Driving in winter
Driving in winter
Renting a car in Finland in winter?
You are probably dreaming of snow-covered trees and northern lights in the sky. And you are right - driving in snow can be athmospheric - but also hazardous for someone with no previous experience.
But don't worry. The most important thing is to drive carefully - accelerating, stopping and turning take longer on snow-covered, icy roads. Please read our tips how to drive safely during winter.
Winter equipment and driving conditions
In wintery weather, cars must have winter tires. Avis' rental cars in Finland always have winter tires when the season or law dictates. Studded winter tires are the most common winter tires used in Finland. Snow chains are not being used in Finland.
Please note that Finland is a long country, reaching from southern capital of Helsinki until Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. Thus, the weather and driving conditions can vary a lot. If you pick up your car in autumn or spring in South Finland but plan to drive north, let us know this well in advance. Thus, we can make sure if you need winter tires and make sure your rental car has them.
When winter approaches and temperature drops, the roads get easily black ice that can be very slippery but hard to notice. When driving in autumn or winter it is important to pay attention to the road surface and black ice.
In heavy snow fall, there can be thick layer of snow on the road and it can push you off the road. When driving in a snowy road, be precautions, drive with moderate speed, avoid heavy accelerating and changing lanes, when there's snow banked up in between.
Note also that winter maintenance on roads may vary a lot. The further you are from big cities, the more important it is to stay on major roads ans avoid shortcuts. Smaller roads, specially in Lapland, may be in bad condition.
Warm-up the engine
When the temperature drops way below zero, starting the engine is tough for the car and takes more gas than normally.
If your car has an engine heater, pre-heat your car from 30 up to 60 min before taking off. The heater works by pressing the on-button for 1-2 seconds. When you are using the heater for the first time, we recommend checking whether the engine heater is on after pressing the button.
If your car doesn't have an engine heater, start it a couple of minutes before driving. Wipe snow off and ice scrape windows for maximum visibility. Avoid heavy acceleration before the engine is warm.
Windscreen wipers
Avoid using windscreen wipers if they are frozen. That can break the wipers' engine. Instead, ice scrape the windscreen carefully or turn on the windscreen warmer and your windscreen wipers will melt and star to work normally.
If the weather is under -10C we recommend to lift the windscreen wipers up when the car is parked for a longer period of time. That prevents them form freezing to the windscreen.
Animals on road
Please note the traffic signs of elks or deers next to the roads. These signs are warnings about places where elks usually cross roads. When you see the signs, you should slow down and observe the roadside. You might also see reindeers walking on the road when driving in Lapland. Be careful since their behaviour can be unpredictable. In case of an accident, please call 112.
Emergencies and breakdowns
When driving in cold weather it is good to carry along winter clothes even though there would be warn in the car. In case of emergency you should have warm hat, scarf, pair of winter shoes, winter coat and pants.
In winter, your car may get stuck in the snow or you may have other technical difficulties due to cold weather. In case of technical issues contact our roadside assistance +358 10 436 2285. If you are unsure where to call please contact our reservation center at +358 10 436 2200 in worktimes. In case of an emergency or accident, call to 112 which is Finland’s emergency number.