Carefree winter sports travel by car with our tips
By: Simon la Lau at 10 January 2024
King Winter is approaching again, and many people are making plans for an unforgettable winter sports vacation. Whether you're hitting the road with a traditional car or an electric vehicle, the journey to the snow-covered mountains of Austria comes with its challenges. Naturally, you don't want your trip to be memorable for unnecessary delays. That's why we're sharing handy tips in this blog to prepare your car for winter and avoid unnecessary setbacks!
Travel Preparation
To ensure a smooth journey, good preparation is essential. Before you set off, you can take several precautions. Here are our tips:
- Plan your trip: Determine the route in advance and book overnight accommodations.
- Get a vignette: Avoid waiting in line at Austrian toll booths by ordering the correct vignette.
- Travel at off-peak times: Avoid peak hours on highways to prevent unnecessary delays.
- Practice putting on snow chains: Know how to put on snow chains and check if you have the right ones. Note that you're not allowed to drive on public roads in the Netherlands with such chains, as they can damage the road surface.
Car
After making good preparations, you can hit the road with your car. Due to the extremely wintry conditions in Austria, your car may encounter some problems. To prevent your vehicle from breaking down, here are some additional tips:- Check your car before departure: Especially check the condition of your battery, engine oil, and tire pressure.
- Don't use the handbrake: This advice is related to the risk of the handbrake freezing. This can make unlocking the car difficult or even impossible. It is recommended to put the car, if possible, in "P" (park) mode.
- Turn off your wipers when parking: If you turn on your wipers while they are frozen, the rubber of the blades can tear.
- Bring the right tools: For example, have an ice scraper, antifreeze windshield washer fluid, and moisture-repellent agents to prevent frozen windows and locks. Avoid using hot water to defrost your windshield, as this can lead to a crack or leakage. Also, apply rubber conditioner to your door seals to keep them flexible, allowing the doors to open and close more smoothly.
Electric Car
For an electric car, many of the above tips apply, but there are some additional considerations. These "challenges" are listed below:- Avoid a depleted battery: Due to low temperatures, the battery capacity may decrease, resulting in less driving range. A subsequent piece of advice is to preheat your electric car while it is still connected to the charging station and turn off the heating when driving.
- Protect the charging cable: The car's charging cable can freeze, but this is easily prevented by protecting the cable with a cover or by creating a loop in the shape of a crescent moon. With this loop, any melting water can run off, preventing moisture from entering the cable and plug.
- Check the battery: Problems with the battery can also occur in an electric car. Some electric functions may fail due to the cold. Always check your car's battery before you depart.
