10 Must-Know Things About Safe Winter Driving in Norway (2025)
Are you heading for Norway in the wintertime and planning to do an epic road trip? If that is your plan, you are in the right place.
Winter driving in Norway can be challenging (which is why all Norwegians have a module in their driving education called “slippery driving”)!
No joke!
As a Norwegian native who has lived above the Arctic Circle for over a decade, I have had my fair share of driving experiences in rough winter conditions.
Also, as a veteran, I’ve learned from the best during my service (like the Norwegian police bodyguard team (thanks, Cato)) stuff like rally-driving, off-road driving, emergency driving (blue lights), and of course – winter driving.
In this article, you will learn what factors you should pay attention to to drive as safely as possible during wintertime in Norway. Even though you will probably not get to practice beforehand, mental preparation is a lot better than nothing.
Driving In Norway In Winter Conditions
I first want to stress that as Norway is a super long country, driving conditions will vary significantly between the far south and the far north. Stunning places like the North Cape or Lofoten in winter are amazing destinations, but challenging for a road trip.
That said, you can have fierce storms around the capital, Oslo, as well as days of really calm weather and excellent road trip conditions up north.
So the weather up here can be really unpredictable.
If you grew up in warmer climates somewhere on the planet, you likely do not have training or experience driving on snow and ice-covered roads or in stormy conditions with lots of wind and poor visibility.
So let us get into my best practical tips and advice for driving in the wintertime in Norway.
Also read: Epic Tours In Norway From A Native
1. Preparation Before the Trip
The first thing you should do is research the weather in your destination in Norway before and during your road trip and keep an eye on the weather forecast at yr.no.
Things may change very quickly in Norway, so prepare for that and stay in the know.
Another website that might come in handy is the official road alerts website, which you can find on Vegvesenets Veimeldinger (you will also find links to several webcams here).
You can also search online for “webcam + (your destination)” while on the road to get real-time updates about what it looks like in the area you are heading towards.
Not all places have webcams, but some do – so it is a good idea to do the search.
If you are going to drive long stretches in rural areas off the beaten path, it is also a good idea to research rest stops, gas stations, and service areas so you don’t suddenly find yourself out of gas in the middle of nowhere far from a gas station.
2. Foundation: Adjust Your Seating Position
You probably always do this when you get into a new car, like a rental car, but for winter driving, I want to stress this kinda basic routine a little extra.
You want to sit a little bit closer to the pedals and steering wheel when driving in challenging winter conditions than you probably normally do. “Sit like a priest,” if you will.
Make sure your back is upright, and be a little closer to the pedals than you would on a leisurely road trip in summer conditions. Also, when you sit up straight and reach your arms forward, you should be able to have your writs comfortably on the top of the steering wheel.
You want this “tight” position because you don’t want to miss any reaction time finding the wheel and pedals should a situation suddenly occur on the road.
Also, you want to have a good two-hand grip on the wheel (hands 10 to 2), not wasting time to start steering when you suddenly have to do it fast. Makes sense?
3. Test The Road Conditions
It can sometimes be difficult to assess the road conditions from inside the car while driving.
Weather conditions can also change suddenly, around a curve, or from one side of a mountain to the other when you pass through a tunnel (and there are lots of tunnels in Norway).
So, to check whether the road is slippery, do this test:
When you find yourself alone on the road with no other cars around, reduce your speed to 20-30 kilometers per hour. Then, hit the brakes hard and see what the car does.
If it slips a little, you just let go of the brakes, and the car will stop sliding, and you will be fine. At this slow speed, you are not at risk of flying off the road, and you will have a decent impression of the road conditions where you are.
Do this when you feel unsure of the surface of the road, whenever you feel like it (just make sure you have no cars behind you or coming towards you).
4. Use the “3-Second Rule”
Make sure you are always a minimum of three seconds behind the car in front of you.
By measuring seconds, not just winging an assessment of actual distance, you will make sure that the distance is significantly longer at 80 km/hour than at 50 km/hour.
Check that you are keeping your distance by noting a point on the road as the car in front of you is passing it. Then count slowly, one thousand – two thousand – three thousand – which is about three seconds, and you should not pass the same point until you have finished counting.
Make the distance longer if you feel it is necessary based on your skills, familiarity with the car, and the road conditions.
The more slippery the road is, the more distance you need to safely reduce your speed slowly and stay in control of your car without spinning or sliding if you need to maneuver away from an obstacle or a situation.
5. Never Hit The Breaks In A Curve In Winter
I also want to mention a bit of winter driving in curves – Winter Curve Driving 101. It is so easy for your car to lose its grip on the snowy road if you hit the brakes in a curve, even if you are not going very fast.
Make it a rule or routine to slow down well before the curve starts, preferably just by letting go of the gas and not breaking at all. By the curve’s start, you should be down to the exact speed you want to keep through the entire curve.
Not until the road stretches back out can you slowly increase the speed again on your way out of the curve.
Sounds basic, but curves are where the most sliding-off-the-road accidents happen, as appropriate speed can be hard to determine. Better slow than sorry!
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6. In Fact, Never Break And Turn The Wheel At The Same Time Ever
If you break and turn the wheel at the same time on a slippery or watery road, you are asking for the car to lose grip on the surface.
If you do this in a curve, the wheels will turn, but the car may continue straight ahead, as there is no resistance on the road surface covered by snow and ice. You definitely want to avoid that.
Secondly, if you break and try to turn, and you have too high speed for the conditions, the car might also roll over. And you definitely want to avoid that.
So the rule is first break, then turn – always.
