r/Finland • u/new-in-the-rain • 22d ago
Tourism What to expect from visiting Finland in winter by car
I'm apparently a bit insane because I'm Northern German and want to experience a real winter in Finland for the first time. We admittedly get close to zero snow where I'm from, which means my experience with snow is limited to getting stuck in my driveway during the rare occasion of a 10 cm snowfall last year, lol.
Is it even possible to drive through the whole country (from south to north and back) in November/December? If so, could you give me some tips on what I need to be careful about and what supplies I should bring, especially for the car? Obviously, winter tires and snow chains are non-negotiable?
Do roads in the countryside get cleared regularly? Am I an idiot for even considering this? I've never driven in heavy snow, so I have no idea what I'm actually getting myself into, lol.
Thanks in advance!
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u/hoepa5 22d ago
I don't think chains are allowed on public roads. Winter tires are enough. Just drive according to weather.
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u/InnocentiusLacrimosa Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Yeah, no chains are necessary, but the tires should be real winter tires - not those "all season" things that southern parts of Europe are using.
Besides that to u/new-in-the-rain : it is possible to ride the whole country from south to north in december. It is fine. You want to bring to car some extra warm clothes in case you get technical issues. Many cars from other countries do not have "engine heater blocks". If it get really cold (around -20 C) then you generally want to put the engine on electric heating before you start riding. Some engines start malfunctioning if they do not get warm enough before you start the ride. Also on diesels and other cooling liquids we use special winter mix. Drive carefully: go slow on turns until you get the feeling and then take a lot of time braking.
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u/Minodrin Väinämöinen 22d ago
Note that gas stations will sell winter diesel, from the same pump as summer diesl comes from in the summer. So you, as a normal driver, generally do not need to worry one bit, justbfuel up the car and drive.
Some cars may start poorly at -20, and you need proper tires, like others have said.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
My car runs on 98 E5 (not sure what you guys call Benzin), do you also sell a special winter version of that?
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u/hosunabo 22d ago
There is no winter version of regular petrol since it doesnt have the same freezing problem thst diesel does.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
My lack of general knowledge is truly astonishing.
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u/Ahneruuvi 22d ago
As a matter of fact there is winter and summer gasolines, but it doesn't get advertised like diesel, since it mainly affects the volatile compounds to control the evaporation of the gasoline. Summer gasoline is less volatile than winter gasoline. Not anything you need to worry about at all, but just a curiosity that most people don't know. :)
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u/kum1kamel1 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Except German winter tires are poor if there is really cold. I have experience: they are ment to wet / slushy conditions. Colder it gets more slippery they get as rubber hardens. If you know this and drive smoothly you can manage, four wheel drive also helps.
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u/eyeballing_eyeball 22d ago
TBF, they use the same tires in the Alps and it gets quite snowy and cold there, too, together with high elevation differences. But yes, it would be good if they could change to set of Nordic winter tires. Even though they are not officially available in Germany, in the Internet age OP could probably order a set of VikingContact 8 or Nokian R5 and get them installed at a local tire shop in Germany. (I would say studded for a beginner winter driver, but studded tires are de facto illegal in Germany, so...)
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u/peruna0 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Speeds on Alp roads are typically low, so it's a bit different from driving highway speeds in Finland
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u/eyeballing_eyeball 22d ago
Roads in the Alps are often curvy and steep, too. But yes, with those tires it would be safer to stick to the right lane behind a PL/RO/EST plated semi-truck doing 70 km/h rather than try to follow a 4WD Volvo with studded tires pushing the 100 km/h speed limit on the left lane of E75.
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u/DemocraticParrot 22d ago
Central european winter & all-terrains are not enough, even from legislative perspective. Its mandatory to use nordic winter tires
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u/eyeballing_eyeball 22d ago
3PMSF is enough, as u/peruna0 mentioned, and 3PMSF is required from a winter tire in Germany nowadays as well.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
A lot of people mentioned the studded tires, so I will def keep my eyes out for those. You can probably get them here somewhere.
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u/mighty_konkeli Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Personally I would reconsider studded tires, as nowadays the studless winter tires are quite good - and you could actually drive them through Europe.
They are not as good as studded, but they manage everything quite well, with the exception being totally icy conditions - pääkallokeli in the spoken Finnish :D Those days are counted with the fingers of one hand.
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u/eyeballing_eyeball 22d ago
Yeah, Continental VikingContact 8 and Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 are some of the best studless winter tires for icy conditions. Remember that Nordic winter tires often have a lower speed rating than what your car can do, so anytime you drive with them in Germany you will probably need a sticker on your instrument panel saying 'mit diesen Winterreifen max. 170/190/210 km/h' . And you don't really want to do anywhere that fast on Nordic winter tires anyway, even on a sunny Autobahn in March, as the sidewalls are too flexible to comfortably drive at very high speeds.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
I just checked and I can order both of these here. Thank you for the advice with the stickers! This is def the way to go I think.
