This road wkth its unbelievable scenery has been without a shadow of doubt the best travel experience i had. The mountains, the twisting road, the view point is breathtaking. Being a car and driving and also nature enthusiast i can only describe this as the most rewarding trip i had.
Says it all, a fantastic road with simply the most gorgeous views possible. Just don't get distracted and you'll be loving every bit. If I could I'd ride it day in day out. Pay your toll and ride it all day back and forth if you like. Done it in July 2013 and so want to go back again. If your on a bike you can even get the tour ticket wish lets you access 2 other passes in the price.
Took this route when we drove across Austria as my wife had heard of it while doing her research for our 3 week vacation. We got very lucky and it was a beautiful sunny day. If you suffer from vertigo this might not be the best idea. High edge of the cliff narrow roads with tailgaters in BMWs and motorcycles.World class sceneryThe down side is the toll of 34 euros for cars and 24 euros for motorcycles.
We stayed in Heiligenblut as a base with the Apartment Sonne providing us with a unlimited driving pass across the road for the duration of our stay. This proved to be quite useful as on our arrival the weather was quite poor with low lying clouds obscuring much of the view. We spent the next few days exploring and drove a few times across the road. Occasionally it was very busy and by timing our journey early we managed to avoid much of the heavy traffic. We also found a fantastic picnic spot which seemed to be quite empty by the roadside and attached is a panoramic I took on one of the clear days - spectacular. A great experience.
In May of 2013 it was our first time to go over the pass and it was a great experience so we had to include it in our visit in May of 2014. The road is great the views are also great and there are plenty of places to pull over and take pictures and enjoy the views. Also there is a very nice restaurant along the way.
we have done lots of mountain passes on the motorbikes but this is a "must do " for everyone. the visitor centre is informative and there is a funicular to go down to the glacier but being on a schedule we didn't use it. as you wind your way up the mountain the views are stunning, take time to stop at waterfalls and read the info, you will be surprised. as we climbed up to the bikers point the temperature dropped to a cool 4,2 deg ... in August. the scenery, twists and turns continue to impress all the way back down the other side to the end where you will find food and coffee.
We were touring Austria on a motorcycle and had always wanted to go over the Grossglockner pass and road.After watching a F1 motorcycle race in Saltzburg we headed for a pensione in Zell am See. The hostess had limited English and we had limited German but at breakfast it was clear that she was telling us there would be no motorcycle ride over the pass that day because of new snow.Dang, well we rode to the toll booth anyway. And they confirmed, no riding. But after a bit they said to give it an hour and maybe the road would be cleared. We shopped the gift shop and returned. Still, no go, maybe another hour. Well we had miles to go and we were insistent.They called all their stations along the way and then let us go, reluctantly, And told us to be very careful. 4" of new wet snow sort of cleared out of the way, mostly.We crept up the hill turn after turn. And we went into a cloud of fog over 90% of the ride. In th short tunnels we feared ice inside, in the fog. At the top we took a picture of the sign talking about the invisible view. It was like being inside a wet cloud of cotton. Our picture was used as a tongue in cheek cover shot on the American BMW owners club's magazine.Down the other side and then hastily heading towards my wife's relative in Vienna.So, we went over the top of an amazing pass, on an amaziing road, in horrible weather. We saw nothing, it was crazy, am most glad we did it though!
In any Austrian holiday itinerary, this is a must do experience. In some other countries, one has to take public transport to reach such scenic places. But here, you can do it yourself and so, spend as much time at any of the vistas as you wish. We spent the whole day in the hours allowed and still left with regret the next day wishing we could have gone again. Too beautiful for words to do justice! Apart from the glacier itself, there are so many beautiful stops along the way and nice seating arrangements available.
This is quite A challenging drive although if you climbed mount Washington it shouldn't be a problem. The main thing is the weather. Fog means zero visibility. Driving is hard and no sights. So pick your day carefully. Along the way you have points of interest about the road as well
We were treated to magnificent views on a picture perfect day driving our rental call all the way to the summit of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. 34 euros ($53) seemed pretty steep (no pun intended), but we made up for it on some end-of-the-season close outs on t-shirts, hats and trinkets. It was an easy day trip from Maria Alm where we were staying. We stopped at Zell am See on the return trip.