When do the alpine passes open?
The great passes are shut by snow for roughly half the year, and the dates move by weeks depending on the winter. Here are the 2026 dates, and where to check before you commit.
Most high alpine passes open between late May and mid-June and close in late October. In 2026 the Furka, Grimsel and Nufenen opened on 28 May; the Stelvio on 22 May; the Col de l'Iseran on 12 June; and the Grossglockner on 25 April. Only a handful of passes, notably the Bernina and the Julier, stay open all year.
There is no fixed calendar. A pass opens when the snow-clearing crews reach the top and the avalanche risk drops, and that depends entirely on the winter that has just finished. A late spring can hold a pass shut a fortnight beyond its usual date. Every table below is a record of what happened in 2026, not a promise about next year.
Where these dates come from
Swiss and neighbouring passes are as published by alpen-paesse.ch, which maintains live status for each pass. Italian, French and Austrian dates are from the pass operators and road authorities, cited beneath each table. We do not publish a date we cannot source.
The short answer, by country
- Switzerland - the high passes run roughly late May to late October. Two stay open all year.
- Italy - the Stelvio and the Gavia opened in the last ten days of May 2026.
- France - the great cols of the Route des Grandes Alpes came open through late May and the first half of June.
- Austria - the Grossglockner is a gated toll road, actively cleared, and opens earliest of all.
Swiss passes: 2026 dates
| Pass | Summit | 2026 season |
|---|---|---|
| Furka | 2,429 m | 28 May – 27 Oct |
| Grimsel | 2,164 m | 28 May – 27 Oct |
| Nufenen (Novena) | 2,478 m | 28 May – 27 Oct |
| Susten | 2,224 m | 6 Jun – 27 Oct |
| Gotthard (pass road / Tremola) | 2,106 m | 16 May – 7 Nov |
| Klausen | 1,948 m | 2 May – 31 Oct |
| Splügen | 2,114 m | 25 Apr – 1 Dec |
| San Bernardino (pass road) | 2,066 m | 28 May – 3 Nov |
| Umbrail | 2,501 m | 23 May – 10 Nov |
| Grand St Bernard | 2,469 m | 6 Jun – 20 Oct |
| Oberalp | 2,044 m | 25 Apr – 19 Nov |
| Flüela | 2,383 m | 16 Apr – 6 Jan |
| Albula | 2,312 m | 9 May – 8 Dec (restrictions) |
| Bernina | 2,328 m | Open all year |
| Julier | 2,284 m | Open all year |
Note the distinction between a pass road and a tunnel. The Gotthard and San Bernardino both have a seasonal road over the top and a motorway tunnel beneath. The dates above are for the road over the top - the one you actually came for.
Italy: the Stelvio and the Gavia
The Stelvio Pass opened on Friday 22 May 2026 at 10:00, on all three approaches. The Gavia opened on 23 May from the Brescia side and 27 May from the Valtellina side.
The Stelvio's opening is an event in its own right, announced by the provincial road authority and watched keenly by every driver and cyclist in northern Italy. The road climbs to 2,757 m over forty-eight numbered hairpins on the northern side, and it is the second-highest paved pass in the Alps.
Sources: Valtellina Mobile for the Stelvio; passogavia.it for the Gavia, whose two sides open on different days.
France: the great cols
| Col | Summit | Opened in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Col de la Bonette | 2,715 m | 19 May |
| Col du Galibier (tunnel) | - | 29 May |
| Col du Galibier (summit) | 2,642 m | 5 June |
| Col de l'Iseran | 2,764 m | 12 June |
The Col de l'Iseran is the highest paved pass in the Alps, and it is reliably among the last to open. If your route depends on it, do not plan for the first half of June.
The Galibier is worth understanding properly: the tunnel beneath the summit opens before the summit road itself, sometimes by a week or more. Arriving to find the tunnel open and the col shut is a specific and avoidable disappointment.
Source: Alti Mag, which tracks the openings each spring.
Austria: the Grossglockner
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road reopened on 25 April 2026 and operates from the start of May until the start of November. It is gated, and it has daily opening hours.
Because it is a privately operated toll road that is actively cleared, the Grossglockner opens weeks before the natural passes around it. It also closes each night. The gate hours for 2026, as published by the operator:
| Period | Gates open | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Until 31 May | 06:00 – 20:00 | 19:15 |
| 1 June – 31 August | 05:30 – 21:00 | 20:15 |
| From 1 September | 06:00 – 19:30 | 18:45 |
The day ticket is €46.50 for a car and €36.50 for a motorcycle, and it is not covered by the Austrian motorway vignette (GROHAG).
Which passes are open all year?
Among the major Swiss passes, only the Bernina and the Julier are listed as open year-round. Everything else in this guide closes under snow.
Both are kept ploughed as strategic road links rather than as scenic drives, and both can still close for hours or days in a serious storm. "Open all year" means maintained, not guaranteed.
How to check live status before you go
- Switzerland and neighbours - alpen-paesse.ch lists every pass with a current status and its seasonal window.
- Grossglockner - the operator's own page, which also carries the gate hours.
- Stelvio and Gavia - the provincial road authority, or the pass's own site.
- French cols - the departmental road service for Savoie, Hautes-Alpes or Alpes-Maritimes.
The rule we plan every trip by
Never book a non-refundable hotel on the far side of a pass you have not checked within the week. A pass that was open on Tuesday can be shut on Thursday, and the detour is rarely short.
Common questions
When does the Stelvio Pass open?
The Stelvio opened on Friday 22 May 2026 at 10:00, on all three approaches. It typically opens in late May or early June depending on the winter, and closes with the first serious snow in late October or early November.
When do the Furka, Grimsel and Nufenen passes open?
All three opened on 28 May 2026 and are scheduled to close on 27 October 2026. The neighbouring Susten opened later, on 6 June 2026.
Which alpine passes are open all year?
Among the major Swiss passes, the Bernina and the Julier are both listed as open year-round. Nearly every other high pass in this guide closes under snow for roughly half the year.
When does the Grossglockner High Alpine Road open?
It reopened on 25 April 2026 and runs from the start of May to the start of November. It is a gated toll road: until 31 May the gates are open 06:00–20:00 with last entry at 19:15, and from 1 June to 31 August 05:30–21:00 with last entry at 20:15.
What is the highest paved pass in the Alps?
The Col de l'Iseran, at 2,764 m. The Stelvio, at 2,757 m, is second. The loop road around the Cime de la Bonette climbs higher still, to 2,802 m, but it is a spur rather than a pass - the Col de la Bonette itself is 2,715 m.
Is it worth going before the passes open?
Not for the high passes. But the Grossglockner opens in late April, and the lower Swiss passes such as the Flüela and the Oberalp are open from mid-April. A spring trip built around those is a real thing, and far quieter.
We watch the passes so you do not have to
Every trip we plan is built around the roads actually being open on the days you are there - and re-planned if they are not. The route, the hotels and the Channel crossing, arranged from the UK.
See the trips