In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
About 260 km from Bolzano to Merano, through the Passeier Valley as far as the view of the Timmelsjoch, over the Jaufen Pass to Vipiteno and back over the Penser Joch through the Sarntal – orchards, palms, high pastures and glacier mountains on South Tyrolean pass roads.
The spirit of the route
In Merano palm trees stand beside apple trees, and above the roofs of the spa town lie the first patches of snow of the Texel group. The climate here is mild enough for cypresses and figs; the mountains behind are not: turn off from the Adige valley into the Passeier Valley and you drive from the south into the high Alps in a single day’s stage. The Passer roars in a gorge, wooden balconies full of geraniums hang in the villages, and the name Andreas Hofer meets you at every turn – the Tyrolean freedom fighter was born at the Sandhof in St Martin. Further up, in Moos, the road ends in the mountains, where the Ötztal Alps reach into the sky with glaciers. Over the Jaufen Pass and the Penser Joch the landscape becomes rougher: Swiss stone pines, high pastures, cloud shadows, and from your sliding door a view of peaks bathed in gold after sunrise.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Bolzano to Merano (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- From Bolzano on the MeBo expressway (SS38) through the Adige valley north-west, past Terlano and Lana to Merano. Broadly built, toll-free, but with a lot of commuter traffic; about 30 to 40 minutes. The route runs between apple plantations and vineyards.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Merano: the Passer promenade, the Kurhaus and the arcades, plus the Tappeiner Path with a view of the town.
- Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle: a botanical garden with Mediterranean and alpine plants and a view into the Adige valley.
- Therme Meran: a modern thermal complex on the edge of the old town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Around Merano there are several campsites, including Live Merano Camping and Camping Hermitage; also motorhome pitches in Terlano (Camper Park Terlan) and Nalles (Camper Stop Nals). Electric hook-up, sanitary facilities and service points are usual, and the season generally runs from spring to autumn; book in summer.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): South Tyrol is strict on wild camping: camping outside sites is forbidden, and many municipalities also ban staying overnight in a motorhome in public car parks. In Merano itself the centre is not designed for motorhomes.
- Insider tip for campers
- The centre of Merano has parking zones and pedestrian areas; take the bus or a bicycle into the centre from your site. The Waalwege (e.g. the Algund and Marling Waalweg) are old irrigation channels with flat walking paths through orchards – ideal for bike rides.
2Stage 2: Merano to Scena, Tirolo and Avelengo (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- From Merano via the Scena road up to Scena, then via Tirolo and Avelengo onto the Merano 2000 plateau. Narrow mountain roads with hairpins and orchard terraces; about 1 hour. Better by bus or car than with a large motorhome; alternatively by cable car.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Tirol Castle: the ancestral castle of the Counts of Tyrol above Tirolo, now the South Tyrol Museum of Cultural and Provincial History.
- Scena: Scena Castle and the mausoleum of Archduke Johann.
- Avelengo and Merano 2000: home of the Haflinger horses, with high-pasture walks and a view of the Ortler.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Access roads in Tirolo, Scena and Avelengo are narrow for large motorhomes; use the campsites on the valley floor around Merano as a base and go up by bus or cable car. Check beforehand which sites accept motorhomes over 7 m.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the mountain walkers’ car parks: parking yes, camping no. In Avelengo and Scena the municipalities check; staying overnight in the car park is not allowed.
- Insider tip for campers
- You reach the cable car to Merano 2000 from Merano-Naif; check timetables and operating times by season. Haflinger horses are a regional breed – in autumn the villages celebrate the cattle drive down from the pastures and farm festivals.
3Stage 3: Merano to St Leonhard in Passeier (approx. 22 km)
- The drive
- From Merano on the SS44 into the Passer gorge, through Saltusio and St Martin to St Leonhard. The road is well built, but through the gorge it is winding, with tunnels and moderate gradients. About 40 minutes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Passeier gorge: a narrow gorge of the Passer with vertical rock walls and bridges.
- Sandhof in St Martin: the birthplace of Andreas Hofer, a farm with a museum.
