Drving in Alps – snow chains or winter tyres??

Am shortly off to the Alps for the winter season (very excited!!) and am taking the car.

Tyres currently on the car are in very good nick with plenty of tread etc… so am wondering if I should be replacing them with winter tyres or just use snow chains as and when required?

If replacing them is the option should I do it when I get there and worry about storing the old ones there or bite the bullet and get them replaced over here before I go (and drive all the way there with them on)?

Any help/advice greatly appreciated.

most people over there use winter tyres, as chains are a pain to take on and off (and you can't drive with them with no snow).

Whether it's worth getting them here first or not I'm not sure, but I bet they are cheaper in the Alps than here.

but I bet they are cheaper in the Alps than here.

something has to be I guess 😀

Winter tyres. Depending on which country you're in, you might find your access to the mountain roads blocked unless you have winter tyres or chains with you.

If there is snow on the ground or the roads are busy they check tyres/chains on main roads to prevent a shambles. If you have 2 wheel drive you will basically have to have chains to get past. 4 wheel drive will get you past ok.

Winter tyres are handy if you are doing a lot of miles, using the car regularly for short journeys in whatever weather, or have rear wheel drive.

Normal tyres will be fine if your car is a light front wheel drive and you are prepared to drive sensibly and stay out of the snow (or fit chains).

Unless you have a 4×4 get some chains for peace of mind. Buy them from somewhere cheap down the valley, and stick them in your boot with a decent pair of gloves and some flattened cardboard boxes for kneeling in the snow. Practice at least once before you have to do it in the dark when its minus 20 and blowing a gale!

was in the alps for a season as a driver, all the vans had the winter tyres anyway but if it lobs it down with snow the gendarmerie will be doing spot checks and wont let you pass without snowchains! so your probs going to have to get some anyway. I reckon the winter tyres will be cheaper over there and probably worth the investment.

Chains will be the cheaper option, but if the money does not put you off, I would get winter tyres here. It's amazing how well you can go on snow, and in some countries you get part of the blame in an accident if you don't have winter tyres EVEN if it wasn't your fault (as long as it is below 4 deg C or similar). Not sure how much they are here, but it might be a faff to find a place that can quickly put the right tyres on for you while you are wasting your holiday time…

Thanks all – to expand will be there til the snow melts if all goes to plan so not worried about the faffing eating into holiday time etc…

Will have access to a 4×4 for works related jaunts, therefore the car should only be used for picking up mates from the airport or travelling to other resorts.

Am therefore thinking the cheapskate option would be to buy some chains and leave the normal tyres on but was wondering if that was a foolish option?

Not worth buying tyres over there, as you'll have to bin your own and you say they're pretty new. Sounds like you'll need chains *anyway* so I'd go with chains for now and see hwo you get on, and then in a worst case scenario pick up some tyres over there and store your current ones until you leave?

*never been there in winter so no experience of the driving in alpine snow, just my view of your options*

Practice at least once before you have to do it in the dark when its minus 20 and blowing a gale!

Amen to that – from experience of looking like a muppet in MacDonalds car park struggling with putting on chains. And don't forget how to take them off again. I managed to wrap them round the axle, but I am a bit retarded in these matters 🙁

when you go to buy your chains, take a note of the numbers on your tyre sidewall – you may also want to measure the diameter and width of your tyres in case your numbers dont exactly tally with the options in the shop.

Leclerc or any of the other big hyper/super marches have them at a good price, with a wide range to fit all tyres. Pick them up on the way there.

I keep a set under the seat in the T4.

speaking as someone who has lived in the Swiss alps for the past 6 years… buy winter tyres. the local garage will store your old tyres for you over winter for about £30, so no great loss there. winter tyres make a big difference to what your car can and can't handle in light snow – unless you're going up/down something steep or you're actually trying to drive through more a layer more than about 3-4cm thick on the road, you won't need to put the chains on. but you should still carry them in the boot, along with a shovel and a brush (invaluable for when you wake up in the morning and there's a foot of snow on the car). I also recommend carrying a little headtorch in the car, and gloves as have already been advised.

You've got to have chains whether you buy winter tyres or not.

I once had a car where normal chains wouldn't fit so used those spikes spider things. Pricier than normal chains but a dream to fit. You pre-fit an adapter disc to your hub. When you need chains, you attach the spikes spider thing to the adapter – it takes about 2 mins.

few things make me as furious as putting on snow chains in the dark, in heavy snow with a -15 wind chill. make sure you practice before you go!

If you have access to a 4×4 and are only looking to do airport runs and trips around the resorts you will probably get away with your current tyres, worst case is a bit of faffing with chains if you get stuck. Or if you have an understanding boss you might find you have access to the 4×4 more than you think. It'll be a fair wedge for winter tyres, you will then end up at the end of the winter with a very lightly used set of snow tyres which are worth a lot less than you paid for them.

yep doesn't sound like you'll be using the car very much so would question whether you even need it let alone fork out for winter tyres. snow chains.

Winter tyres are awesome, they work incredibly well.

Snow chains suck harder than a Dyson plugged straight to the national grid.

Seriously, we live in a ski resort in the French Alps and life would be pretty unbearable without winter tyres. Chains are hopeless. Fitting them is a total faff which inevitably leaves you cold and wet. They do work well once they're on, but they're very fragile (we memorably trashed 3 sets in one weekend last December when it was puking snow non-stop for days on end).

With winter tyres, you might, in a real worst-case scenario, eventually still have to resort to chains, but this is usually avoidable with some pre-planning and a bit of driving skill. Just outside our chalet, there is a steep slope on the road. It's almost always covered in bullet-proof ice as we're above the resort centre and the snow-ploughs can't be bothered doing much. We never have any problems getting up it unless we have to stop part-way for some reason (usually muppets walking up the middle of the road in blissful ignorance of the revving, hooting vehicle behind them).

Another thumbs up for winter tyres here. I've lived in Switzerland for 4 years now and head up to the mountains most weekends and I've never needed chains (but my Golf is 4WD…)
The point is that it can snow while you're out somewhere and while it may not be bad enough to fit chains you won't be able to go anywhere with normal tyres.
As mentioned, a tyre fitter will store your tyres for you for a nominal fee.

This site is useful to give you an idea of prices (in Swiss Francs).
ReifenDirekt[/url]

Steve I see your point if you are using them all the time/for work/to get up your own driveway. It all depends on your attitude to the cost, plenty of bums get away without them. Then again, I have towed plenty out of snowdrifts too. 😆

Both, depending on where you're going and how much you'll need to drive when there. I have winter tyres (well the M+S with the snowflake) and needed them. Hilarious watching people trying to drive on summer tyres on ice on a very slight incline, only to realise the guy is sliding down the road towards skiers clustered at the bus stop. He turned round (well it was a 180), and went back to park in the gondola carpark overnight.
Needed chains to get out of the underground carpark and down a very steep hill last year. Chains are only about 40 quid. If you don't need them (or the tyres) afterwards, then stick em on ebay, or snowheads.

Steve I see your point if you are using them all the time/for work/to get up your own driveway. It all depends on your attitude to the cost, plenty of bums get away without them. Then again, I have towed plenty out of snowdrifts too.

Yeah, you could get away without them if you just didn't go anywhere while it was snowy. The problem is when you NEED to go places when it's snowy. For some reason, it always seems to snow on shopping day!

I live in Munich and the Alps are on my doorstep. Unlike the UK the roads here are regularly ploughed free of snow and gritted in winter. As long as you are not leaving the road then you will just need a decent set of winter tyres. I have been living here for 10 years and have never been in a situation where I have needed snow chains, even when driving to a ski resort.

You'll notice a concensus forming here.
The guys who have been out there for any prolonged period are all in the winter tyres camp. I'd add myself to that list.
I lived in Munich for 3 years and never needed to fit chains to get me to the resorts but would definately recommend winter tyres.
As someone said earlier, you should be able to find a local garage who will store the summer ones for you then swap over again in the spring.
Plan B – why not buy some cheap steel rims for the winter tyres?

Yup winter tyres are good – all hire cars seem to have them close to the alps too, and they make a massive difference. But I still thought you sometimes have to have chains anyway? I've seen police road blocks in France where they physically stop you from going up roads without chains fitted. Are winter tyres exempt from that or something?

Hi
If I'd known you wanted some winter tyres I could have done you a deal versus the frame (by the way – it's arrived & lovely thanks) 🙂 You know who I work for!

Winter tyres are an absolute necessity but will not perform miracles if you are really in deep snow. In those instances you will still need snow chains but like some of the folks have already mentioned those conditions are rare (depending on where you are based).
Indeed you might have the plod give you issues if you haven't got chains.
One thing to check before buying chains is that you have sufficient clearance between tire/wheel & suspension. Some cars these days only have sufficient clearance on the narrowest tire option.

Mart