If I Have Winter Tyres Do I Need Snow Chains?
Snow chains and winter tyres are not direct alternatives to each other — they are designed for different conditions and often used together. This guide explains the difference, what each is best suited for, and how to decide what you need for your trip or vehicle.
Confusion arises partly because Winter Tyres with the 3 Peaks Logo are designated as equivalent to snow chains in the French ‘Loi Montagne’ (Mountain law) stating you must have 4 winter tyres, snow socks or snow chains. So people quite reasonably infer that if they have Winter tyres they don’t need to carry snow chains, or that snow socks may be sufficient. However, this only holds true when conditions are good, i.e. there is not much snow. When conditions are poor (i.e. there is a decent amount of snow) then the local authorities can and do suspend that equivalence, instead they revert to the more stringent requirement that only vehicles carrying suitable snow chains are allowed to pass.
For example, in the Belleville Valley (a premier destination within the world's largest ski area, Les 3 Vallées, spaning 22 villages and three main resorts: Val Thorens (the highest in Europe), Les Menuires, and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville) in the Winter of 2025-26, the municipality decreed that everyone must have chains, i.e. snow socks or winter tyres alone would not be acceptable, meaning you would be fined and/or turned back if you didn’t have proper snow chains.
Unless you have a crystal ball to predict the weather, for both your journey in and the return journey home, then this is the sort of scenario you need to be prepared for in order to mitigate problems, fines and stress.
What is the difference between snow chains and winter tyres?
Winter tyres (also called cold weather tyres) are a seasonal replacement for your standard tyres. They are made from a softer rubber compound that stays pliable in cold temperatures — below around 7°C — and have a deeper tread pattern with finer grooves (called sipes) that improve grip on cold, wet, and lightly snowy roads. You fit them in autumn and swap back to summer tyres in spring.
Snow chains are a temporary traction device fitted over your existing tyres — whatever tyres you have — when you need to drive through deep snow or on icy mountain roads. They are carried in the boot and fitted at the roadside when conditions demand it, then removed once you reach a cleared surface.
The key distinction is this: winter tyres improve everyday cold-weather driving; snow chains are for severe conditions — and in many parts of Europe, they are a legal requirement on mountain roads regardless of what tyres you have fitted.
At a glance
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Winter tyres
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Snow chains
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Best for
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Cold, wet, and lightly snowy everyday roads
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Deep snow, ice, mountain passes, ski resort access roads
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How fitted
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Seasonal tyre swap — requires fitting at a tyre centre
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Fitted by the driver at the roadside, over existing tyres
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Temperature threshold
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Below ~7°C — grip improves over summer tyres in cold conditions
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Only used when snow or ice is actually present
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Legal requirement (Europe)
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Not typically required by law, but common in Scandinavia
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Mandatory on mountain roads in France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and others
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Used on tarmac
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Yes — designed for normal road use in cold conditions
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No — must be removed on clear tarmac
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Typical cost
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£300–£800+ for a set of four (plus fitting and storage)
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£36–£400 per pair depending on vehicle and chain type
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Traction on deep snow / ice
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Good improvement over summer tyres; limited on severe ice
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Significantly better — designed specifically for severe conditions
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Storage
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Requires a second set of wheels or tyre storage — bulky
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Compact bag stored in the boot — takes up minimal space
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Do I need both winter tyres and snow chains?
For many UK drivers heading to Alpine ski resorts, yes — both is the safest combination. Here is why:
Winter tyres will improve your grip and handling on the approach roads to a ski resort — the cold, wet or lightly slushy motorway and A-road sections where your standard tyres would be at a disadvantage. They make everyday winter driving noticeably safer.
But once you reach a mountain road or ski resort access route, winter tyres alone may not be enough — and may not be legal. Most Alpine countries require snow chains (not winter tyres) on designated mountain roads, and enforcement at roadside checkpoints is quite common. A vehicle with winter tyres but no chains can be turned back or fined when conditions are poor, so for most people travelling from the UK at significant overall cost, this is not a risk worth taking for the price of a pair of snow chains.
Snow chains, by contrast, provide the raw grip needed to climb a steep, snow-covered or icy mountain road — something no tyre alone can reliably match in severe conditions.
Which is right for me?
If you are driving to a European ski resort
Carry snow chains. If your vehicle also has winter tyres, that is a bonus — but chains are the legal requirement on mountain roads and the more capable device in severe snow. Use our vehicle fit guide to find the right chains for your vehicle.
If you live in a cold or rural part of the UK
Winter tyres may be worth considering if you regularly drive in temperatures below 7°C on cold, wet, or lightly snowy roads. For occasional severe weather or off-road conditions, a pair of snow chains or socks in the boot is a simple, low-cost backup.
If you drive a 4x4 or AWD vehicle
Four-wheel drive improves traction but is not sufficient to excuse a driver from the need to carry snow chains on mountain roads in Europe (Nov-Apr), especially with Chelsea tractors, as opposed to serious off-roaders who might occasionally get a nod-through if conditions aren't bad. Particularly popular for 4x4s and SUVs are the Konig XG-12 Pro and K-Summit ranges.
If you want the most cost-effective winter solution
A pair of snow chains — carried in the boot and only fitted when needed — is significantly cheaper than a set of winter tyres and covers you for the most severe conditions. Budget car chains start from around £36 per pair; even premium chains for most passenger cars cost well under £200.
Summary
Winter tyres and snow chains complement each other rather than compete. Winter tyres improve cold-weather everyday driving; snow chains are essential when conditions get serious — and are legally required on European mountain roads.
If you are heading to the Alps or Pyrenees, do not rely on winter tyres alone. Carry chains. If you are unsure which chains suit your vehicle, call us on 01732 360638 — we have been supplying snow chains since 1987 and are happy to advise.
See also: