The Alpine Traverse
* * * Please note that the 2026 Alpine Traverse will be taking place between the 27th June and the 06th July, and is now open for entries. Get in touch using the details at the bottom of the page to reserve your place. * * *
Who doesn’t love an Alpine pass? We certainly do; we can’t get enough of them, in fact. After all, they prove to be the highlight of several of our trips, the stand-out one being the Beer Italia, in which we cross the Alps to visit the supercar locales of Italy.
The time in the Alps is always one of the high points of the Beer Italia, pun intended. And this got us thinking – what if, when we got to the Alps, we simply hung around amongst the mountains for a week or so, or so, rather than descending straight into Italy? Sounds like a fun week, doesn’t it? Absolutely, and that’s exactly why in 2026, we’re launching the Alpine Traverse – an all-new drive from one end of this fine mountain range, to the other. We’re talking an epic driving adventure from Grenoble to the Grossglockner, taking in as many alpine passes as we can between those two points.
And the list of those passes reads like a petrolhead’s greatest hits. There’s the Furka, the Grimsel, the San Banardino and the Stelvio. The Col du Galibier, the Gottard Pass and the Timmelsjoch. There’s the Col de l’Iseran, the Sella Pass in the Dolomites, and the Sustenpass to boot. And all these lead to the famous Grossglockner, in deepest Austria. And there are plenty more, scattered along the route, too – but we think the point is made, and we’d hate to bore you.
So, it’s a simple plan – a road trip through the length of the Alps, with the maximum hairpin-count we can conjure up. And if your interest has been piqued by such a prospect, you’ll likely be wanting to know some more details. So, here you go…
When is it happening? - Provided there’s sufficient uptake, the Alpine Traverse will be taking place between Saturday 27th June, and Monday 06th July. The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that these are the same dates as the Beer Italia, and this is deliberate – both trips will be running back to back. They’ll be sharing the same channel crossings, and a few of the same hotels. While the Alpine Traverse will be run by Pub2Pub founder Ben, the Beer Italia will by under the custodianship of our new recruits, Richard and Amanda Sails.
What will we see? – There’ll be plenty to do in the course of the trip. Naturally, the driving, the high passes and the spectacular scenery will be the highlight of the trip, but as you know well, we’re not ones to rest on our laurels when it comes to organisation. As with all other Pub2Pub tours, there’ll be a full itinerary to run you through all the additional interesting things to see and places to visit en-route, so you can shape your days into your perfect trip through the Alps.
While your mileage will vary depending on which daily options you choose, you can expect to cover around 2,200 miles on the continent in the course of the trip.
Where will we stay? – You can expect a fine and memorable experience when not on the road, thanks to the fact we’ll be staying in rather nice three to four star hotels throughout the trip.
What cars are allowed? - In short, pretty much anything. While we naturally get a fine selection of sports cars and grand tourers coming along on these trips, anything with an enthusiast leaning is welcome. In short, if it's welcome at a 'cars and coffee'-type event, it's welcome on the Alpine Traverse.
What’s the price, and what’s included? – The entry fee for the ten-day, nine-night tour is £1,950, starting and finishing in the UK. This includes all channel crossings, hotels for the nine nights, and the full itinerary, including navigation routings. Also included is a sticker pack, loan of a radio to keep in touch with your fellow ralliers, and on-the-road support from Ben in his trusty Volvo, which as usual will be loaded with tools and spare parts.
How do I reserve a place on the tour? – Simple, at this stage, a £200 deposit will secure your place on the tour. To book your entry, get in touch with us by emailing ben@pub2pubadventures.com , and we’ll take it from there…
