Four Drives Worth Renting For
Most people rent a car in Switzerland to get somewhere. These four regions are why you rent the car itself. Start wherever your flight or hotel puts you and pick up the vehicle there rather than adding a transfer day before the roads actually matter.
Behind the wheel
- 01
Graubünden: Julier and Albula from Chur or St. Moritz
Two passes close enough together to link in one long day, both wide enough to place a car properly and quiet outside the July-August peak. Julier from Tiefencastel climbs in long, readable sweepers that suit a car with real mid-range pull; Albula's descent toward Bergün is tighter and rewards a shorter wheelbase. Fuel and coffee stops exist in Tiefencastel and Bergün, not much in between, so plan the tank accordingly before you commit to the loop.
- 02
Ticino: San Bernardino down to Lugano's lakeshore
The pass itself is a warm-up; the payoff is the run down into Ticino, where the road drops out of granite switchbacks into palm trees and lake water inside twenty minutes. Traffic on the shoreline road around Lugano and Gandria slows to a crawl at midday in summer, so this drive works best early or in shoulder season, when the corniche stretches feel closer to coastal driving than anything else in the country. Hotel handover in Lugano is straightforward if you'd rather start here and drive the pass as a there-and-back.
- 03
Vaud: the Lavaux corniche between Lausanne and Montreux
A slower register than the alpine passes, but the terraced vineyard road above Lake Geneva has its own rhythm of blind crests and lake-view straights, better suited to a convertible than a track-focused car. Parking is limited in the villages along the way, so this is a drive to enjoy rather than a stage to attack. It pairs naturally with an airport pickup in Geneva if you want the first hour behind the wheel to be scenic rather than technical.
- 04
Bernese Oberland: Grimsel and Susten from Interlaken
The bigger of the four routes and the one that asks the most of a car's brakes and cooling on a warm afternoon. Grimsel's reservoir switchbacks and Susten's long alpine straight can be combined into a full-day loop back to Interlaken, with fuel available at both ends but sparse on the passes themselves. Weather turns faster up here than in the lowlands, which is worth building into the return time before you sign off on the car at the end of the rental.
About Switzerland
Switzerland's landscape asks different things of a car depending on where you plan to drive it. A low, wide supercar suits open stretches and mountain passes where handling and power matter, while a Bentayga or X7 gives more comfort and cargo room for a family group or a longer, multi-stop itinerary. Matching body type to the drive first, rather than to reputation alone, tends to produce the better experience once you're actually behind the wheel.
City centers such as Zurich, Geneva or Lucerne have narrow streets, older parking structures and dense traffic patterns that reward a compact, easier-to-place car for daily use. If your trip also includes longer drives between cantons or into alpine terrain, it's worth thinking about the vehicle in two modes: one for maneuvering through town, another for sustained driving on open roads. Some clients choose a single versatile SUV for both; others prefer to switch cars partway through a longer stay.
Switzerland's roads move through significant changes in elevation, and mountain routes can involve tunnels, tight bends and shifting weather within a short distance. A car with strong traction and predictable handling matters more here than outright top speed. Anyone unfamiliar with alpine driving should factor this into vehicle choice, particularly if the itinerary includes passes or higher-altitude stretches rather than staying on lowland motorways.
Before confirming dates, it helps to be clear on how the rental period is structured: what deposit is required, what the insurance covers, and what condition the car should be returned in. These details vary by agency and by vehicle category, so raising them early, alongside your intended routes and any cross-border plans, makes the rest of the booking process more straightforward.