Hazards on road trip through Italian Alps
I am planning to spend about a week in Italian Alps in late October. The idea is to hire a 4WD and drive along (ideally) the whole Italian-Swiss border slowly, stopping a lot to "smell the roses" (walking, hiking in the parks, climbing established viewpoints etc.). Occasionally I would drive into Switzerland but will mostly be staying at the Italian side of the border. Nights will be spent at backpackers (are there many?).
I have done this kind of thing a lot in New Zealand, and also a bit of Canada and the US, but never in Europe.
What potential hazards are there? For example:
- Dangerous animals (e.g. wolves, bears?)
- Dangerous people?
- Ice and snow on the roads (in late October)?
Are there places that should be avoided?
Best Answer
I live in the Swiss side of Alps (Valais / Wallis), as far as I know there is no bear here, I'm not sure about the possibility to meet a wolf, I'd not say it's 0, but close to 0% chance to meet one.
There are no dangerous people, come on we are educated in Europe, the only dangerous people you would meet will be in dangerous districts of some cities.
No snow at low altitude, you have to go very high.
(you should also tag Europe as French and Swiss people living close to / in the Alps may also be able to answer your question)
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How safe are Italian roads?
However, the love of speed can be deadly and Italy has one of the highest road death tolls in Europe \u2013 6.1 per 100,000. The capital Rome is rated as the worst European city for traffic accidents. In 2014, the Italian government declared the national road toll "an emergency".Is it difficult to drive in the Dolomites?
The Dolomites are a mountainous area in the Northern part of Italy but the area also shares a lot of Austrian influences. The roads are well maintained and you'll find road signs in both German, Italian and sometimes even in English. Even the mountain passes are pretty easy to drive across.Can you drive through the Alps?
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Right of Way and OvertakingWhen stopped at an intersection, the vehicle to the right has the right of way. In Europe, you cannot make a right turn at a red traffic light ever. In Italy, you can only ever overtake someone on the left \u2013 never on the right.Austrian \u0026 Italian Alps roadtrip 2021
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Answer 2
I think the answer of jcaron is already pretty good. The official weather forecast service of the government (MeteoSuisse) gives some additional information about the first snow in automn in Switzerland. Unfortunately the page is only available in german, french and italian but not english.
There is no precise information about somewhere in the alps in Valais. But there is some information about Arosa, this is located to the extreme east of the country. Even if this won't be the same in Valais, it is probably quite similar, since the altitude is the most relevant for the snow. For Arosa at 1878 m above the sea, the first snow in automn falls in average the 10th september.
Actually based on my own experience, I think you can expect snow at almost any time of the year above 1500 m. Though, in september and october, it is still quite unlikely under 2000 m and the snow won't stay for a long time.
Your best help will be to look at the weather forecast, they always announce snow falls under 2000 m, since this is relevant for car driving on high routes. If it will have snow at the altitude of a route you plan to drive, just avoid it that day: take another route, wait 1 or 2 day and it will be probably gone at that time of the year.
Also a good information is the website of the TCS (a car driver association), on this webpage, they show the current situation of all passes. You will see if one is closed or if there is some restrictions (e.g. "truck forbidden", "chains mandatory").
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