Autumn in the Alps: three routes for when the passes empty out

Route 1: the golden Engadine (3 days)

From Zernez over the Ofen Pass and back down the valley to Sils: nowhere do the larches glow in October like they do here. Stay overnight on the farm pitch above Zuoz, where the first hoarfrost often covers the meadow in the morning and the view stretches all the way to the Bernina. Make sure to pack warm shoes and plan a photo stop at Lake Staz. → Open pitches in the Engadine

Route 2: the Jura ridge route (2 days)

The underrated autumn classic: from the Chasseral along the ridge road towards Vue des Alpes. No pass traffic, but instead views across the sea of fog all the way to the Alps: you are literally above the clouds while the Swiss Plateau has a grey breakfast. The métairies (mountain inns) along the way serve food until the end of October, and some offer pitches right by the pasture. → Open pitches on the Jura heights

Route 3: the Bernese Oberland out of season (3 to 4 days)

You know Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen from summer as a tin avalanche. In November the same roads are almost empty, the waterfalls fuller than ever, and the mountain farmer's pitch in the Hasli valley, booked out for weeks in July, suddenly has a free spot every night. The highlight: the morning when the first snow lies on the Eiger North Face and you are sitting somewhere warm. → Open pitches in the Bernese Oberland

💡 Autumn practicalities: check the pass conditions before you set off, as some close from the end of October depending on the weather. And filter by «Open all year» on Parkn'Sleep: around a third of the pitches can still be booked in winter.

The cold truth to finish: yes, the nights get chilly. Find out how to sleep warm even without a parking heater in our winter basics, the perfect companion piece to each of these routes.