We are now flying into Milan, renting a car and driving to Bolzano where we are staying for 2 nights. (Thanks to this forum for some great advice so far). Would love your advice as to the best route to take that will be the most scenic. Will then head down to Venice after Bolzano.
40 days and counting!
That is easy: the most scenic route is via Lake Como up to Chiavenna, then all the valley to Sondrio, the climb to Bormio and the awesome mountain road of the Stelvio Pass, from where you reach Merano and then Bolzano. One of the most scenic drives in Europe actually. Beware the mountain pass is only opened between late May/early June and late October though. Check on Google Maps here. This is a full day drive, leave early from Milano. It becomes even more pleasant if you can split it in two, with an overnight in Bormio - that way you can explore Lake Como instead of driving alongside it only, and also make also a stop in Merano.
If you are travelling on late fall or winter, then you have this route:
It looks to me that your time is limited, so I would drive the fastest route, that is the motorway through Brescia, Verona and Trento. It is 4 hours driving without traffic - but in August there is much traffic in the section north of Verona. I would avoid driving north of Verona on August Saturdays and Sundays, as traffic may be so intense that often comes to standstills.
All other itineraries are more scenic but much slower. The Stelvio itinerary is superb but as the pass has 36 hairpin curves ascending and 48 descending, it is not for casual drivers.
As a long but easier alternative to Stelvio: Milano - Lecco - Chiavenna - St. Moritz - Zernez - Müstair - Merano - Bolzano. Very long (6 or 7 hours driving) but not as strenuous as Stelvio, crossing Switzerland and the Swiss National Park. If you are asked at the border, declare your itinerary and that you do not need the Swiss motorway sticker as you are not driving Swiss motorways.
Andre is giving you a great scenic itinerary, the only problem is that you will be tired and jet lagged on the day of arrival if you intend to make that trip right after landing from the US. I don't know if under those conditions you should make such a long drive without stopping for a night closer to Milan. Even the faster A4/A22 freeway option is quite a long drive (200 miles from Malpensa to Bolzano). Freeways don't have the curves you will find in the mountain highways but people drive at over 80 mph (the official speed limit) and both the A4 and the A22 (Brenner pass freeway) have more 18 wheeler trucks than you will have ever seen in your life, and all of them traveling at the same high speeds. Be careful whichever way you decide to take and load up on espresso.
Hmm, seems I missed the first part of "now flying". If that is an overseas long flight, I'd recommend not to drive to Bolzano at all on your first day. Drive just up to Lake Como and pick an easy-to-reach hotel for the first night. Then, rest and complete the drive the following day.
Wonderful suggestion to stay along the way and not try to drive it after coming off of a long flight from the US. Changing my hotels now.
Again I appreciate your feedback and look forward in taking the scenic route.
Check the weather and road conditions on the Stelvio pass. At over 9,000 ft it's the second highest pass on the Alps (after Col de l'Iseran in France) sometimes it snows even in July and August (it snowed 3 weeks ago, for example). It's the toughest climb in the Giro D'Italia bicycle race.
The main reason to drive would be to take the more scenic mountain roads (after getting some sleep) and to make some stops along the way. If you were leaning toward the faster Milan-Verona motorway, which has tolls and not particularly nice scenery, then I'd take the train (3.5 hours to Bolzano, about $45 per person). You could pick up a car in Bolzano.
We did the Milan to bormio trip the day we landed and thanks to the advice here we drove from bormio through the stelvio pass and then on to alta badia yesterday. Oh my, what a ride and so scenic. Thank you!!!
In case Stelvio pass might be impassable due to snow, here is a somehow underrated itinerary:
Motorway all the way from Malpensa to Brescia. Then take the road alongside lake Iseo. At the northern tip of Lake Iseo the road joins Strada Statale number 42 , which will drive you straight to Bolzano via Tonale Pass. Tonale Pass, although not as scenic as Stelvio pass, is worth a stop. Nearby Adamello glacier is quite a sight.
