The Simplon route from Geneva to Milan trades the fastest motorway for one of the finest crossings of the Alps: along Lake Geneva, up the Rhône valley through Valais, over the Simplon Pass and down past Lake Maggiore to Milan. The direct motorway journey to Milan is about 329 km and 3 h 50 from Geneva Airport; the Simplon way takes longer and is best enjoyed as a long day with stops or as two easy days with a night on the lake. A chauffeur from AirportsTransfers.ch makes either version simple.
- Route: Lake Geneva, Rhône valley, Brig, Simplon Pass, Domodossola, Lake Maggiore, Milan
- Border crossing: the route crosses the border into Italy at Gondo, below the pass
- Duration: one long day with stops, or two days with a night on Lake Maggiore
- Season: the Simplon road is kept open through most of the year
- Highlights: Saint-Maurice abbey, Sion's castles, Brig's Stockalper Palace, Stresa
Through Valais: Saint-Maurice, Sion and Brig
Leave Geneva on the motorway along the lake, past Lausanne and Montreux, and enter the Rhône valley at the eastern end of the lake. The first stop worth considering is Saint-Maurice, where a monastic community has lived continuously at the abbey since the early sixth century; its treasury of medieval reliquaries is one of the richest in Europe. Further up the valley, Martigny marks the point where the Rhône turns east, and the landscape opens into a broad valley of vineyards and orchards. Sion, the capital of Valais, rises around the two hills of Valère and Tourbillon and deserves an hour for the climb and the view. Beyond Sion, the valley becomes German-speaking, and at Brig, the Stockalper Palace with its three onion-domed towers recalls the merchant who controlled trade over the Simplon in the seventeenth century.
Over the Simplon Pass
From Brig, the road climbs in broad curves up the side of the valley, with views back over the Rhône and the Bernese Alps. The Simplon road was built on Napoleon's orders in the early nineteenth century to move troops and goods between France and Italy, and it remains an impressive piece of engineering, with galleries protecting it from avalanches. At the summit stand the old hospice and a large stone eagle commemorating the soldiers who guarded the border. A stop for coffee and the high-mountain views is part of the experience. The road then descends past Simplon village and through the Gondo gorge, a narrow ravine of sheer granite walls, to the Italian border.
The pass is kept open through most of the year, although heavy snowfall can close it temporarily in winter. Your driver checks conditions before departure and carries chains when needed.
Domodossola and Lake Maggiore
Domodossola, the first Italian town, has a picturesque arcaded market square and makes a good lunch stop. From there the valley widens and leads down to Lake Maggiore. Stresa, on the western shore, is the classic place to pause, with grand lakeside hotels, gardens and views to the Borromean Islands. If you are spending a night, take a boat to Isola Bella's palace and terraced gardens or to the fishermen's island. Further south along the shore, Arona is known for the giant statue of Saint Charles Borromeo, which visitors can climb inside. From the lake, the motorway runs straight to Milan in well under two hours.
- One-day version: Saint-Maurice or Sion stop, the pass, lunch in Domodossola, evening arrival in Milan
- Two-day version: Sion and Brig on day one, night in Stresa, Borromean Islands and Milan on day two
Arriving in Milan
Milan rewards an arrival with time to spare. The Duomo, with its forest of marble spires and roof terraces, and the glass-roofed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II beside it, are the obvious first sights. Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, requires advance booking well before your trip. Your chauffeur can drop you at your hotel, at Milan's airports or at the central station for an onward train. Travellers flying home can use Milan's airports rather than returning to Geneva.
Booking the Simplon route
Reserve a one-way transfer with stops or a chauffeur by the hour with AirportsTransfers.ch, with the fixed price per vehicle shown before you pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The Mercedes E-Class carries up to three passengers, the S-Class adds space and quiet for a long scenic day, and the V-Class takes up to seven with ten bags. Departure can be from your Geneva hotel or the airport, where your chauffeur meets you with a name sign and tracks your flight. Child seats are fitted on request and invoices are available for companies. For timings and stops, call or WhatsApp +41 78 346 56 77.