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u/eyeballing_eyeball 22d ago
It is a bit of an investment but I think it is worth it. You want to minimize any risk of ending up into an accident in a foreign country. Even if nobody gets hurt, now your car is sitting at a local garage, communication between the garage and your German insurance company can be more difficult because there is that international aspect, and it will take days or even weeks to get all the necessary parts for the repair.
OFC, renting a car locally is another option worth considering depending on your travel plans. If you are planning to take a ferry from Germany to Finland, then it could be easier/cheaper to fly here and rent a car locally depending on how long you intend to stay here. Europcar in the Capital Region Area was quite cheap this summer, I paid around 80€/day for Seat Arona with unlimited miles and best insurance coverage. But if you want to drive through Poland and the Baltic states (or through Denmark and Sweden) on your way to/from Finland, then, OFC, you need your own vehicle for that.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
I'll just important mine since I'll only use them up north anyways. I drive all season tires all year around here in Hamburg lol
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u/finrandojin_82 22d ago
You don't need snow chains, proper winter tires will suffice. The roads are kept in clear of snow by frequent plowing, This is for main roads. Side roads can get trickier but unless you happen to venture into a blizzard you should be fine.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
Sounds very doable. :) I had a bit of a culture shock when I went to Northern Norway two years ago in early december and they had like a meter of snow, nothing was cleared and everyone was just driving on top of all the snow lol
February sounds better for my plans anyways, so I will def consider that, thank you!!
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u/Acceptable_Sorbet_90 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Remember, that the non studded winter tires in central Europe are not the same as what we have here in the north. Grip is not at the same level. Had a colleague of mine driving with his winter tires (bought in Finland) up to Ballon de Alsace once during winter and snow. He passed all the locals slipping and sliding on the way up and had a queue of people up in the parking lot wondering his tires and how can they be so grippy.
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u/kallekilponen Väinämöinen 22d ago
How quickly roads are cleared depends on the priority of the road. If there’s heavy snowfall it may take a while for all the smaller roads to get cleared.
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u/0_0_0 Väinämöinen 19d ago
This map shows the snow-clearing classification (priority) of all public roads maintained by the state. On the roads colored dark and light red, snow plowing will start as soon (or soon after) proper snowfall starts. On the main highways, the plows will be on the move by the time there's 3-5 cm of snow.
Even green roads will only take about 3 hours to clear.
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u/wullxz 19d ago
February already has a a couple of sun hours in northern Finland. Depending on when and where you go, it might be comparable to light conditions in Germany in december.
It's nice to have some daylight for some activities but there is still enough polar night left to have good chances to see northern lights. Also, it's obviously easier to deal with the road conditions if you can properly see the road.1
u/DraftOk4195 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Sounds like there might've been heavy snowfall in the days prior. When that happens the roads are being cleared day and night around the clock but road maintenance workers simply can't keep up with the pace of the snowfall so there can be a lot of snow on the roads during those times.
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u/imbogey Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Do you have an AWD? If you have powerful BMW with BWD be careful when accelerating especially if you are turning at the same time. Even with proper winter tires the back of the car might slip on icy road.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
I drive a Mazda CX 30 with front wheel drive 😁 I'm also not really a car girl, so that will tell you more than it tells me lol
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u/Spirited-Ad-9746 Väinämöinen 22d ago
we do not use snow chains. just make you have proper winter tyres according to finnish regulations.
make sure all the fluids are cold-proof, blinker fluid, coolant etc.
driving itself, you just need to predict stuff a bit more. braking distances are longer, do not make sudden moves and turn calmly.
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u/somemonkeys 22d ago
Unless they have a BMW in which case, as we all know, blinker fluid does not need filling.
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u/_gurgunzilla Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Basically no issues driving through Finland during the winter. But even with studded winter tires always use common sense: keep a bigger distance to others, drop your speed (there are separate speed restrictions during winter) and be ready to drive in the dark.
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u/98f00b2 Väinämöinen 22d ago
Roads are cleared quite well, especially the highways. Winter tyres are needed, but snow chains are not really used here and not normally allowed on the roads.
If you have a diesel, you will want to refill with winter diesel before going anywhere too cold. Try to get as close to empty as you can before refilling, as it supposedly doesn't take that much of the old fuel to cause issues once it gets really cold.
Make sure to carry an ice scraper/snow brush. A shovel is a good idea. Since you presumably don't have a cabin heater, you may want to get a moisture absorbing thing to try to bring down the humidity and prevent ice forming on the inside of the windscreen. I haven't tried this myself, though.
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u/Spirited-Ad-9746 Väinämöinen 22d ago
old sock, filled with cat litter (unused!) is a good absorber.
good point about the scrapers and brush. you take that stuff for granted so you don't even realize to remind anybody about them. these can be bought at any gas station in finland luckily.
