Italy Car Hire Winter snow tyres OR snow chains ?

Italy Car Hire Winter snow tyres OR snow chains ?

Going skiing in Italy this winter ? Making your own way to the Italian ski property or hotel ? Hiring a car in Italy ? If you answered yes to all these then the following is advised reading about winter snow tyres and snow chains.

In the UK or Europe with recent bad snow conditions ? Need to learn how to drive in snow….though reporting from Italy this article is very relevant to everyone across Europe currently suffering from bad snow travel report.

Have you hired a car in Italy or UK with winter snow tyres ? Please post a comment to let us know where.

After a little research in Italy i have found 2 car hire firms that hire car with winter tyres. You cannot book them on line and must call and reserve and INSIST on winter tyres ONLY.  They are obviously in high demand so book early. Try AVIS  Italy on +39 091.591684 (smallest with winter tyres is LAncia Delta) OR Europcar on +39.06.96709592 or from Italy on 199.307030 (though they only have the rather expensive VW Touareg 2.5 4*4 TDI).

NB neither Hertz (+39.02.69682455) nor Sixt (+39.06.652111) offer winter tyres. They offer car hire in Italy only with Snow chains. If your not sure read below to help your decision.

I was on my way to the Italian dolomites sourcing Italian ski property and innocently just hired a car at Bergamo BGY airport and set off. Great weather, sun shining, 20’C in the last week of November…snow never crossed my mind. .. as it had been reported that recent snow falls had melted and no snow was due.

I was driving up to Arabba

arabba italian dolomites

arabba italian dolomites

and had a meeting in the next valley in Alto Badia. It had started raining and slowly i was climbing altitude. Just before Arabba the rain changed to fine snow. Slush started to form on the roads and i continued to climb. I drove through Arabba, going fine and turned to take the Passo Campolungo (1875m) to Corvara. 5 minutes out of Arabba the road had turned white. I was going quite slowly just to be safe and a few cars were overtaking. I started to think snow chains but i saw that the other cars didn’t have them on so i kept on going. I came to a steep climb and my wheels started slipping. I pulled up to reflect as i had still quite a climb ahead of me and yet another car overtook me still with no snow chains and then it clicked they must have winter snow tyres on.

Now back in Bergamo airport winter snow tyres Read the rest of this entry »

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