Road Spotlight: The Grossglockner's Final Weekend, With Snow Chains Required

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road has a closing date this year. The operator says the road will stay open until Sunday 1 November 2026, and the winter closure starts on Monday 2 November. That leaves this weekend. The catch is that, at the time of writing, the road can only be driven with snow chains.

What the operator says

According to the official winter closure notice and the prices and opening times page:

• Hours: from 27 October until the closure, the road is open from 08:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:15.
• Tolls: the autumn rate for a car day ticket is €36.50, down from the usual €46.50.
• Conditions: the road status banner reads “Only accessible with snow chains!” Motorcyclists and cyclists are barred until further notice. The operator posts updates each morning, the next one due today at 08:00.
• Facilities: some exhibitions and restaurants along the road are still open.

The notice does not say whether the Edelweißspitze spur or the glacier road to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe are open. Assume nothing about either until you see the morning update or ask at the toll booth.

Should you take a Lotus?

Probably not this time, unless the chain requirement is lifted. Many low sports cars have very little room in the wheel arches, and some makers say chains should not be fitted at all. Check your handbook before you buy a set, and practise fitting them at home rather than in a cold lay-by at 2,000 m. If chains are not an option for your car, the road is closed to you whatever the calendar says.

If the requirement is dropped on Saturday or Sunday, the other cautions still apply. Shaded hairpins can stay icy all day, the cobbles up to the Edelweißspitze are slippery even when they are merely wet, and summer tyres on an Elise S2 or an Emira will be cold at altitude. Drive it gently, or enjoy the views from the lower toll stations.

Planning a short-notice run

With last entry at 16:15 and sunset in the late afternoon, there is little margin. Start early, check the webcams and road status before leaving your hotel, and have a route that does not need the pass. Our road trip preparation guide covers what to carry in a small car.

After it closes

Once the barriers come down, expect the road to stay shut until spring. This year it reopened on 25 April after the snow clearing. For winter driving, look south to Sa Calobra in Mallorca, or keep an eye on the Transfăgărășan, which closes only when the weather forces it.