Winter camping
Winter tyres by country, short days and camping in a cabin
Home › Camping › Camping guides › Winter camping
Camping guide
Winter camping
Camping in the snow with the northern lights over the campsite: it sounds magical, and it is. But it takes good preparation. Start with the tyres, and consider a cabin instead of a tent.
Researched by Arjan from Zuidlaren, so you don’t have to · Sources: Statens vegvesen, Transportstyrelsen, Traficom · updated 24 October 2026 · About this page
- Winter tyre rules differ by country
- Short days: plan your driving in daylight
- A cabin as a warm base
On the road
🛞 Winter tyres by country
| Norway | Min. 3 mm tread from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday; in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark from 16 October to 30 April. (source: Statens vegvesen) |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 1 December–31 March compulsory in winter conditions, min. 3 mm. (source: Transportstyrelsen) |
| Finland | 1 November–31 March compulsory when weather or road conditions require, min. 3 mm. (source: Traficom) |
| Denmark | No date-based winter tyre requirement; tread min. 1.6 mm. (source: Færdselsstyrelsen) |
Sleeping
🛖 A warm cabin as your base
A heated cabin or stuga is often smarter than a tent in winter. Read cabin or tent and winter in Scandinavia. Want to see the northern lights? See northern lights.
Quick to sort
✅ Sorted before you leave
Handy to sort out or look at straight away:
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
When are winter tyres compulsory in Sweden?
From 1 December to 31 March in winter conditions (Transportstyrelsen).
When are winter tyres compulsory in Finland?
From 1 November to 31 March when weather or road conditions require (Traficom).
Accountability
📚 Sources
Every number and every rule on this page comes from a source. Here they all are in one place, checked on 24 October 2026. We only mention prices if the provider publishes them itself; otherwise we refer you to the official website.
View 4 sources
- vegvesen.no: Statens vegvesen: dekk og kjetting (tyres and chains)
- transportstyrelsen.se: Transportstyrelsen: winter tyres
- traficom.fi: Traficom: kesä- ja talvirenkaat (summer and winter tyres)
- fstyr.dk: Færdselsstyrelsen: vejledning om dæk (tyre guidance)
💛 To be upfront: this page contains a few affiliate links, marked “Advertisement · affiliate link”. If you book through one, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. That’s how we keep this site running. We decide for ourselves what we recommend. Read the full disclaimer.