Driving a Rental Car in the Snow Is a Recipe for Disaster. Here’s How to Stay Safe.

I’d put on tire chains before, and I might have set a speed record for attaching them had I been in my own driveway. But, somewhere on the side of a snowy mountain pass in the tiny alpine country of Andorra, all that muscle memory evaporated. We’d bought the correct chains for our vehicle down in town, but now they didn’t seem to fit around the tire on my rental car. Temperatures were plunging.

While I Googled tire chain tutorials, my partner smacked the frozen chains against the ground, hoping to gain a little elasticity. After an hour of struggling, a friend with four-wheel-drive vehicle showed up, and we opted to leave our rental ride on a snowy shoulder.

As we rolled back to town, I assessed my abysmal performance with the car. I am not a bad winter driver—I live and work in the mountains after all—but driving a new car in dreadful conditions torpedoed my experience.

Driving a rental car—or any vehicle that’s not yours—in the snow is inherently uncomfortable. A lack of preparation can make things worse, quickly. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to avoid the pitfalls I experienced on my doomed Andorran adventure.

Set Yourself Up for Storm Driving Success 

If you’re traveling to a snowy area, or a place where you could run into winter weather, your preparation must start well before you get the keys. Most rental car agencies offer four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options (even internationally), but these vehicles get booked fast. If you’re traveling in winter, secure your rental car with enough lead time.

Check if your rental company offers a cold-weather package. These packages sometimes include comforts like ski racks, heated seats and steering wheels, and also remote start capabilities, so the car can begin defrosting before you enter the driver’s seat.

Rental car agencies that operate in snowy regions of the United States typically offer all-weather and snow tire options, but check with an agent to confirm your rental is equipped with the proper winter rubber. Remember that all-weather tires are generally suitable for a wide range of conditions, but winter tires are specifically designed specifically for snowy and icy driving conditions.

You should also assess your driving routes prior to your trip. Say your next trip is to the desert, but is there a mountain pass between the airport and your sunny oasis. Knowing exactly where inclement weather may occur, or pinch points can happen, will help you be better prepared when unexpected weather rolls in.

Consider downloading driving map apps that integrate weather forecasts and extreme weather updates into their routes like Navver or DriveWeather so you can prepare for what’s ahead in real time.

These Tools Can Make or Break Your Trip

There are a few key pieces of equipment that can make or break your winter car rental experience. Here’s a few we can’t go without.

Ice Scraper

To keep your windows and mirrors clear, make sure you have an ice scraper that’s up for the job. Again, this item is an easy add, but an even easier one to forget. Most rental car agencies will provide a scraper for free upon request, but you might want to consider bringing a small one of your own, just in case.

Check out the Hopkins SubZero 80037, which is equally good for scraping ice as it is for shoveling and sweeping snow.

$35 at Amazon

Windshield Wiper Fluid

Underrated and understated, wiper fluid can be the difference between seeing the road and staring through an iced-over windshield. Reduced visibility is a major cause of winter accidents, so keeping your visual pathways clear is a huge safety boost. Wiper fluid has a lower freezing point than water and will prevent your wipers from icing up, but that stuff can go fast—especially in the heart of the storm. Make sure you’ve got an extra container of wiper fluid in the car anytime you head into the mountains. Remember that wiper fluids come at different temperature ratings—get one that will freeze well below zero.

An Emergency Kit

You never want to expect the worst, but you do want to plan for it. Having a properly stocked emergency kit is a big plus for driving your rental car in the snow. What should you bring? For starters, add a flashlight, first aid supplies, a phone charger, a blanket, water, and a non-perishable snack or two. If you’re forced to pull over and spend the night in your vehicle, it’s important to stay warm and fueled up, all while keeping your devices charged for potential emergency contact.

We recommend the Haiphaik Emergency Roadside Kit.

$39 at Amazon

Tire Chains—Yes or No? Well, it Depends.

While tire chains are commonly used in snowy regions around the world, rental car agencies don’t always provide them. In the U.S., agencies typically dissuade renters from using them on their vehicles, and some, like Hertz and Enterprise, prohibit their use entirely. The agencies maintain that their cars are fully equipped and winter ready.

Other agencies, such as SIXT, Avis, and Europcar, will offer the option to rent tire chains or a tire sock, which provides extra traction. Some others permit chains, but do not provide them. Make sure to check with your rental agency before booking, as these policies often change.

We recommend the SCC Auto-Track.

$96 at Amazon

Check Your Car Before You Go

An individual rental car might see hundreds of drivers each year, and each one treats the vehicle a little differently. Before you roll out of the rental lot, make sure to go through a quick safety checklist.

First, clear all snow and ice from the car. This might sound like overkill, but as the car heats up and snow starts to slide, roof snow can fall onto windshields and obscure vision at intersections or when pressing on the brakes.

Next, check the tire pressure and tread. We mentioned that most rental car fleets have winter tires, but if those tires are noticeably under-inflated, they provide less traction in icy and snowy driving conditions. You should also take a second to check the wiper fluid, as that’s going to be the difference between an iced over windshield and unobstructed vision on the road.

Lastly, take a look at the wipers themselves. If they’re caked in ice or wearing thin, that’s going to affect performance and, ultimately, your view while you drive through that next storm. Again, rental agencies should be replacing these, but sometimes things slip through the cracks, and winter travel is one game that rarely offers do-overs.

Snow Driving Tips

Know Your Comfort Level

Ok, it’s time for a serious self-awareness test: How comfortable are you driving in the snow on a scale from one to ten? If that number is low, it might be wise to simply wait out a storm or leave for your destination a little earlier.

If you rank a little higher on the scale, think about other drivers on the road. Are you driving at night? Are you in a place where people are also accustomed to driving in snow? Are you driving highways or side streets? Is the area you’re traveling through equipped for plowing and snow removal? Driving in a snowstorm in New York City is a very different experience than a snowstorm in Dallas, for example.

Low Gears Are Your Friend

A little manual control goes a long way when the mercury dips, so don’t be afraid to shift into lower gear to get a bit more grip on the road. This is especially helpful while heading downhill when a rash application of the brakes could send you sliding.

Avoid Cruise Control

Driving at high speed in inclement weather is obviously not a great call, but believe it or not, cruise control can also cause unforeseen headaches on highways and interstates. This automatic setting doesn’t account for changing road conditions and can actually cause loss of traction on slippery surfaces. It may be a temporary inconvenience for road warriors, but stormy weather calls for an active foot on the gas and brake and those hands on the 10s and 2s.

Understand the Challenge

Winter driving comes with challenges, but a little snow in the forecast shouldn’t reroute your entire itinerary. Like most driving, the more road time you log in adverse conditions, the more accustomed you will become to slippery roads and windblown highways. A new-to-you car can throw a bit of a wrench in that equation, but following these easy steps and being flexible with travel plans can go a long way in making your winter rental woes a thing of the past.