbi; camping outside the sites is prohibited there. In the Val di Rabbi there is a motorhome area in summer – ideal for an extra night.
- Insider tip for campers
- On Trentino pass roads lower speed limits apply in some sections – heed the signs, speed is measured. In the Val di Sole the Trento–Malè railway runs as far as Mezzana, with a valley cycle path alongside: leave the camper, cycle down the valley and return by train (bicycle carriage seasonal).
8Stage 8: Ossana to Merano over the Mendola Pass (approx. 130 km)
- The drive
- Through the Val di Sole via Dimaro and Malè to Cles on the Santa Giustina reservoir, then across the Val di Non and Fondo on the SS42 to the Mendola Pass (Mendelpass, 1,363 m) and in wide hairpins down to Caldaro (Kaltern). Via Appiano (Eppan) and the MeBo expressway (toll-free) back to Merano. About 3 hours. From Fondo it is shorter over the Palade Pass (Gampenjoch) directly to Lana.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The pilgrimage site of San Romedio near Sanzeno: churches and chapels stacked on a rock tower in a gorge, 20 minutes on foot from the car park.
- The Rio Sass gorge in Fondo, on walkways right through the village.
- The Mendola funicular: the funicular railway from Caldaro-Sant’Antonio (St. Anton) to the pass; at the top short paths lead to viewpoints over the Adige valley and the Dolomites.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Back in Merano: Camper Stop on Lidostraße or Live Merano Camping. For a last night by the water, the campsites on Lake Caldaro (Kalterer See) are suitable, such as Camping St. Josef am See; book in high summer.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Mendola Pass and the Caldaro wine road, overnighting in car parks is not provided for; Caldaro and Appiano carry out checks. In the Val di Non Italian parking law applies, but hiking and pilgrimage car parks such as San Romedio are day car parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- A scheduled bus runs over the Mendola road, so it is wide enough, but the hairpins above Caldaro are tight – use a low gear downhill and keep an eye on cyclists. The Penegal viewpoint above the pass can be reached by a narrow spur road; with a large motorhome, go on foot instead. Fill up in the Val di Non and buy apples directly from the farmer – September and October are harvest time.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Italy: sleeping in a parked motorhome is permitted where parking is permitted; anything that looks like a camp – furniture outside, awning, stabilisers, wedges, waste water – counts as prohibited camping. This basic rule is restricted in South Tyrol, Trentino and Lombardy by numerous municipal ordinances.
- Stelvio National Park (South Tyrol, Trentino, Lombardy): camping, tenting and bivouacking outside approved sites are prohibited, as are drone flights without permission, plant collecting and fires; keep dogs on a lead and stay on the paths. The summit of the Stelvio Pass is not an overnight spot.
- Livigno prohibits, by its own ordinance, any camping in a vehicle throughout the municipal area outside the approved motorhome areas; even extended stabilisers or an awning count as an offence.
- Switzerland (Umbrail, Val Müstair): wild overnighting is regulated differently by cantons and municipalities; in the Val Müstair rely on campsites or designated pitches rather than standing in pass car parks.
- Useful apps: park4night and Campercontact for pitches, CamperOnline for Italian aree di sosta with up-to-date user reports. Information on closures in the Province of Sondrio is published by the province; for South Tyrol, by the provincial traffic information centre.
Waste disposal & supplies
- There are no service facilities on the passes. Fill and empty before the high-mountain stages in Merano, Malles/San Valentino, Bormio, Tirano or Aprica; the municipal stations in the Valtellina are often free or included in the pitch fee.
- In Livigno and Bormio tap water is usually drinkable; do not use fountains on the Stelvio Pass and at the alpine pastures blindly – look for “acqua potabile”, and if in doubt bring a canister from the valley.
- Gas: above 2,000 m it can drop below zero at night even in July, and the heating will be running. Arrive with full bottles; LPG stations for refillable bottles and gas tanks can be found in the main valleys (Adige valley, Valtellina), hardly at all in the high valleys. In Switzerland foreign bottles are not exchanged.
- Fuel is cheap in Livigno (duty-free), but take out only the tank plus at most 10 litres in an approved canister. In the Val di Sole and the Val di Non prices are normal Italian, in South Tyrol often somewhat higher.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits in Italy: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 90 km/h outside built-up areas and 130 km/h on motorways; over 3.5 t 80 outside built-up areas and 100 km/h on motorways; combinations 70 and 80 km/h respectively. On Trentino pass roads lower limits apply in some sections. Switzerland: motorhomes over 3.5 t at most 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 100 km/h on motorways (up to 3.5 t: 120 km/h).
- Size limits on this route: Stelvio Pass from Trafoi with a length restriction (around 10.50 m), on the Bormio side a height restriction due to the galleries (around 3.30 m), trailers not allowed; Umbrail narrow and with size restrictions; Gavia Pass closed to buses and heavy vehicles and unsuitable for motorhomes and caravans; Mortirolo unsuitable for motorhomes. Sat-navs will still take you along these roads – check your route yourself beforehand.
- Tolls: on the loop itself you drive no motorway, and the MeBo is toll-free. For the Umbrail and Val Müstair no Swiss vignette is needed (only on national roads); motorhomes over 3.5 t do, however, pay the PSVA from day one, via the “Via” app. If arriving via Austria: vignette or GO-Box only on motorways.
- Winter closures: the Stelvio Pass, Umbrail and Gavia are closed from about the end of October or beginning of November until the end of May or June, and at short notice in summer in the event of snow. In Italy winter equipment is generally required from 15 November to 15 April. Car-free cycling days (“Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina”, Stelvio cycling day) close individual passes for hours or days.
- Mark overhanging bicycle carriers in Italy with a red-and-white warning panel. Alcohol limit in Italy and Switzerland 0.5 per mille (0.0 for novice drivers); mobile phone at the wheel only with hands-free – in Italy the penalties for this have been tightened. Outside built-up areas in Italy, headlights on during the day; in Switzerland always.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Tape measure and registration details to hand: length including rear carrier and height including roof fittings decide the Stelvio Pass (around 10.50 m length, 3.30 m height) and the Umbrail – check current values before the trip.
- An approved 10-litre spare canister for diesel – you may not take out more from Livigno in addition to the tank.
- An infrared thermometer, or at least a break routine for the brakes: from the pass to Bormio and from the Tonale to Vermiglio it is over 1,000 metres of descent.
- Swimwear, bathing shoes and a bathrobe for the Bagni Vecchi and the spa in Bormio.
- Wind-proof awning guying and storm straps for the pitches at Lake Resia and the Tonale.
- Light walking shoes and a small backpack bottle for the waalwege – in the Val Venosta the slopes are dry and sunny, and fountains along the way are rare.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