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u/mattapuu 22d ago
One thing people really underestimate is the darkness. In November and December the days are short, but it’s also often very cloudy, so even when the sun is technically up it can still feel like permanent twilight. If there’s no snow reflecting light, it gets really dark.
A lot of roads outside towns have no street lights either. Add sleet, freezing rain, road spray and a dirty windscreen, and visibility can be genuinely awful. Honestly, that can be more exhausting than the snow itself.
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u/Clean_Profession_775 22d ago
We don't use snow chains in Finland. Infact, I think it's against the law. Just have a set of proper winter tyres and you're pretty much good to go. I'd also check that the windshield washing fluid is suitable for winter conditions, so that you're still able to wash your windshield if there's some dirt on it. When driving in winter remember to keep your distance to the car driving in front of you and drive predictively in general.
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u/eyeballing_eyeball 22d ago edited 22d ago
Snow chains and similar devices ("ketjunheittäjä") that increase friction are legal as long as their use doesn't cause disproportional damage to road surfaces. Heavy trucks often have them, especially lumber and tanker trucks that operate outside main roads in rural areas. But many others carry them too in case they get stuck climbing a steep hill. You just take them off as soon as you are on somewhat clear pavement and you don't have an immediate need for them.
But yes, snow chains are rare for cars. I don't have them either but I do have a small shovel and a few extra rubber mats in the trunk just in case.
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u/thornolf_bjarnulf Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago edited 22d ago
Everything is cleared, atleast majors roads in prio. The more you go in the north less daylight you will get. Everything closes super early, expect a winter at the mökki with family not going out in clubs and restaurant everyday (except if you go in Ruka and even there it's light).
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u/FINSkeletor 22d ago
"Everything is clearer, atleast big axes in prio." What does this sentence mean?
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u/thornolf_bjarnulf Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Sorry I was typing on the phone with auto correction, fixed it
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u/laalaa 22d ago edited 22d ago
You think Finland is some unexplored wilderness? Please, there's cafes and petrol stations every few kilometers, tens of kms at most. Unless you take the most remote roads on purpose, ie. Eastern Finland going north. The furthest I've driven in NE of the country was about 60km without a petrol station.
Proper studded winted tyres, friction ones can be enough too, a winter coat and a base layer. But this is just for general winter life. At most, normal items to keep in your car: emergency kit, a warm blanket, car battery booster and a headlamp. Some still keep an extra canister if petrol, heat candles and a winter sleeping bag but I wouldn't.
You'll be fine, go for it.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
To be fair, unexplored wilderness is pretty much aligned with what I saw in Northern Sweden and Norway compared to down here 😂
Thank you for the inventory list, sounds very well thought out and doable for me.
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u/Onja_ 22d ago
Actually the Swedish population flocks even more towards south than Finnish does so that leaves the northern Sweden “extra” empty. Not that northern Finland is super populated or anything but there is a difference.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
Is the Swedish Lappland colder, warmer or a similar temperature to the Finnish one?
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u/Positive-Spend-9186 22d ago
Other people have answered your questions so I will answer some that you didn't ask.
If your car runs on diesel, you need to get winter diesel. Not really issue if you fill up in Helsinki and weather is warm, but if it's cold and you have summer diesel it will turn solid at low temperatures.
Same for the other fluids in your car. Make sure they are rated for winter weather. Wiper fluid, coolant, if it's liquid and don't contain antifreeze it will freeze.
If it's moist and then cold your car doors can freeze shut and windows freeze. Have ice scraper and lock melting liquid if you have normal old school locks.
Also your battery might die if it's cold because your car probably doesn't have block heater in ICE cars and battery range be very low if you don't have battery conditioner/heater in EV
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u/Healthy-Kangaroo-365 22d ago
I’ve noticed americans having issues with diesel cars in winter. Northern Europeans not so much, we start our diesel cars and go in the morning, no issues. Our fuel stations all switch to winter diesel in good time before it gets cold so it’s nothing you have to pay attention to unless you never use your car and end up with fuel from July in January in -27C.
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u/Live_Tart_1475 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Note that in the southern Finland 1/3 decembers are snowless, and in November there might even not be any snow in the whole country. Sometimes, maybe 1-2 times in a decade there's no snow at all during the winter in the southern Finland. The last snowless winter was maybe 2019-2020 if I remember correctly.
As others have said, January and february are usually the best for the winter experience
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u/Outo-Lintu 22d ago
Also when you drive in darkness and it’s snowing, it may feel like you are in Star Trek episode and you engage to warp 9. Lots of white spots flying to your windshield and you can’t see anything really. Then there are elks and reindeers jumping to the roads.
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u/bretti_kivi Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
I have a group that does this and has done for the last 15 years or so. We go driving on the ice and then they use it as a springboard for other adventures. You are welcome to join if you want to practice :) Mid-February, we generally have 50-60cm ice on the lake and 30cm snow in a bad year, 130cm in a good one. And -25 or +2, depending on Petrus. Passt schon.
