Made in October 2026. Each country’s rule was read from its own law or transport authority on 24–25 Oct 2026; every source is linked in the full table: https://copilot.travel/maps/winter-tyres

A few things that surprised me:

  • Estonia requires winter tyres 1 Dec–1 Mar whatever the weather; Finland 1 Nov–31 Mar only when conditions require.

  • Germany only accepts tyres with the snowflake (3PMSF) mark in wintry conditions; old M+S-only tyres no longer count.

  • Caravans need winter tyres too in Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Lithuania; in Germany, Austria and France the rule only covers the towing car.

  • trollercoaster@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    4·
    1 day ago

    Do people just randomly have 4 extra tires in their homes to change when the time comes?

    That’s how many people do it. For people who don’t have the space at home, automotive workshops offer seasonal storage of the extra set of wheels as a service.

    Maybe I should be glad to be in a country with no snow.

    It’s not only about the snow, by the way, it’s also about temperature. Winter tyres don’t only have a different tread more suitable for snow, they are also are made of a a different (softer) rubber mix than summer tyres to provide improved grip at lower temperatures. You can use them in summer, but at the cost of increased wear. If you’re using up winter tyres that have too little treading left to be safe for another winter during the summer, you will save some wear on your summer tyres.