On Sun, 31 Mar 2013, Dan Stephenson wrote:

I am an experienced traveller, but I'd like your advice for achieving
what I recognize to be a very compressed schedule. *

definitely something I won't do (surely not by car, could be fun by
train)

Driving the Alps in general is important, and crossing the Stelvio
Pass is the key part of that. *If one drives through the Alps, then
Venice is just waiting there

You do not tell us WHEN you plan that. You should check that Stelvio
(and possibly some other passes) are open. I guess they are currently
still closed by snow.

Not sure why you have chosen exactly Stelvio among all possible Alp
passes. Also you do not tell us details on the routes.

To make the Stelvio you could either get to Bormio from Zernez and
Livigno, and then cross the Stelvio northwards, then drive to Bolzano
and all the way down to Venice.

Or you could drive from Zernez to Prato allo Stelvio via val Mustair and
then cross the Stelvio southwards to Bormio, then drive to Ponte di
Legno, Edolo and down Val Camonica to Brescia and then plain motorway to
Venice (that sort of the route google maps suggests for
Davos-Bormio-Venice, except that it skips Stelvio and does
Davos-Zernez-Livigno-Bormio !). Apparently for Davos-Zernez it suggests
the Vereina rail tunnel.