Eight lake drives in Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, Scotland, Norway, France and Austria. Most take half a day to two days. They're best in May, June and September, when the mountain roads are open and you miss the July and August traffic. The table gives the roads and the time to allow; the sections cover where to stop, where to park and where the ferries save you time.
| Lake | Main road | Time to allow | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Como, Italy | SS340 (west shore), SP583 (Como to Bellagio) | 1–2 days | April to June, September |
| Bled and Bohinj, Slovenia | Bled loop, then about 26 km to Bohinj; Vršič Pass optional | 2 days with the pass | June to September |
| Thun and Brienz, Switzerland | Shore roads either side of Interlaken | 1 day | May to October |
| Loch Lomond to Loch Ness, Scotland | A82, about 150 miles Balloch to Inverness | 2–3 days | May, June, September |
| Lake Garda, Italy | SS45bis (west), SS249 (east) | 1–2 days | April to June, September |
| Sognefjellet, Norway | Fv55, about 108 km Lom to Gaupne | 1 day | July and August (open roughly May/June to October) |
| Lake Annecy, France | About 40 km round the lake | Half a day | May, June, September |
| Salzkammergut, Austria | Loop from Salzburg via Mondsee, Hallstatt and Traunsee | 2 days | May to October |
1. Lake Como, Italy
Two roads matter. The SS340 (Via Regina) follows the west shore from Como through Cernobbio, Tremezzo and Menaggio; it's narrow in places, with buses squeezing through villages. The SP583 runs from Como up the east side of the Como arm to Bellagio, on the point where the lake splits, and it's narrower still. Rather than drive back the way you came, use the car ferries that link Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia across the middle of the lake.
- Villa Carlotta (Tremezzo) and Villa del Balbianello (Lenno) are the two gardens to see; April and May are best for the azaleas and rhododendrons.
- Parking in the villages is scarce from late morning in summer. Arrive early, or park once and use the passenger boats.
- The Lecco arm is quieter. The fast SS36 is mostly in tunnels; the old shore road through Varenna is the one to drive.
Coming from Milan, see our Milan to Lake Como route.
2. Bled and Bohinj, Slovenia
Lake Bled is small: the road round it is about 6 km, with the castle on its cliff and the church on the island in the middle. The better driving starts when you leave. Bohinj is about half an hour south-west, inside Triglav National Park; the road follows its south shore from Ribčev Laz to Ukanc, where the Vogel cable car climbs to views across the Julian Alps and a short walk takes you to the Savica waterfall.
Adding the Vršič Pass
From Kranjska Gora, about 40 km from Bled, the Vršič Pass climbs to 1,611 m over 50 numbered hairpins, each with its altitude on the sign, and the ones on the north side are cobbled. You pass the wooden Russian Chapel, built by Russian prisoners of war during the First World War, and come down into the Soča valley towards Bovec. It's a full day with stops, and the pass closes in winter. Slovenia's motorways need an e-vignette.
3. Thun and Brienz, Switzerland
Interlaken sits between the two lakes, so you can do both in a day. On Lake Thun, the north shore road runs from Thun through Oberhofen, whose castle stands at the water's edge, and on through Gunten and Merligen to Interlaken; Spiez, with its own castle and vineyards, is on the south shore. On Lake Brienz, take the south side through Iseltwald to the Giessbach Falls, which drop about 500 m through the forest in a series of cascades next to a grand old hotel. Brienz itself, on the north shore, is known for woodcarving.
Leave time for the drive up to Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken. The lake boats are passenger-only but worth a trip for the view back to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. You'll need a Swiss motorway vignette, now sold as an e-vignette. Our Zurich to Interlaken route covers the approach.
4. Loch Lomond to Loch Ness, Scotland
The A82 links the two most famous lochs in about 150 miles from Balloch to Inverness, and takes in the best of the west Highlands on the way. Two or three days is right.
- Loch Lomond: the A82 follows the west shore. North of Tarbet it gets narrow and twisty, and it's slow behind coaches and lorries.
- Rannoch Moor and Glencoe: after Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy the road crosses the open moor, passes the Kings House Hotel and drops into Glencoe.
- Fort William and Loch Linnhe: a sea loch under Ben Nevis. Detour 15 miles west on the A830 to Glenfinnan, at the head of Loch Shiel.