- St Leonhard: the main village of the Passeier Valley with the MuseumPasseier and Jaufenburg Castle above the village.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Saltaus lies Camping Radlstadl; in St Martin there is Camping Passeier; check motorhome pitches in the valley beforehand. Electric hook-up, sanitary facilities and waste disposal vary by site; the season is mostly spring to autumn.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Passeier Valley, staying overnight in public car parks is banned or not provided for; the municipalities and forestry authorities check. If you are staying on the move, park by day on the designated areas.
- Insider tip for campers
- In the Passeier Valley many farms sell speck and cheese directly; farm shops (“Buschenschank”) serve Törggelen in autumn, with chestnuts, wine and doughnuts. The road through the valley is snow-safe in winter, but the Passer bridges are narrow – mind your length and height.
4Stage 4: St Leonhard in Passeier to Moos in Passeier (view of the Timmelsjoch) (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- From St Leonhard on along the SS44bis to Moos and up to the state border at the Timmelsjoch (Passo del Rombo, 2474 m), then back on the same road (about 29 km each way). The high Alpine road is narrow in the hairpins and is generally open daily in daytime only from early June to mid-October; vehicles with trailers are not permitted, and weight, width and height limits apply to motorhomes (toll on the Austrian side) – check everything beforehand with the operator. About 2.5 hours there and back with breaks.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Timmelsjoch: the summit of the pass with a museum and a view of the Ötztal glaciers and the Passeier Valley.
- Pfelders: a side valley in Moos with the Stieber waterfall and walking trails in the Texel Group Nature Park.
- Moos in Passeier: a mining village with Schneeberg miners’ houses and the mining museum.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Moos and in the Hinterpasseier there are campsites and individual pitches at inns; the facilities are simple, and places are limited. Ask beforehand about space for your motorhome. The high valley has cool nights even in summer.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Timmelsjoch and at the car parks in the high valley, overnight stays are not provided for; in the Texel Group Nature Park a camping and fire ban applies. Heed signs and checks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Timmelsjoch is part of the high Alpine road between South Tyrol and Austria; the toll is levied on the Austrian side, with rates depending on vehicle and type of trip; check current prices and vehicle limits with the operator. Plan the drive in dry weather and early in the day; motorcyclists and road cyclists share the narrow hairpins. If the dimensions or weight of your motorhome do not match the requirements, drive only as far as Moos and enjoy the view from the Hinterpasseier.
5Stage 5: St Leonhard in Passeier to Vipiteno (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- From St Leonhard on the SS44 over the Jaufen Pass (2094 m) down to Vipiteno. A well-built but winding pass road with moderate gradients and about 10 hairpins on each side; at times closed in winter when it snows, passable only with restrictions at night, carry chains. According to Südtirol Marketing, trailers over 4.5 m in length are banned between Gasteig (Ratschings) and St Leonhard. About 1 to 1.5 hours. For large motorhomes, check length and width beforehand with the road service.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Jaufen Pass: a high plateau with Swiss stone pines and high pastures, with a view of the Stubai and Zillertal Alps.
- Vipiteno: a medieval old town with the Zwölferturm and the new town with arcades.
- Reifenstein Castle near Vipiteno: a well-preserved medieval castle.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Vipiteno there are aree di sosta and small campsites; check facilities and opening beforehand. If you wish, drive from Vipiteno on the A22 motorway or the state road to the next site in Brixen.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Jaufen Pass and at the car park on the pass, overnight stays are not provided for; parking yes, camping no. In Vipiteno the municipality’s parking rules apply.
- Insider tip for campers
- In spring and autumn check the weather forecast and closures; in fog visibility is poor on the summit of the pass. Vipiteno’s old town is a pedestrian zone, with car parks on the edge.
6Stage 6: Vipiteno to Bolzano (via Penser Joch and Sarntal) (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- From Vipiteno on the SS508 over the Penser Joch (2211 m) down into the Sarntal and via Sarentino, through the Sarner gorge with several tunnels to Bolzano. A winding route with hairpins on the northern ascent and narrow tunnels in the gorge; closed in winter. About 2 hours. For large motorhomes, check length, height and tunnel width beforehand.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Penser Joch: a high pasture with an inn and a panorama over the Sarntal Alps and the Dolomites.