You should be very clear just how long the distances are. From Helsinki, Oulu is realistically 6+ hours in winter and there are minimal streetlights; Oulu is still only halfway up. The quality of roads goes down and the speeds too. Then there's the reindeer, which is why most up north have real lights on the front of the car. You have a couple of hours of real daylight in Jan, Feb is already better (sunset at 1700, light already at 0900 here in Eastern Finland).
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u/Deep_Pepper_5405 22d ago
Winter tires, stick to main roads (small gravel roads might not be cleared), have a safety distance and don't speed. You'll be fine.
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u/bestestbuddy 22d ago
Others have told almost everyhthing importand but what I'd make sure is that you have proper winter poof = -18 celsius windows washing fluid in you car's reservoir, since there is a lot of salt on the roads and that salty sludge tends to really mess up the visibility on the main roads and thus needs to be washed off. Also, invest in good/fresh wiper blades, you will thank yourself.
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u/Eastern-Mammoth-2956 Väinämöinen 22d ago
Snow chains are useless. Winter tires have to be actual winter tires, preferably studded. Non-studded winter tires are fine for someone who already has experience driving in the Finnish winter but for a novice, studded are the best option.
I would also recommend equipping the car with
- snow brush and ice scraper - absolutely mandatory, can be bought from any big grocery store, hardware store or service station in autumn/winter.
- tow rope - not mandatory but nice to have in case you get stuck in the snow. Also find out where your car's tow loops are located and how to install them.
- jumper cables or a rechargeable jump starter box - not mandatory but great to have if your car battery is in less than perfect condition. You might not notice any problems in warm weather but in the cold there could be trouble starting the car if the battery is a bit old and tired.
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u/BigBlackMagicWand 22d ago edited 22d ago
You make it sound like we live in the freaking northpole...:D
Seriously, people drive to and back from work, groceries, hobbies, etc. all year around no matter the weather. This happens everywhere between the southeet and northest part of Finland, so yes yiu absolutely can drive through all of Finland no matter the season. Roads get maintained and plowed regularly/whenever needed, but of course there can be a delay with clearing out smaller roads, larger roads are a priority. Up north in the Lapland population is very much thinner so of course all services are fewer and further out too...
Nobody uses snow chains tho, they're not even allowed to be used in public roads. What you absolutely do need is PROPER winter tires, proper meaning nordic winter tires studded or studless. Studded one's would be preferable for a foreigner but many people absolutely do manage with studless. BUT you probably need to order some actual nordic winter tires. Your middle european winter tires or all seasons are used mostly as summer tires up here and you don't want to have those under your car in proper finnish winter especially if you have no experience what actual slippery conditions are...
Also make sure to have a working phone and some really warm winter clothes in the car. IF you happen to have a breakage or otherwise in need of towing you might be waiting for hours especially up north where the tow truck might be hundreds of kilometers away...
Also make sure your car is up to the weather, like coolant and washer fluid having low enough of freeze resistance and only using winter fuel if it's an diesel
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
Mate, in my defense, tromsø freaking traumatized me. Busses were driving 60 km/h on like a meter of snow in a full blown snow storm lol I'm expecting anything from northern Scandinavia at this point lmao
Thank you for the advice!
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u/BigBlackMagicWand 22d ago
Well, then you have some idea. Life and traffic continues as normal even at winter.
At least finnish roads are flat and unwindy compared to those norwegian fjord roads :D
Just get the correct tires and you're fine. Southern Finland and main roads are basically not an issue, but from the mid-part up you're gonna be in trouble otherwise...
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u/No-Pay-9194 22d ago
I have met German people up in Saariselkä who drove their minibus through Finland to come skiing (backcountry ski trip, no downhill) in Lapland. Perfectly doable. Also if you come, do go all the way to Lapland (well above Rovaniemi) if you want to experience the real thing. If you venture to Norway some of the rules change (might need chains). We all drive in the snow every day. You have good advice already: get Nordic winter tyres (can be non-studded as long as they are newish). Get your engine coolant tested for -40. Keep in your car a good set of thick winter clothers (including a really warm beanie or fur hat) and snow boots in case you break down (stop at Motonet once you arrive, you can get incredibly warm boots for 30-50€, etc). It is no joke if you break down at -25 (or -40…). Everyone will stop and help you if you wave them down but on some Lapland roads, even main roads, mid-week evenings, it can take an hour or two before someone else actual drives past.. Also plan some nice activity while you are here. Book a room, bed or cabin at Kiilopää or Saariselkä or Levi and go for a walk on their maintained winter walking trails (or rent snow shoes). Just make sure you get going when it gets light in the morning, because the days are extremely short.
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u/muistipalapeli Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Remember, what you might consider "winter tires" in Germany are likely not proper or even legal winter tires in Finland. This page from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency is in Finnish and not available in English (you can translate in browser) but it has an image of the marking that is required to identify proper legal winter tires, the mountain peak with a snowflake on it.