- The Great Glen: Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and then Loch Ness from Fort Augustus. For a quieter run, take the south side via Foyers and Dores on the B862 and B852, rather than the A82 on the north side.
For the full drive in one go, see our Glasgow to Inverness route.
5. Lake Garda, Italy
Italy's largest lake changes character from end to end. The north is narrow and mountainous; the south opens into flat country. The road to drive is the Gardesana Occidentale (SS45bis) on the west shore between Salò and Riva del Garda, which runs through dozens of tunnels cut into the cliff.
- West shore: Gargnano, where D.H. Lawrence stayed in 1912 and 1913, and Limone sul Garda with its old lemon-house terraces.
- North: Riva del Garda and Torbole, where the steady winds bring the windsurfers.
- East shore (SS249): gentler, with olive groves, Malcesine's cable car up Monte Baldo, and the Bardolino wine villages.
- South: Sirmione on its peninsula, with Roman ruins and thermal baths. The old town is closed to most traffic, so park outside.
A car ferry crosses between Toscolano-Maderno and Torri del Benaco if you don't want to drive the whole way round. Summer weekends are very busy.
6. Sognefjellet, Norway
The Fv55 over Sognefjellet runs about 108 km from Lom to Gaupne and is the highest mountain pass road in northern Europe, reaching 1,434 m. It runs along the edge of Jotunheimen, Norway's highest mountains, past glacial lakes and snowbanks that last well into summer, then drops steeply to the Lustrafjord, an arm of the Sognefjord, the longest and deepest fjord in Norway.
It's closed in winter and normally opens in May or June, staying open into October; July and August are the safest months. Norway's tolls are charged by number plate, so register a foreign car online before you go to avoid surprise bills. If you're driving further north, our Atlantic Road and Trollstigen route links up well.
7. Lake Annecy, France
The road round Lake Annecy is about 40 km, so it's the shortest drive here, and the water is clear because the lake was cleaned up decades ago. The old town of Annecy, with its canals, is at the north end and gets crowded on summer afternoons.
- Best viewpoint: the Col de la Forclaz above the east shore, where paragliders launch.
- Best village: Talloires, in a bay on the east shore.
- Swimming: Plage d'Albigny at the north end has mountain views.
- Alternative: hire a bike and ride the cycle path along the west shore instead.
From the UK, Annecy is a long day from Calais; Geneva is the nearest airport for a fly-drive. See our Geneva to Chamonix route if you want to add Mont Blanc.
8. The Salzkammergut, Austria
East of Salzburg there are dozens of lakes in a small area, so you can link several in a day. Hallstatt is the famous one and is crowded through the middle of the day; stay the night and you'll see it quiet in the morning and evening.
- Start at Mondsee, whose basilica was the wedding church in The Sound of Music.
- Drive on to Wolfgangsee, via St Gilgen to St Wolfgang.
- Stop in Bad Ischl, the old imperial summer resort, for cake at Zauner.
- Head south to Hallstatt. The village is largely closed to traffic, so use the car parks at its edge, then take the funicular up to the salt mine and viewing platform.
- Loop back north along the Traunsee to Gmunden, where Schloss Ort sits on an island reached by a wooden bridge.
Austrian motorways need a vignette, available digitally.
Practical tips
- Which way round: where the road hugs the shore, driving clockwise in a country that drives on the right puts your lane next to the water. In Scotland, where you drive on the left, it's the other way round.
- Avoid summer weekends: Como, Garda, Annecy and Hallstatt are all much easier midweek.
- Use the ferries: Como and Garda both have car ferries that save backtracking.
- Swimming: lakes are warm enough by July. Italian lake beaches are often private lidos that charge for entry and a sunbed.
- Vignettes and tolls: Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia need vignettes for motorways; Italy and France charge tolls by distance.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drive all the way round Lake Como?
Yes, but few people do. The shore roads are narrow and slow, and the fast road on the east side is mostly tunnels. Most visitors drive the west shore, use the car ferry across the middle of the lake, and see Bellagio and Varenna from the water.
What is the best time of year for lakeside drives in Europe?
May to June and September. July and August bring the warmest water but the heaviest traffic and hardest parking. High roads such as Norway's Sognefjellet and Slovenia's Vršič Pass close in winter, so check opening dates before you plan around them.