7. Understanding Norway’s Unique Road Challenges
There is a lot of wildlife in Norway, and the vast majority of it does not respect highways or cars in general. If you hit smaller animals, that is sad, but it is not particularly dangerous for you (unless you abruptly pull the steering wheel because of the surprise).
What can be dangerous for you is the larger animals, like moose.
There are often warning signs along the road in areas where moose are known to cross, but not always. When driving in forest or mountain areas, you should always be slightly alert for wildlife trying to cross the road.
Another thing is that mountain driving in Norway can be a challenge, especially if the roads are steep, narrow, and winding.
In this kind of terrain, you want to be on low gear (if manual) uphill and drive sufficiently slow – but not too slow, as you might lose momentum and not get up!
In some areas, the road is too narrow for two cars to pass. This is normally marked with signs, and also which driving direction has the right to go first.
Pay attention to the signs, and also, always be aware of meeting traffic and don’t trust completely that they will stop just because the sign says so.
You never know who you are meeting on the roads, as I suspect you already know.
Lastly, be cautious when you pass through tunnels, as the weather and road conditions on one side of a mountain are not necessarily the same as on the other side of a mountain (or sea, if it is a sub-sea tunnel).
So exit the tunnels carefully and get a feel for the conditions before you hit the gas.
The same goes for driving roads in the mountains and along the fjords, where road conditions can be very “local” and change abruptly.
8. Research Driving Etiquette and Emergency Protocols
You are going to need your high beams at night on many roads in rural Norway, where there is no road lighting. The most important thing to remember here is to dim the high beams when you meet traffic!
But don’t worry, if you forget, “traffic” will remind you rather quickly.
One more thing, if you are not used to driving in winter conditions, you are going to be the slow, annoying driver on the road. And that is both ok and good. Dont drive faster than you are comfortable with.
However, it is also “road etiquette” to notice if a queue is piling up behind you.
If that happens, just make a short stop on one of the many pockets along the road and let other drivers pass. This will also help avoid dangerous situations, as sooner or later, these drivers will try to pass you somewhere on the road.
So thank you for cooperating!
9. Understanding Norwegian Winter Driving Rules
If you are renting a car, you can expect the rental car company to take care of compliance with all the formal rules and regulations for you. However, if you drive your own car, you need to know about this.
First, there are laws about tires.
Winter tires are not mandatory in Norway, but you are required to choose tires that are safe for the conditions you are driving in.
Most people would say that would be winter tires, and they need to be in good condition with a pattern of a minimum of 3 millimeters in depth.
Winter tires can either be studded or not studded. Studded tires are good for roads that are prone to icing and wet snow, while winter tires without studs are suitable for roads that are prone to packed (dry) snow.
In Southern Norway, you can legally use studded tires from November 1st until the Monday after the second day of Easter. In Northern Norway, which has longer winters, you can use studded tires from October 16th until May 1st.
NB: In larger towns, you need to pay a fee for entering city limits with studded tires, but not with normal winter tires.
10. Pack Your Car For A Winter Road Trip
For driving around the most central areas of Norway, packing the car with all the kits listed below is probably not necessary.
But if you are venturing off the beaten path, especially in the mountains and in Northern Norway, packing all this is actually not over-thinking things.
If you get stuck for hours, although unlikely, you will be very pleased with yourself for bringing these extra supplies and gadgets with you. Below is what I recommend you consider packing in your car for a winter adventure in Norway.
- Water
- Extra food (stock up on sandwiches and snacks)
- Hot drinks on a thermos
- A small snow shovel
- Power bank
- Extra warm clothes
- Reflective vest
- Flashlight
- An extra can of windshield washer fluid
Important Emergency Numbers In Norway
These are the most important phone numbers you need to know when going on a winter road trip in Norway.
📍 Emergency Numbers Norway:
- 110: Fire Dept
- 112: Police
- 113: Ambulance
In addition, find out what car rescue service you can call if you need assistance.
This is probably either depicted in your own travel insurance or if you have a rental car, ask the car rental company what number you should call for any kind of assistance.
Alternatives To Driving Yourself
If you feel this is a little too much for you to be able to enjoy your holiday, you can always find alternatives to driving around Norway yourself during the harshest winter time in Norway.
Public regional transport, especially regional long-haul routes, is quite well developed in Norway, even in the north.
Trains in Norway
The national railway runs from the southern tip of the country all the way up to Bodø in Nordland County, which has the northernmost railway station for public transport.
You can check departures and tickets on vy.no.
Bus Transport in Norway
The local and regional bus network is also quite good, and below are a few websites you can use to plan your bus trip around Norway.
Southern Norway: Norway Buss Express
Northern Norway: Nord Norge
Nordland County (including ferries): Reis Nordland
Finnmark County: Snelandia
Domestic Flights in Norway
For domestic flights to the bigger airports, you can just search for the best flights and prices as normal. I generally use Skyscanner, as they tend to provide the best prices.
For domestic flights between the small airport in rural Norway, off the beaten path, you should check Wideroe Airlines.
Up north, flying with Wideroe is almost like taking the bus, as the distances are vast, people will take a 25-minute flight to visit family for a day instead of driving for 8 hours along all the fjords and across all the mountains.
Wrap-Up Winter Driving in Norway
Hopefully, you have got a few new inputs on what to think about when heading out for a road trip on your winter vacation in Norway. Everything from winter driving gear to driving technique tips.
Driving in Norway in winter is not rocket science, but as with everything, it takes a bit of practice to be good at something.
So, with this information under your belt, have a wonderful holiday in beautiful Norway in winter, and happy travels.
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