Car-free days in the Alps: all car-free climbs in one place

You ride the last hairpins and all you hear is your own breathing and the ticking of your chain. No motorbikes, no campervans, no horns. Every summer, dozens of famous climbs in the Alps and Dolomites close to motor traffic for a morning or a whole day. In this article we list all the car-free days: where, when and how to plan your summer around them.

We update this article every year as soon as the new dates are announced. Last update: October 2026, with the first dates for 2027.

Car-free days in 2027: the calendar

Most organisers announce their dates in spring. What has already been confirmed is listed below; we will add the rest as soon as it is known.

Dolomites: the Sellaronda without exhaust fumes

For many cyclists, the Sellaronda Bike Day is their first taste of car-free climbing. The loop of about 55 kilometres around the Sella massif goes over four passes: the Passo Gardena, Passo Sella, Passo Pordoi and Passo Campolongo, together good for about 1,700 metres of climbing.

There are two editions every year, in June and in September. The roads are closed to motor traffic from about half past eight to half past three. There is no registration and it is free. Start early: after eleven it gets busy at the coffee stops on the passes.

Base: Corvara in Alta Badia, with bike-friendly hotels and the foot of the first climb a few minutes away.

Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo: Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina

For the hard work there is Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina. Between late May and mid-September, the toughest passes of the central Alps regularly close to cars and motorbikes: the Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo, the road to the Cancano lakes and the Passo San Marco.

The big day usually falls at the end of August: all three sides of the Stelvio close, from Bormio, Prato and via the Swiss Umbrail Pass. On the other days the passes are usually reserved for cyclists from nine to one. Bring easy gears for the Mortirolo: it averages over 10%.

Base: Bormio, central for the Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo, with thermal baths for after the ride.

Hautes-Alpes: the Tournée des Grands Cols

In the Hautes-Alpes it is called ‘Cols réservés’. The highlight is the Tournée des Grands Cols: five days in a row with a different big climb free of traffic, usually in late June or early July. Extra days follow until September.

• Col du Galibier (2,642 m): from Valloire or via the Lautaret, one of the great Tour climbs.
• Col du Granon: 11.3 kilometres at an average of 9.3%, one of the hardest in France.
• Col de l’Izoard: from Briançon over 14 kilometres at about 7.5%, with the Casse Déserte near the top.
• Col Agnel: the border with Italy, known for Steven Kruijswijk’s crash in the 2016 Giro.
• Also the Col de l’Échelle and the Col du Noyer, among others.

The roads are usually closed from nine to twelve, the Agnel until one. There is often a refreshment point at the top.

Oisans: a different legend every Tuesday

In the Oisans, the home of Alpe d’Huez, the Col Series runs on Tuesday mornings in July and August. Every week a different climb closes, free and without registration, with a refreshment point at the top. The programme includes the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Glandon, the Col de Sarenne and, to finish, Alpe d’Huez itself, traditionally on a Wednesday.

Combine it with the Hautes-Alpes: from Bourg-d’Oisans you are at the Galibier and the Granon in no time via the Lautaret. That way you can ride several car-free climbs in one week.

Switzerland: quiet, even without an event

Switzerland does it differently: fewer big events, more roads that are permanently quiet. Under the name Ride the Alps, passes such as the Sanetsch in Valais and the Tremola up to the Gotthard close to cars in summer. The Tremola runs over 38 hairpins of historic cobbles.

The Grosse Scheidegg near Grindelwald is always closed to car traffic; only the post bus is allowed. Ten kilometres of climbing at an average of about 9% in the shadow of the Eiger.

How to plan your summer around the car-free days

• Early June: Sellaronda Bike Day, combined with the first Enjoy Stelvio days around Bormio.
• Late June and early July: the Tournée des Grands Cols in the Hautes-Alpes, with Briançon or Valloire as a base.
• July and August: the Col Series in the Oisans every Tuesday.
• Late August: the big Stelvio day from Bormio.
• Mid-September: the second Sellaronda Bike Day.

Plan a buffer day: in bad weather or snow, closures are sometimes cancelled or moved. Check the local organiser’s website on the morning itself for the latest news.

Tips for a car-free day

• Start early. If you set off when the closure begins, you have the quietest road.
• Take care on the descent: other cyclists are riding up, and occasionally an emergency vehicle or a resident comes through.
• Bring a jacket. Above 2,000 metres it is chilly even in summer.
• Keep the closing time in mind: after that the road reopens to all traffic.

Questions about car-free climbs

Do you need to register for a car-free day?

No. Almost all car-free days are free and without registration. You simply turn up on your bike.

When are next year’s dates announced?

Usually in March or April. We update this article as soon as the dates are out, and add them to our events calendar too.

Are e-bikes allowed?

Yes, on most car-free days all bikes are welcome, including e-bikes. Only motor traffic such as cars and motorbikes has to stay away.

What is the best-known car-free climb?

The Sellaronda Bike Day and the Stelvio day of Enjoy Stelvio are the best known, followed by the Tournée des Grands Cols and the Col Series in the Oisans.

You can read more about cycling around the Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo on our destination page: Bormio.

For the Sellaronda and other passes: Dolomites.

For the Galibier, Izoard and Alpe d’Huez: French Alps.