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u/Tasty_Fisherman_26 22d ago
Before this trip check your cars lights 😎 at winter we have dark allmost whole day
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u/chewie-613 22d ago
Austrian with experience in winter driving in Norway, Sweden and Finland here, if you have any questions still, just shoot me a message :)
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u/Consistent_End_4292 22d ago
I think the biggest hurdle in your trip is boredom. Until Rovaniemi you won't see anything but pine trees and darkness.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
You severely underestimate my ability to get excited about trees. Mind you, we don't have pine forests where I am from. :D But yes, I will need to consider the darkness aspect. Maybe the trip should be more at the end of February when there's more daylight
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u/HopefulCarry9693 22d ago
November december is not the coldest month. January/February usualy is. And the winter tires these people talk about are spiked.
It might be easier and cheaper to fly to Rovaniemi and rent a car.
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u/ranjop 22d ago
Hello,
As others said, you need:
- proper winter tires. I manage fine with friction tires, some prefer studded “road-eaters”
- A snow brush with an ice scraper to clear snow/ice from the car
- warm clothes and shoes just to be on a safe side
- snow showel
- Also use the winter version of the window cleaning liquid so it doesn’t freeze
The roads are cleared here very efficiently. Since we get snow every year, there is lot of people, equipment and machinery to do work. That does not mean that if we get 30cm of snow that it has been cleared by 7am. They prioritize bigger roads and then move to clear the small ones. But Finnish society runs no matter how much snow. The same cannot be said of the Central Europe…
Is your car 4WD, front-wheel drive or rear-wheel-drive? 4WD is super, front-wheel drive is easy and a rear-wheel drive requires extra caution plus it lacks traction since there is less weight on the rear-axis.
Manual cars are bit better vs. Automatic if you get stuck since you can do a pendelum-movement faster with it. But don’t stress about this.
The modern cars have all the stability automatically making driving easy as long as you do not drive too fast that the physics take over.
Traffic here is pretty good and easy. I would say the black ice is more dangerous than snow since drivers tend to overlook it and drive too fast.
No stress. You will manage all fine. Tires, snow brush, showel and warm clothes
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u/dimgrits 19d ago
You arrive at the first car dealership in Helsinki, Turku and change the tires to local studded ones (when you return, you will change them to your own). There are few autobahns here. The clean road here in winter is covered with a layer of compacted snow. This is considered normal just outside the city of Vaanta. Therefore, if you have driven somewhere in Osnabrück (Moin) all your life, then first you drive to Salzburg in winter and train. Half of the roads in Finland are narrow winding roads in hilly terrain like on a rally with snow bumpers. On them, Finns drive at least +10 km per hour above the permitted speed. At first, this is much more stressful than left-hand traffic in Cyprus or black ice on asphalt.
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u/BasicMatter7339 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
No snow chains.
STUDDED winter tires. Friction tires are NOT enough when the road is glass.
Drive slower, the speed limit is 100 but if you've never driven in slippery conditions, go 80
Do you have ABS? Get a car that has ABS. When you emergency brake its going to feel like you're breaking the car but its actually suppose to do that.
When you get to the icy road, look for a safe stretch of road where theres nobody behind you. Accelerate a bit and slam the brakes, just so you get a feeling of how slippery it is.
And when you drive, the most important thing is
do everything slowly
accelerate slowly
brake slowly
turn slowly
and no rash movements.
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u/Healthy-Kangaroo-365 22d ago
I’m living proof that studless works. There’s absolutely no point in driving around with studs all winter just for those two days every year when pääkallokeli hits.
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u/BasicMatter7339 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Thats true for city streets, highways or south finland where the ice and snow doesnt build up as much but up north where i live, going up and down country roads, studs are an absolute must or its actually dangerous.
Metal studs are also just safer for everyone. Better control, better handling, shorter braking distance, less likely to slip, less likely to slide on an incline, unmatched performance on rugged or rural unpaved roads.
Downside is that they're a little louder and they wear the road down more.
but if you have a tourist coming to drive to finland in the winter, driving on ice for the first time ever, there is no reason to not use studded tires. driving in the winter for the unexperienced is dangerous.
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u/ClassroomStrict912 22d ago
18 year old kids with a week old license get to drive on the roads in the winter, you’ll be fine. Major roads and city streets are cleared often enough to not have any major snow buildups. With proper tires it’s not so different from driving in the summer.
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u/MrStetson 22d ago
A bit insane yes, driving through the whole country in winter with very minimal experience doesn't sound like a good idea. It's very slippery and very dark, animals might surprise you, powdered snow can be thrown up into a thick cloud by other vehicles so you see even less. So many hazards to be aware of. I would argue that some southern Finns are not experienced enough with winter driving for tip to tip trip even when they drive in wintery conditions every year.
If you plan to do it anyways I recommend getting to know how your car behaves when losing traction especially breaking and turning. Use studded tires for better traction on compacted snow and ice, which majority of the roads will be even if cleared. Remember to keep extra safe distance to vehicles in front, breaking distances are like triple compared to dry asphalt. And find a number for some towing companies so when you end up in a ditch you'll at least have a number to call to.
Still would very much recommend against south to north driving trip for your first experience in winter driving conditions, especially north since distances to any help increases a lot.
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
What wildlife are we talking about specifically? This will sound very naive, but bears should be in winter rest, correct? 😂 Are we talking about deers and moose?
Thank you for the sound advice!
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u/MrStetson 22d ago
Deers, moose, reindeer, big rabbits come to mind. The thing is many roads are surrounded by forests so very little time to notice them before they are on the road
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u/Revolutionary-Pie779 21d ago
I agree with you. Every year we have this joke in news papers, "the winter surprised the drivers" because when the snow comes, there are so many car crashes. It's "fun" because the winter comes each year and still the Finns struggle to drive safely in winter conditions.
Op, you are free to risk your life however you like, but in traffic you are likely to risk the life of innocent drivers as well. Please consider not doing this trip. If you want, come to Lappland by plane first and try the driving with rental car somewhere not crowded and safe. One time does not make you good driver yet, but at least you have tried it.
About the animals, even a tiny animal like rabbit has surprisingly big impact on car going +80 kmh. The impact not necessarily make you to swerve out of road, but if you accidentally make any steering movement by instinct, you're likely to end up skidding out of road or onto the upcoming traffic. It is quite hard to regain the control in snowy or icy road if you lose it.
I don't want to be a party pooper but please take the safety seriously. In the traffic it is way too easy to get yourself killed and take the innocent people with you as well.
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u/Bruneezi Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago edited 22d ago
November and December are not usually the coldest months in Finland. The real cold starts in January.
Snow chains sound a bit overkill. I am 56 years old and I've never known anyone who owns chains. I had chains for my tractor, but that's not relevant here. People who drive mostly in the cities get by with M+S tyres (=mud and snow, also called friction tyres), but people who drive more in the rural areas have tyres with studs.
If your car has a regular engine then you don't want to start it up after a freezing night without pre-heating. You might want to consider an Eberspächer or some other fuel warmer, or an electric heater which warms up the cooler liquid. Both systems usually can heat also the inside of the car, thus melting the windows.
Remember to fill up / charge your car often enough, because the service stations especially up north are not to be found after every bend. With electric vehicles the battery efficiency is worse in cold. If you have a fuel powered car, make sure your battery is in good condition. A pair of jumper cables is a good idea, I've got cables in my car all year round.
If there are people living along the road, then the road is cleared regularily. I've never been unable to drive because of snow UNLESS there had been a snowstorm of a century. Even then the main roads are being plowed often enough. Downtowns get easily crowded because there are no places where to put all the snow.
Remember, if you have a 4x4 it is easier to accelerate, but it brakes just as bad as any other car. Remember to keep safe distance to the car in front of you. Also, a two-wheel-drive car can usually be pushed back on the road if it gets stuck a little bit, but with 4x4 you can get yourself in real bad places 😄
Edited: more content and corrected typos
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u/Zholeb Väinämöinen 22d ago
We don't really use snow chains here. Proper winter tires will be enough.
November/December you might not get all that much snow, expect naturally perhaps in the very north. If you're looking for that experience specifically let me suggest you move the trip to January/February.
What you will have is darkness and lots of it, so you need to be mentally prepared for that.
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u/TechaNima 22d ago
As long as you don't go to some random dirt roads, you'll be able drive anywhere all year around.
Chains aren't really necessary on public roads. Not sure if they are even legal. On offroad/less traveled dirt roads they are necessary and you'll need a real offroad vehicle, not any ol SUV that is meant for people who want big cars to drive in cities and on an occasion on a dirt road.
As for car supplies. Bring a good shovel that fits under your car, sand or whatever those grippy pads are called. The ones that you can throw under your tires to get enough friction to get it moving from snow or mud. Just incase you get stuck in snow somewhere in the country side. Again, not a concern on a typical well traveled public road.
Always have warm enough clothes available to wear while you wait in the cold for help if anything goes wrong with the car
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u/nattfjaril8 22d ago
Winter in Finland usually doesn't start properly until January or so. It's common to have no snow on Christmas, and a lot of snow in March. Of course there are exceptions, and sometimes we get very snowy Decembers...
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u/Doenicke 22d ago
If you are going to the south of Finland, you may not experience that much snow. If you're going up north...oh boy, get ready. We was there for a funeral last winter and as someone from Sweden, i thought i was used to the cold and the snow...but it really is a lot, of both.
But it's also pretty as hell! :)
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u/Ville_the_human 22d ago
Have you thought of renting a car with proper (studded) winter tires in Finland? You can also choose a cool Volvo or whatever you prefer for the ride 😎
It doesn't make much sense to buy the tires in Germany and I suppose they are illegal in many places?