- Sarentino: the main village of the Sarntal with its costume culture and walking trails.
- Sarner gorge: a narrow gorge with bridges and tunnels, the entrance to the Adige valley at Bolzano.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In the Sarntal there are small campsites and farms with pitches; availability is low, so phone beforehand. In Bolzano the choice remains a campsite or an area di sosta; Camping Moosbauer lies near Bolzano. Check season and opening.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Sarntal and on the Penser Joch a camping and fire ban applies; parking in walkers’ car parks is allowed, overnight stays are not. Checks are usual in season.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Sarntal is quieter than Merano and the Passeier; high pastures and inns serve cheese, speck and dumplings. If you drive back to Bolzano, you reach train and bus there. Bolzano has a ZTL and parking zones; plan your entry and use park-and-ride.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Italian law (Codice della Strada, Art. 185) distinguishes parking (“sosta”) from camping: a motorhome may stand where parking is allowed, without chairs, table, awning, levelling props or grey water drained. In South Tyrol many municipalities ban staying overnight in a motorhome in public car parks by signage; the provincial laws on camping are strict.
- Camping outside sites is forbidden in South Tyrol; fines and being moved on are possible. Use campsites, pitches (also on farms, “holidays on the farm”) and designated aree di sosta.
- In the Texel Group Nature Park and the Sarntal Alps, protection rules apply: do not leave the paths, no fires, take rubbish with you; keep dogs on a lead, because grazing livestock is about.
- Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact and the South Tyrol traffic report pages. Aree di sosta in South Tyrol are limited; arrive early in summer.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Water supply and waste disposal is called “camper service” or “carico e scarico”. In Merano and the surrounding area there are stations on campsites and some pitches; in the Hinterpasseier and Sarntal they are missing.
- Empty grey water and the cassette only at the station; wild dumping is the main reason for new bans.
- Tap water in South Tyrol is excellent and mostly drinkable; look for “acqua potabile”; do not use mountain streams without checking.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not exchanged in Italy. Refillable cylinders and gas tanks can be filled at GPL petrol stations with the Italian adapter; often only the staff do the filling. Arrive with two full cylinders.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 110 km/h on expressways, 130 km/h on the motorway; over 3.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 100 km/h on the motorway. Caravan combinations: 70 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on the motorway. Dipped headlights are required outside built-up areas even by day.
- Winter: from 15 November to 15 April, winter tyres or snow chains on board are compulsory on many roads in South Tyrol; the Timmelsjoch and Penser Joch are closed in winter, and the Jaufen Pass is at times closed when it snows. Check current closures beforehand.
- Tolls: the Timmelsjoch is a toll road (high Alpine road, toll on the Austrian side), trailers are not permitted, and weight, width and height restrictions should be checked beforehand with the operator; the A22 Brenner motorway near Bolzano and Vipiteno is a toll road; the Jaufen Pass and Penser Joch are toll-free.
- ZTLs (Zona a Traffico Limitato) with cameras exist in Bolzano and Merano; fines arrive by post, often months later.
- If a load projects beyond the rear, such as bicycles on a rear carrier, the red-and-white warning board (50 × 50 cm) is compulsory. Blood alcohol limit 0.5, 0.0 for novice and professional drivers; mobile phone at the wheel only with a hands-free kit.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Walking boots and poles for the Waalwege, Pfelders and the high pastures of the Texel group; the paths lead over roots and water channels.
- A weatherproof jacket and an extra layer: at 2000 m it is cool even in summer, and windy when cloudy.
- Bicycles and a cycle helmet for the Adige cycle paths and the Waalwege around Merano.
- Winter tyres or snow chains from mid-November, plus a shovel and gloves for the passes.
- A note of your vehicle’s height and length on the dashboard for the tunnels and bottlenecks in the Sarner gorge.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
