Changing winter tyres in Helsinki harbour

[Karolien]

Hi,

in January we are leaving Finland for Germany by car from the Vuosaari harbour in Helsinki. As studded tyres are not allowed in Germany we are trying to find a way to change the car's tyres nearby the harbour in Helsinki.

Has anyone experience with going to Germany (or another country where tyres with spikes are not allowed) by car in winter time?
Or has anyone changed the tyres closeby the harbour already?
And does anyone know a car service station nearby the Vuosaari terminal in Helsinki?

All suggestions are welcome!

Karolien.

[DMC]

I have been told that officials at the ports (both sides) are aware of the problem, and are on the look-out for vehicles fitted with the wrong tyres. Having said that, I once went to the UK in a car fitted with studded tyres, driving across Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium and France on the way. Nobody said anything even though it was illegal. So who knows, really?

Do you have a second set of tyres on rims, or will you need to use the rims to which your winter tyres are currently fitted? If your summer tyres are already on rims you just need a friend to take your tyres away when you change them at the port, and to meet you with them when you return. Finding a spot in the car park to change them should not be a problem.

[Mook]

You can always use the unstudded Winter tires - they're quite commonly used in Germany (although I'm told that they're a harder compound than on the ones used here)

[jas_rho]

If the weather isn't so bad here in Finland, just change them at home and drive to the harbor that way (that is if you don't live so far away). Yes its technically illegal, but if the road conditions are good enough for summer tires (like now for example during the day at least). Then the cops aren't going to do anything, and even if they did stop you, I bet if you explained to them you are leaving the country and cannot drive with studded tires where you are going, that they would let you go. Of course with my luck that wouldn't happen but I am just unlucky You could also call the police station and ask them what would happen. Also though the road conditions might not be good enough to do that so my whole suggestion would is a waste

[Upphew]

Ask from people/firms bringing used cars from Germany, they should have more than enough "saksankitkoja".

[Karolien]

Hi all,

thanks for your advices!
First I forgot to mention in my last post that we are coming that same day in January from Jyväskylä, and as we still cannot predict the weather (now it is pretty slippery here), summer tyres would not be a good idea.
We decided to follow Mook's advice and go for unstudded winter tyres already before leaving. That way we won't have trouble with police and we can still drive to Helsinki and continue easily in Germany.

Thanks again very much for all your tips,
and keep on wintering,
Karolien.

[Algren]

Well, this thread is really expedient since I've been ruminating the last weeks about a solution with this winter tire issue...
My problem is a bit different, I'm coming from Paris, and disembarking in Vuosaari, next january.
I guess you maybe reach Germany in Travemunde.

I phoned there : http://www.rengasmaailma.fi/renkaat2.htm

They told me I could try to reach the garage with my summer tires...besides I'm not going to drive 950km on dry roads with studded tires...
Then it also depends on the weather in northern Germany, around Hamburg & Lübeck...could you tell me if it often snows in january there?

I think the most appropriate first step would be to call the police...

[Algren]

I was also thinking about tires socks that we use in alpine regions in France...which I could put on the tires just after having disembarked...but I guess the local police will notice me even from 10km with these around my tires, and I don't know if they're authorized... so, I still don't know what to do...
And, in order to complicate the situation, my car is a propulsion, which will let no doubt about my tires' type if it snowy and skiddy when I disembark...

[Algren]

Another tiny request, and I hope I'll get some more feedback, (after all, i'm reaching Vatanen, Räikkönen, Grönholm and other finnish stars' country).

It seems studded tires, nastarengas, are the most used and most appropriate winter tires in Finland...but then what about kitkarengas...if it is really snowy and skiddy.
Any experience from Finlandforum drivers?
In fact, as I already wrote, I cannot put on studded tires if I'm driving 950km on dry roads until Travemünde, but on the other side, I'm not sure the winter tires sold in France will make it in Finland...

Thank you all for your reply.

[Mook]

Well, snowy != skiddy

The studded ones work better when it's icy. On snow, they're pretty much the same (or at least with the newer nastarengas which are pretty-much the same as the kitkas but with spikes)

[Algren]

Thank you Mook. Then Kitkasrengas if I'm forced to put on winter tires in Paris.

Anyway, I'll keep watching this webcam of Helsinki harbour :
http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/ ... SAID=27690

If luckily the weather is the same on the 16th of January as it is today, I'll change it quietly in Helsinki after my arrival...

[Algren]

- Sic -

> Look at this :

http://www.tire.fi/index.php?tid=4, just next to the new Finnline Starclass & Hansaclass terminal... why don't they open one month earlier!

[Algren]

http://www.tiehallinto.fi/alk/frames/ke ... frame.html

With a specific webcam, of course, for Vuosaari.