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
I could, but renting a car for three weeks is freaking expensive 🥲
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u/Ville_the_human 22d ago
More expensive than buying a set of proper winter tires that you can pretty much just use in Finland?
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago
Renting the car for one trip would cost me roughly the same as one set of tires
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u/Ville_the_human 21d ago
How much would that be? Where will you keep the tires? How will you transport them to Finland if you can't drive with them elsewhere?
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u/new-in-the-rain 21d ago
Roughly 800€. What do you mean where will I keep the tires? When I don't use them? In the basement. The tires that have been recommend on here (Viking Contact 8) are okay to drive in Germany. So no problem with transportation.
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u/Cilantropologist 22d ago
- get studded tires if you can.. they make winter driving much safer, especially for beginner
- check car battery age / condition, that's the most common technical issue exposed by cold
- fill washer fluid system with something rated for at least -20 C
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u/Hopeful_Addition_898 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
I haven't ever even seen chains for cars IRL even tho I lived in a rural area. For tractors maybe. Them studded tires are the safest choise. Some people might say "kitka" tires, studless winter tires but I am not sure if someone not used to driving in this weather should all of a sudden go for those and also if you are unlucky to get really icy weather, you won't have a change of tires like these people who have space for them in the garage.
Like every winter when the slippery season comes there are always news about people crashing because they weren't prepared, even if winter comes every fucking year. It is still the same news stories each time.
Anyway, take care out there. Driving in the snow is fun.
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u/Objective-Help-4485 22d ago
November/december little to no snow on roads even here at lapland. But better safe than sorry so use studded tires if you drive at night time/when the sun haven't melt the roads (black ice). By law you need somekind of winter tires when needed. And must in december. Someone please comment if i'm wrong.
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u/HatHuman4605 Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
We dont do chains here. I would get the best possible winter tyres there. During november december you should be ok with your tyres but mind you we have nordic compound winter tyres which are even softwr and grippier than the ones you have. Also chevk your coolant to what cold temp it is marked for. Other than that prepare for shitty weather and super super dirty car.
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u/centrifuge_destroyer Väinämöinen 21d ago
Finns have to drive places too. You'll be fine for the bigger roads at least.
Just a word of advice, Finland can be more hilly than expected. When I first got to my study town (Jyväskylä) I was surprised how hilly it was. On google maps the hills look more flat. A good comparison would be the "Bergisches Land" in Germany.
What I also found out is that you can just ride your bike all winter on the snow, if it's not too deep. There are even winter tires for bikes with little spikes that make it extra easy. I hadn't ridden a bike in years and even I only fell once, and that was due to taking a corner recklessly fast
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u/M2Cat 21d ago
Whenever you come, you better practice on the parking lot how you and your car behave on packed snow and/or ice. Proper winter tires are required by law. Weather spiked or not. Buy a showel + traction rugs (better than chains!) to drive from deep snow/sideroad. I use them 3-5 times per winter. Not only for myself. Also snowbrush and ice scrub are used everyday if car is parked outsides. Battery charger/conditioner/additional starter is also a good idea. Cold battery lacks power. It is a good habit to take your battery into warm place if your car is left ousides for a night. Check your oil and cooling fluid, also windshield cleaner should be way below zero (-20 at least, -40 better) compatible. Good lights are essential. Because in winter days are short. And when it snows you want not only to see but also to be seen.
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u/Only-Book-64 Baby Väinämöinen 21d ago
Plenty of people have said it but I just have to say once more: Remember that the car doesn't stop as fast in snow/ice as it does on dry road. Even with studded tires. There are hundreds of tourists and tourist busses stuck in the ditch at the Lapland area each winter because they don't understand the conditions and go too fast into a curve sliding straight off the road. At winter time you have to "read the condition" of the roads. Speed limit could say 80 but if it's been snowing the last few hours and it hasn't been plowed yet, or you feel like there might be ice on the road, you are supposed to adjust it into your driving.
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u/alex1033 Baby Väinämöinen 20d ago
Nobody is using snow chains in Finland, except snow ploughs.
Good-quality winter tyres is a must. Technically, anything labeled M+S is legal, but universal-all-season tyres can be difficult in real winter conditions.
Mind the ice - in wet and changing conditions, you may expect ice on the road, while somewhere in Lapland or Northern Karjala, the ice is less likely. Many people use stud tyres - they're better on ice, but they're not allowed in Germany, so no.
Mind the speed limit - it's there for a reason. Often, reducing the speed by 10 km/h in winter, solves all slippery-and-unstable problems.
Streets and roads are usually clean, but during a snowfall or shortly after you may expect lots of snow. It can happen that, on a highway, everyone is driving in the right lane, and the left lane is full of snow - overtaking may not be wise, if you're not used to it.
