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Some roads exist purely to get you from one place to another. Others feel like they were carved into the landscape specifically to be driven, not just traveled. When enthusiasts talk about the greatest driving roads on the planet, these are the routes that come up again and again — so widely celebrated among car and motorcycle enthusiasts that people plan entire trips around a single afternoon behind the wheel.
Stelvio Pass, Italy
No list of the world’s greatest driving roads is complete without the Stelvio Pass, and it’s often the first name that comes up when drivers debate the greatest driving roads in Europe. Connecting South Tyrol with the town of Bormio through the Ortler Alps, this 46-kilometer route climbs to 2,757 meters, making it the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps. The northern approach alone packs in 48 numbered hairpin turns across just 28 kilometers.
Why the Stelvio Earned Its Legendary Reputation
The Stelvio has attracted serious drivers since 1898, when it hosted one of the earliest motorized hill-climb events. Its modern fame exploded in 2008 when the British TV show Top Gear named it the greatest driving road in the world — a title that sparked years of friendly debate among enthusiasts, some of whom argue the honor really belonged to the full Davos-to-Stelvio route rather than the pass alone. The Stelvio is typically open from June through October and remains a fixture of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, having been crossed by the peloton more than a dozen times since 1953.
Furka Pass, Switzerland
At 2,429 meters, the Furka Pass links the towns of Gletsch and Realp through some of the most dramatic alpine scenery in Switzerland. With 42 corners and sweeping views of the Rhône Glacier, it’s considered one of the “Big Three” Swiss passes alongside the Grimsel and Susten.
A Road Made Famous by James Bond
The Furka Pass earned worldwide recognition after appearing in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, where Sean Connery’s Aston Martin DB5 chased down the villain’s Rolls-Royce along its switchbacks. One corner is still marked “James Bond Strasse” today, complete with its own lookout point. The pass is only open in summer and autumn, closing completely once snow arrives at altitude.
Transfagarasan Highway, Romania
Built in the 1970s under dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu — reportedly as a military route in case of a Soviet invasion — the Transfagarasan crosses Romania’s Fagaras Mountains for roughly 90 kilometers, climbing past 2,000 meters in elevation. Along the way, drivers pass the glacial Balea Lake and the ruins of Poenari Castle, once home to Vlad the Impaler.
The Road That Dethroned the Stelvio
In 2009, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson famously declared the Transfagarasan “the best road in the world,” knocking the Stelvio Pass from the top of the show’s own rankings. The road remains a rollercoaster of hairpins, tunnels, and viaducts, though its lack of guardrails in some sections and unpredictable road surface mean it demands real respect from drivers. It’s typically closed from October through late June due to heavy snowfall.
What Makes a Road One of the Greatest Driving Roads
What ties the greatest driving roads on this list together: dramatic elevation change, a high concentration of technical corners, and scenery dramatic enough to be worth the drive even without a steering wheel involved. But part of what keeps enthusiasts coming back — and debating endlessly over which pass deserves the top spot — is that no two of these roads deliver quite the same experience. The Stelvio rewards precision. The Furka rewards patience and timing around tour buses. The Transfagarasan rewards a driver willing to expect the unexpected.
For most enthusiasts, the real answer to “which is the greatest driving road in the world” isn’t a single road at all — it’s whichever one you haven’t driven yet.
If you enjoyed this look at the roads that define driving culture, check out our feature on the BMW E21BMW E21, a car whose Group 5 racing pedigree was built tackling corners just like these.
Full details on elevation, history, and access for the Stelvio Pass are available on Wikipedia’s Stelvio Pass page.