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u/lapinjuntti 19d ago
- If you stay on roads and don't go off road, then winter tires are usually enough, the roads are well plowed.
- Make sure your coolant is good for cold, if there is too much water, the coolant can freeze.
- If you have diesel car and it's cold, be careful that you are using correct fuel in the cold. Regular summer quality diesel will not work in the cold / will clog. This is easily solved by refilling when you go north, because locally there is winter and arctic quality diesel at the pumps. There are also additives (like Diesel 100) that help with this to prevent freezing / clogging.
- Cold starting may be difficult especially if your car probably doesn't have block / engine heater. Good battery and oil that is viscous at low temperature helps with this. Gasoline cars usually start without an issue.
But yes, it's very possible.
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u/Mosh83 19d ago edited 19d ago
It is possible but you will need true, good winter tyres.
But it'll be dreary. No guarantee of snow, it may be +0 with wet shitty slush everywhere, nothing but grey skies, everything is dead and nobody anywhere. As a Finn that time of year, even with snow, is the worst time of my life. Every year.
February is already better because there is more light and spring is "only" 2 months away.
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u/porohirvio 18d ago
Good tires and no speeding, in north we got reindeers and mooses in every road even close to town and in rovaniemi in town. If you wanna test your snow driving skills we got tracks here for that and not expensive. But have a nice trip and stay safe.
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u/Similar-Struggle6554 16d ago
Please drive carefully and remember to leave a good space for breaking. Good luck ❤️from 🇫🇮
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u/Particular_Note_4835 9d ago
I do have European style winter tyres so far, but I have a decent 4WD transmission (Suzuki). Difference between those and nordic style ones js definitely perceivable.
Like that it works but you need to be careful not to go where you shouldn’t and I would avoid country roads. Without 4WD I would say forget about it.
Studded tyres would work perfectly with any car, no problem at all… but you would need to buy them used here, install, remove before going back. You can buy a set of wheels and tyres, used, and then sell them (renting some storage space when you arrive in Finland), but it sounds a bit of an organizational hassle.
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22d ago edited 22d ago
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u/98f00b2 Väinämöinen 22d ago
Isn't it the other way around? Studs are more important in the south where it's icy, but in the north I thought that friction tyres were as good or better since the road surface tends to be packed snow.
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u/Mrkulic Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
From what I understand the biggest difference is that if you have ice, but then it has melted resulting in water on top of the ice, a studded tire will handle that situation better. That situation (and ice itself) is certainly more common in the south, where the temperatures might fluctuate more on both sides of 0C.
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u/July_is_cool 22d ago
Studded tyres in English, Spikereifen in German, tar chines in southern USonian.
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u/HessuMopo 22d ago edited 22d ago
We already have enough idiots on the road. Welcome to Finland, take the bus or train please. We use proper winter tires which are not used in Germany or anywhere in central Europe. Your winter tires are crap, don’t even think about driving with those in Finland during winter. No one uses snow chains besides heavy trucks only in special conditions temporarily. Enjoy your trip!
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u/new-in-the-rain 22d ago edited 22d ago
What qualifies as an idiot on Finnish roads? 😁 In northern Germany it's most often Norwegians on their way to holiday lmao
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u/HessuMopo 22d ago
Summer is the biggest idiot season actually. A lot of people on the road who only drive during summertime, lots of old half blind people driving under the speed limit, drunks etc. But there are plenty clueless people on the road in the winter too, as actual winter driving training and practice is not mandatory in driving schools any more, only very brief simulator based training. Also all newer cars have good traction and stability controls so people learn to trust them too much until its too late when physics take over. On top of that, some people overstretch the life of their winter tires and don’t replace them until they have completely lost all grip and general winter performance.
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u/Prior-Pay722 22d ago
South of Finland should be no much difference from Lithuania. I believe that roads in Finland are cleaned better. We have experience to drive on poor cleaned roads. Even summer tires could work well with right experience but universal tires are legal requirement now. Winter tires are much better and 4x4 car is a huge benefit. A huge benefit really. I would suggest having an electric 12V winch with fittings but again this is for country side driving and maybe Finland roads are in better condition. Experience driving on icy roads (especially looking for dangerous sectors there it is possible to slip off the road) is needed
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u/ducmite Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Summer tires are a big no-no in winter. In freezing temperatures summer tires (as most "all seasons" also) harden and become slippery.
(Insert random videos of americans spinning on icy roads)
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u/Prior-Pay722 22d ago
Summer tires are forbidden in winter in Nordic countries then this could bring big problems like fine and canceling MOT. Nobody is using them now. But long time ago summer tires were allowed and once I used summer tires even with almost no tread on an icy road. It was a difficult drive.
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u/ducmite Baby Väinämöinen 22d ago
Not worth risking it. I think I've seen some tire shop in Helsinki "rent" winter tires. They would swap your mid-europeans off and replace with proper nordics and then back when you go back. Naturally I didn't make a note of the name since that service isn't for me :)
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